Gimbutas and the feminist movement of the 60s played a large role in the US/UK, although, as a comparison, Greek and Med religions in general have a vast mythology of goddesses (and gods) and their corresponding figurines found by archaeology, spread all across the Mediterranean. The Basques, for instance, have always had a top Mother goddess in their religion/mythology. How far back that tradition goes is anyone's guess.

So Classical archaeologists (Greek mainly) are also partly to blame for attributing every figurine a goddess role, I suppose. Not to blame since figurines are found in various guises up to the Roman era all around the Mediterranean mainly in lush graves and so on (Cybele, Diana/Artemis, etc etc). Since then, any Paleolithic/Neolithic figurine found has been called a goddess or attributed a fertility role.