Some of the earliest human artworks are female figurines, including those made by the Cycladic peoples of the Aegean Sea. Dated between 4,000 and 7,000 years ago, these figurines were carved from marble and feature abstract yet distinct female features and, at times, faces with semi-conical noses. The people who created them were called Cycladic after the Greek word kyklos (circle), as they encircle Delos, the sacred birthplace of the Olympian twins Artemis, goddess of nature, fertility, and childbirth, and Apollo, god of music, medicine, and the sun. Who were these prehistoric white marble figures, and what did their characteristic pose signify?

As elusive as the origins of our beliefs, perhaps these female figures are divinely inspired.