The symbolism of the large bowl from Grave 4 at the Varna I necropolis

The large bowl from one of the cenotaphs in the core of the necropolis Varna I (Grave 4) is distinctive not only in its dimensions, but also in the great symbolic value expressed in its high-quality artisanship and its contents. The bowl bears decorative motifs created by a precise and effective contrasting of the gilded and black-polished zones on the entire inner surface of the pot and on its rim. In that bowl there was also another vessel with gold decoration, an anthropomorphic bone idol, several dentalium shells, and various stone, flint, and copper tools. Decorating prehistoric pottery with gold is an unprecedented luxury, related exclusively to the Late Copper Age of the Eastern Balkans. Recognisable in the gilded decoration of the large bowl from grave 4 are figural motifs with the principle of cyclicity and the circular movement of nature. The representations on the ‘slices’ have been interpreted as four ships with sails sailing in a circle.