Samarran Ceramic Plate (5000 BC); from Samarra, Mesopotamia

 

Samarran Ceramic Plate (5000 BC); from Samarra, Mesopotamia - modern-day Iraq 

Here women stand in quadrants, their hair whirling in four winds, circled by a ring of scorpions.... .. 

Samarra, a neolithic town created a long line of splendid painted ceramics and female figurines. The Samarran Period (6500-6000 BC) is known for its finely made pottery decorated with animals, birds, and geometric designs. Samarran pottery probably originated in central Iraq but subsequently spread north and south, influencing the earliest Halaf and Ubaid Periods. Samarran Period, 6500-6000 BC.

British Museum