Johann Jakob Bachofen - The first explorer of the Mother Right

What was the reason that the Swiss Johann Jakob Bachofen (December 22nd, 1815 - November 25th, 1887), descendant of one of the most distinguished families of Basel ventured to publish a thesis which was most appalling for the 19th century?
It must have been his unbreakable conviction that his theory must be right, otherwise he would not have risked to lose his high reputation and his good name as respectable judge.

He was the first one who held the position that there had been a phase in history of mankind when women were the predominating gender. He named this phase - Mother Right, today we use the term 'Matriarchy' or 'Matriarchate'.
Johann Jakob Bachofen was the first one who fought for the acceptance of the matriarchy as historical fact. Like Don Quixote fighting windmills he struggled his whole life against the contemporary attitude that his theory of the Mother Right was nonsense. A critic of his time called his research 'higher rubbish'. Unfounded criticism, lack of understanding and mockery hurt him very much but it didn't stop him to go his way consequently.
He didn't get any acknowledgment for his work during lifetime, only some decades after his death he has got a partial rehabilitation following the discovery of remote cultures whose society was matriarchal.

Alexis Giraud-Teulon was one of the few ones who already recognized Bachofen's genius during his lifetime. The Genevan scientist was a great admirer of his »Mother Right«. They much corresponded by letter, and thus Giraud-Teulon picked up many ideas of Bachofen and re-used them for his own research work. The esteem by Giraud-Teulon was a great mental benefit for Bachofen, because most contemporary scientists denied Bachofen's work and didn't take it seriously.

In his book »La Mère chez certains peuples de l'Antiquité« (English: The Mother at certain peoples of antiquity) Giraud-Teulon picked up the idea of the Mother Right, but he transformed it in this way that he didn't see it as a general stage of human development but as a special appearance which can only be traced at certain peoples of antiquity. Actually, his point of view is widely accepted today. He assigned this special social order to pre-Indo-European cultures. So he traced a cluster of matriarchal peoples which spread from Asia Minor across North Africa till Spain and the Canaries, those were the ancient Carians, Lycians, Nubians (=Ethiopians) and Libyans. Concerning the Amazons he disagrees with Bachofen. He thinks that there had never existed Amazon nations. He believes that the Amazon myth has been inspired by matriarchal priestesses who carried weapons and defended their temples against the patriarchal invaders.

Amazons were Colchian women. It has always been very clear to the ancient Greeks, where these famous Amazons once really had lived. Their home had been at the mouth of the river Thermodon in Northern Turkey. This localization is so definite that even now the river bears a Turkish name which leaves no doubt about its identity. Today the river is called Terme Çay. Çay is the Turkish name for river. This river flows under the Pontic mountains.

Caucasus region is assumed to be a land of strong women. In Greek antiquity it was Medea, daughter of the king of Colchis (Aeetes, the son of the Sun-God Helios), who was depicted as an extremely strong character. Medea was a very clever woman, Mother of the Medicine and a skilled sorceress but just as well she was utterly unscrupulous and radical in reaching her goals. She cheated her father out of love for a stranger, the Greek Jason and She sacrificed her brother - Absyrtus to escape from Colchis.
In this regard, it is very significant that in the Middle Ages there was a queen named Tamar (1184 - 1213) who made Georgia great. She represents the Golden Age of Georgia.

In Greek antiquity Colchis was seen as a distant country and as a rich one because of its gold and knowledge. That is why, the Greek hero Jason was sent to Colchis. His task was to steal the famous Golden Fleece.
When the Greeks came to the region east of the Black Sea in the second half of the 2nd millennium BC, they encountered a well-organized, high-developed people. From the 13th till the 1st century BC there existed the kingdom of Colchis which had a very special culture. The political center was inland at the river Phasis (today Rioni). In the ancient sources there is mentioned the capital Kutaia. It is obvious that this place is identical with today's Georgian city Kutaisi.
In Vani, about 60 km off the Black Sea coast, there was discovered an impressive temple city with richly endowed rock tombs. In these tombs, there were found valuable grave goods of precious metal, mostly gold.
Colchis was very famous for its goldsmith work. Specially on behalf of granulation technique the Colchians were true masters and they were the makers of this technique. So again, the famous Golden Fleece of Colchis alludes to a true background.
At the time when the Greeks learned to know Colchis, this land was obviously a land with rather balanced gender relations. Actually, this was enough for the patriarchal Greeks to recognize in Colchis the homeland of the self-reliant Medea.
In fact, the burial customs reveal an egalitarian social order. Mostly, there were found collective burials - a clear hint to egality.
Very characteristic for Colchis there are figures of riding women. They always sit sideways on the horse, very often they hold a baby in their arms. That riding woman represents the Colchian main goddess "Nana" - a goddess who stands for the belief in rebirth. That is why, pompous individual burials had no meaning for the Colchians because they knew that they were reborn. Life and death were an eternal cycle, so a richly endowed individual burial made no sense. Rebirth belief in Colchians was common since Stone Age and connected with it was the predominating role of the woman because only she is able to bear.

