Votive Objects

various objects that in ancient times were brought to a sacred place or, in later times, to a temple for the purpose of obtaining from a deity either healing or the satisfaction of a request; the objects were also brought to fulfill a vow. Suppliants hoping to get better, or in gratitude for a recovery, brought images of the stricken parts of the body or of the whole person; in other instances, images were brought of animals, birds, or any objects that suppliants either pledged as a sacrifice or desired to receive. Archaeological objects from the Neolithic period have been found that can be considered prototypes of votive objects. In the USSR a large number of votive objects were discovered during the excavations of an ancient place of sacrifice, the Gliadenovo Site (fourth century B.C. to the tenth century A.D.).