Gaziantep Archaeology Museum a group of terracotta figurines

Due to its nature, man always had the purpose of expressing himself, albeit in different ways. Terracotta figurines, on the other hand, constitute the descriptive part of this expression. Gaziantep Archeology Museum, located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region, is one of the richest regions of Turkey in terms of culture. The Gaziantep Archaology Museum collects many artifacts from within the region and other regions every year and increases its rich artifact collection day by day. Within the scope of the study, sixty-seven terracotta figurines, which were brought to the museum through Purchase, Confiscation, Donation, Grants and Transfer, were evaluated. The exact locations of the sixty-seven figurines, which are the subject of this study, are not known, and since they do not belong to a specific context, they have been evaluated on similar examples in terms of technique and stylistic. The figurine samples within the scope of the study were handled in nine main categories; God/ Goddess Figurines, Cult Function Figurines, Female-Male Figurines, Rider Figurines with Bust Shaped Figurines, Other Figurines, and Persian Figurines Group. The earliest example of the figurines included in the scope is Middle Bronze (2000 BC), the latest example belongs to the Roman Period (2nd century AD), and figurines with various typologies, mostly mold making, have been evaluated in a wide range. The data obtained from the sixty-seven figurines that constitute the scope of the study were compared with the previously published data of the ancient center, private collections and museums, the period and style of the figurines were criticized, and historical suggestions were made. We believe that this study will be beneficial in terms of determining the technical, stylistic, and periodical usage purposes of other figurine groups to be found in the ongoing excavations.