Most of the ancient sources say that the Amazons lived at the river Thermodon in northern Central Anatolia and where the neighbors of another Colchian tribes. Besides this, there is the tradition about Caucasian Amazons. The Greek historian and geographer Strabo (63 BC - 23 AD) is the essential source. He is considered to be very reliable; he traveled a lot and he scrutinized the older sources he used for himself. In the course of his description of the Caucasus he mentions that in the mountains above Albania, Amazons lived. Albania is a region which roughly correlates with East Georgia and the Northern Azerbaijan. In detail he informs that a river named Mermadalis flows through the Amazon land. This river has its source in the Caucasus, then flows through the land of the Amazons. Later on, the river crosses a desert and empties into the Azov Sea.

Neighbors of the Amazons were the Gargarians. Each year in spring the Amazons met the Gargarian men on a mountain to become pregnant. The girls stayed with them; the boys were handed over to the Gargarians. Of special importance is Strabo's statement that the Amazons originally came from Themiskyra (Thermodon) and emigrated from there to the Caucasus region. Due to this information the Caucasian Amazons can be integrated into the general history of the Amazons. The famous Amazons from the river Thermodon had to leave their home in northern Central Anatolia because the pressure by neighboring patriarchal tribes became more and more threatening. They emigrated to the region northeast of the Black Sea. Probably, a part of the Amazons decided not to give up their traditional way of life as an independent women community and preserved their way of life in the inaccessible Caucasus mountain range.

A concrete localization of this Caucasian Amazon land on the basis of Strabo's description is rather difficult. if you lay the focus on the local hint towards »Albania« this land must have been in the eastern part of the Caucasus mountains, maybe in Tusheti, Pshavi, Khevsureti, Khevi, Ingusheti, Chechnya or Dagestan. On the other hand, if you consider the information that this river Mermadalis empties into the Azov Sea, then only the river Kuban or one of his tributaries come into question. Then this Amazon land must have been in the western part of the Caucasus, that would also mean north of Colchis, where the Georgian tribes Svans and Dvals were living.

The archaeological research offers a possible solution. In the North Caucasus, Ossetia, the Historical land of Dvals, where there was Koban culture of Colchians from 1100 BC to 400 BC, there have been discovered burials and artifacts which suggest a clear connection with Amazons. In Tli (Tlia) in the nowadays Ossetia, North Caucasus, there have been found women's graves containing weapons. They belong to the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. However, there have also been found men's graves containing weapons. In fact, these are the majority. It is very amazing, that there are no differences concerning the grave goods. Men and women are equally wealthy. Most of the graves in Tli are individual burials. There are also collective burials but not many.

The findings show quite clear that in this part of the Caucasus there existed a people - Colchian tribe - Dvals, where obviously men and women lived together as equals. Women also took part in armed conflicts and proudly presented their role as warriors in the graves. Actually, it is not an Amazon people as Strabo had described. In fact, it seems much more similar to the description by Herodotus. According to Herodotus, the Amazons had formed a community with Sauromatian men after their flight from the Thermodon region. In this community they could partially preserve their former way of life at the side of their Sauromatian men. They carried weapons and fought together with their men. in the course of time the »Amazonian« attitude of the women lessened more and more, fewer and fewer women were warriors and took part in armed conflicts. This is the reason why men's graves containing weapons prevail in Tli. Actually, the fact alone that there are women's graves containing weapons is rather striking, and in some respects, it confirms the stories about Amazons which the ancient historians passed on to us.

In the ancient realm of myth there is the account that in prehistoric times the island Lemnos (Limnos) was only inhabited by women. This island was called gynaikokratumene, which means »reigned by women«. In the Greek myth about the Argonauts a group of men comes to this island on their way to the land of Colchis (in the East of the Black Sea). According to this account this island was only inhabited by women; a queen named Hypsipyle ruled over this women's state. It is interesting that the women of Lemnos received the Greeks kindly. Apparently, these women of Lemnos lived as self-confident Amazons on this island.
Quite obviously, this myth reflects former matriarchal life on Lemnos, before the Arrival of the Indo-European Greeks, when there were living Colchian matriarchal people.

Archaeological proof of the Myth - Poliochni

The rather unknown North Aegean island Lemnos amazes with its great prehistoric past. About 5000 years ago there existed a highly-developed civilization which created imposing cities, mighty rock buildings and impressive sanctuaries on this Greek island. The discovery of Poliochni was sensational. Because of its largeness and refinement this Bronze Age settlement is regarded as the most ancient city of Europe. Also the discoveries at Myrina in the west and Hephaistia in the north witness the island's prehistoric importance. Presumably there was a further city in the Northeast - Chryse, which was sunken under the sea.
Moreover, the findings make evident that in this ancient civilization there was gender equality, it even seems that the women had the predominating gender role. Not without reason in antiquity Lemnos was described with the words »island dominated by women«.

Excavations in Lemnos resulted in many amazing finds. In Poliochni there has been excavated a town which exceeded all contemporary settlements.
There has been discovered a town which was nearly twice as large as contemporary Troy. The Early Bronze Age town of Poliochni had large roomy houses which were arranged in blocks along a North-South main road. By-roads crossed this main road at right angles, and at the crossings there were little places with wells and drainages.

The town was surrounded by a stone wall which was 5 meters high, and there were slots for archers. This is rather surprising because at this period only at Poliochni there have been found arrow-heads! It is an amazing parallel to the Amazons because the Amazons were considered as outstanding archers. The inhabitants of Poliochni seem to have been rather wealthy, so there has been discovered a valuable treasure in the ruins.
A special feature of Poliochni must be pointed out: The town consisted of uniform large dwelling houses which demonstrate that there existed a society with very little social differences. This kind of social order is a typical sign of matriarchy (female rule).

Pelasgo-Colchian island of Lesbos - the land of Amazons

The outstanding position of woman on the Greek island Lesbos in ancient times already becomes evident by the fact that the most famous poetess of antiquity - Sappho - comes from there.

The moon rose full,
and as around an altar,
stood the women.

Sappho

In her poem the self-confident and independent position of woman on Lesbos becomes manifest.
The poet Alcaeus - also coming from Lesbos and a contemporary of Sappho - describes the women from Lesbos in a similar way in this poem.

... where long-robed island (Lesbian) girls parade
their beauty and are judged, the grove
resounding with a sacred note as women raise
the loud perennial cry ...
Alcaeus

Lesbos is the third largest island of Greece and lies in the Aegean Sea. It much differs from its neighboring islands because of its rich vegetation. Even in midsummer a green countryside is predominant.
From the ancient historians we have got clues towards the special position of women on Lesbos by connecting the history of the island with the Amazons.
Diodorus gives us following account:
She (the Amazon queen Myrina) seized also some of the islands, and Lesbos in particular, on which she founded the city of Mitylene, which was named after her sister who took part in the campaign.

Archaeological evidence

There are a lot of prehistoric finds from the Early Bronze Age (third millennium BC) which indicate that there existed a culture with matriarchal orientation. Moreover, there are cross connections with the Amazon cultures at the river Thermodon and on the island Lemnos (Limnos).

▶ In Thermi, some kilometers north of the island capital Mytilene, there was unearthed an important prehistoric settlement dating from the Early Bronze Age. The architecture of this prehistoric city is very similar to the contemporary cities Poliochni and Myrina on Lemnos: There is an urban settlement enclosed by a mighty city wall, houses in the so-called Megaron style which directly adjoin, roads with public places and wells. The buildings altogether are very uniform which give evidence for an egalitarian society - a society with no or at least very little social differences. This social form is characteristic for matriarchal societies. The community was not controlled and regulated by law and order but by the natural authority of the »wise women«. The prehistoric settlement Thermi is presumably identical with Mytilene, which according to the ancient tradition was founded by the Amazons.

▶ Arrowheads: The prehistoric arrowheads from Lesbos can be connected with the ancient tradition that the Amazons have been excellent archers.

▶ Figurines of woman and female idols. There have been found numerous figurines of woman. Actually, there are two types - the young, martial woman in the tradition of the Greek goddesses Athena and Artemis, respectively like the Amazons. Secondly, there is the type of a seated matron representing the almighty mother goddess, the prehistoric »Great Mother«. This type can be equated with Cybele or the Greek Goddess Hera.

▶ Crescent-shaped pendants: The characteristic shield of the Amazons (so-called Pelta) was crescent-shaped. In general, the moon was of special significance for cultures with matriarchal orientation.

▶ Pottery: The is a striking similarity of the prehistoric pottery from Lesbos to pieces found in the Dündartepe (Thermodon) culture. In particular, there is a very similar ornamentation (linear incisions and grooves).

▶ Significant worship of the goddess Cybele. On Lesbos there have been found numerous statues and reliefs which represent the goddess Cybele or are dedicated to her. In the most ancient part of Mytilene there has been unearthed a sanctuary of Cybele. She was the Asia Minor version of the almighty prehistoric mother goddess - the »Great Mother«. In Agiassos on Lesbos there is a very famous church dedicated to the Lady (Panagia) - it is an eminent religious center, pilgrims from near and far come to this place. By worshipping the Lady there presumably survives the ancient worship of the prehistoric »Great Mother« - the almighty matriarchal goddess - until the present.

▶ Megalithic buildings and Pelasgian walls. Remains of prehistoric buildings made of big boulders without using mortar (the so-called Megalithic building style) and walls in the same style (the so-called Pelasgian walls) have been discovered in various parts of Lesbos. The same building style we could trace as well in Lemnos as in the Thermodon region (Dündartepe culture).

▶ The sacred rock of Petra. In the north of Lesbos near the city Methymna (Molivos) there is a famous place named Petra. In its name itself - Petra is the Greek name for rock - the significance of this place becomes clear. It is a huge rock with a church on top. It can be assumed that already in prehistoric times this place was an important place of worship. Similarly, there is a sacred rock on the island of the Amazons in the Black Sea (called Aretias - today: Giresun Adasi) which even today is of religious significance. Also on Lemnos there is a sacred rock - Riha Nera at Myrina.
At last, an amazing detail worth mentioning:
In Skala Sikaminea in the northeast of the island there is a small chapel which is dedicated to Panagia Gorgona (Panagia = Mother of God). In the ancient tradition Gorgons were Amazons. Accordingly, this chapel has got an Amazon name as epithet for the Mother of God. Also the capital of Lesbos Mytilene (Mitilini) has an Amazon name - a surprising coincidence!

Pelasgo-Colchian islands of Malta and Gozo - the land of the Great Mother

Approximately in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, halfway between Sicily and Tunisia, there are the islands Malta and Gozo which are very famous for their mighty prehistoric temples. More than 5000 years ago there had existed a highly-developed civilization on these small Mediterranean islands. Imposing stone monuments give evidence of its former significance and prosperity.

On Malta there are the temples Hal Tarxien, Hagar Qim, Mnajdra and the subterranean temple Hal Saflieni, which impress and make you wonder how Stone Age people could make them; on Gozo there is the huge twin temple Ggantija.
The temples form a unity with their surrounding landscape. It is evident that the ancient people of Malta had very deliberately chosen the places for their temples.

The subterranean temple Hal Saflieni was of special significance. In its elaborately constructed stone rooms there have been discovered the bones of about 7000 people. The walls had been painted red by ochre. There has been found the statue of a goddess in sleeping position. This sleeping goddess represents the aspect of death which in matriarchal religion was directly connected with rebirth. Correspondingly, in Greek mythology the god of sleep, Morpheus, was the brother of the god of death, Thanatos.

Many woman figurines - with very feminine shapes - have been found in the temples. They have to be interpreted as representations of the almighty »Great Mother«. The worship of the »Great Mother« is an essential characteristic of matriarchal cultures - those are civilizations in which women have the predominating gender role.

The impressing prehistoric remains of Malta and Gozo clearly give evidence that about 5000 years ago there had existed a highly-developed, presumably matriarchal civilization.

"Oh, Prometheus, for your torture, Amazons are crying, whose stallions hoofs trample down the fields of Colchis. Savage Scythians are mourning, living in the Northern lands. Aryans are groaning - the great children of Ares, from the cave town of the Caucasus mountains, the voice of the fluttering of their spears is heard !.."

Constantine Gamsakhurdia. Georgian author, father of the first President of Georgia.

"ოჰ, პრომეთე, შენი ტანჯვის გამო ტირიან ამორძალები, რომელთა ცხენთა ფლოქვები თქერავენ კოლხეთის ველებს, იგლოვენ ჩრდილოეთის ტრამალებში მცხოვრები ველური სკვითები. გმინავენ არიელები, არესის ძენი, კავკასიის კლდეთა ნაკვეთი ქალაქიდან მათი შუბების ჟღრიალი ისმის !.."

კონსტანტინე გამსახურდია.