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Venus of Willendorf
Venus of Willendorf

Venus figurines is an umbrella term for a number of prehistoric statuettes of women sharing common attributes (many depicted as apparently obese or pregnant) from the Aurignacian or Gravettian period of the upper Palaeolithic, found from Western Europe to Siberia. The Venus of Willendorf, also known as the Woman of Willendorf, is an 11 An umbrella term is a word that provides a Superset or grouping of related concepts also called a Hypernym. Stone Age Paleolithic See also Paleolithic, Recent African Origin, Early Homo sapiens, Early human migrations "Paleolithic" A statue is a Sculpture in the round representing a person or persons an animal or an event normally full-length as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size Obesity is a condition in which excess Body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be negatively affected Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female Aurignacian is the name of a culture of the Upper Palaeolithic located in Europe and southwest Asia. The Gravettian was an industry of the European Upper Palaeolithic. The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe Africa Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving These items were carved from soft stone (such as steatite, calcite or limestone), bone or ivory, or formed of clay and fired. Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a Metamorphic rock, a talc- Schist. Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of Calcium carbonate ( Ca[[carbon C]] O 3 Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and The latter are among the oldest ceramics known. The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικός ( keramikos) In total, over a hundred such figurines are known; virtually all of modest size, between 4 cm and 25 cm in height.

Contents

History of discovery

The Venus of Brassempouy
The Venus of Brassempouy

The first Upper Paleolithic representation of a woman was discovered about 1864 by the Marquis de Vibraye, at Laugerie-Basse (Dordogne), where initial archaeological surveys had already been undertaken; Vibraye named his find the Vénus impudique, a knowing contrast to the "modest" Venus Pudica Hellenistic type, the most famous of which is the Medici Venus. The Venus of Brassempouy (French la Dame de Brassempouy "Lady of Brassempouy" or Dame à la Capuche "Lady with the Hood" is a fragmentary The Château de Cheverny is located at Cheverny, in the département of Loir-et-Cher in the Loire Valley in The Venus de' Medici or Medici Venus is a lifesize Hellenistic marble sculpture depicting The Magdalenian "Venus" from Laugerie-Basse is headless, footless, armless but with a strongly incised vaginal opening. The Magdalenian, also spelled Magdalénien refers to one of the later cultures of the Upper Palaeolithic in Western Europe. [1] Another example of such a figure being discovered and recognised was the Venus of Brassempouy, found by Édouard Piette in 1894 (but not originally labelled as a "Venus"). The Venus of Brassempouy (French la Dame de Brassempouy "Lady of Brassempouy" or Dame à la Capuche "Lady with the Hood" is a fragmentary Four years later, Salomon Reinach published a group of steatite figurines from the caves of Balzi Rossi. Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a Metamorphic rock, a talc- Schist. The famous Venus of Willendorf was excavated in 1908 in a loess deposit in the Danube valley, Austria. The Venus of Willendorf, also known as the Woman of Willendorf, is an 11 Loess is a homogeneous typically non stratified porous Friable,slightly coherent often calcareous fine-grained Silty pale yellow or buff windblown ( aeolian The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Since then, hundreds of similar figurines have been discovered from the Pyrenees to the plains of Siberia. The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving They are collectively described as "Venus" figurines in reference to the Roman goddess of beauty, Venus, since the prehistorians of the early 20th century assumed they represented an ancient ideal of beauty. Roman mythology, or more appropriately Latin mythology, refers to the mythological beliefs of the Italic people inhabiting the region of Latium and its The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University Stone Age Paleolithic See also Paleolithic, Recent African Origin, Early Homo sapiens, Early human migrations "Paleolithic" Early discourse on "Venus" figurines was coloured by concerns to identify the race being represented; since the late twentieth century controversy has shifted to the inappropriate invocation by contrast of an abandoned classical canon of beauty on the one hand and the steatopygous fascination of Sartje Baartman, the "Hottentot Venus" exhibited as a living ethnographic curiosity to connoisseurs in Paris early in the nineteenth century. Steatopygia (stiˌætəˈpɪdʒiə is a high degree of Fat accumulation in and around the Buttocks The deposit of fat is not confined to the Gluteal regions Saartjie "Sarah" Baartman ( 1789 &ndash December 29, 1815) was the most famous of at least two Khoikhoi women who were exhibited Saartjie "Sarah" Baartman ( 1789 &ndash December 29, 1815) was the most famous of at least two Khoikhoi women who were exhibited [2]

Description

The majority of the Venus figurines appear to be depictions of females that follow certain artistic conventions, on the lines of schematisation and stylisation. Most of them are roughly lozenge-shaped, with two tapering terminals at top (head) and bottom (legs) and the widest point in the middle (hips/belly). In some examples, certain parts of the human anatomy are exaggerated: abdomen, hips, breasts, thighs, vulva. In Vertebrates such as Mammals the abdomen (belly constitutes the part of the body between the Thorax (chest and Pelvis. The breast is the upper Ventral region of an animal’s Torso, particularly that of Mammals including Human beings. In humans the thigh is the area between the Pelvis and the Knee. The vulva (from Latin, vulva, plural vulvae or vulvas; see etymology) is the region of the external genital organs In contrast, other anatomical details are neglected or absent, especially arms and feet. The heads are often of relatively small size and devoid of detail.

The question of the steatopygia of some of the figurines has led to numerous controversies. Steatopygia (stiˌætəˈpɪdʒiə is a high degree of Fat accumulation in and around the Buttocks The deposit of fat is not confined to the Gluteal regions The issue was first raised by Édouard Piette, excavator of the Brassempouy figure and of several other examples from the Pyrenees. Some authors saw this feature as the depiction of an actual physical property, resembling the Khoisan tribe of southern Africa, while others interpreted it as a symbol of fertility and abundance. Khoisan (increasingly commonly spelled Khoesan or Khoe-San) is the name for two major Ethnic groups of Southern Africa. It must be noted in this context, that not all Palaeolithic female figurines are rotund or have exaggerated feminine features. Also, not all are devoid of facial features.

The Venus of Willendorf and the Venus of Laussel bear traces of having been externally covered in red ochre. The Venus of Willendorf, also known as the Woman of Willendorf, is an 11 Venus of Laussel is a Venus figurine, a 15 foot high Limestone Bas-relief of a nude female figure painted with red Ochre, and is approximately Red ochre and yellow ochre (pronounced /'əʊkə/ from the Greek ὄχρος yellow are Pigments made from naturally tinted Clay. The significance of this is not clear, but is normally assumed to be religious or ritual in nature.

All generally accepted Paleolithic female figurines are from the Upper Palaeolithic. The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe Africa Although they were originally mostly considered Aurignacian, the majority is now associated with the Gravettian and Solutrean. Aurignacian is the name of a culture of the Upper Palaeolithic located in Europe and southwest Asia. The Gravettian was an industry of the European Upper Palaeolithic. The Solutrean industry is a relatively advanced flint tool-making style of the Upper Palaeolithic. In these periods, the more rotund figurines are predominant. During the Magdalenian, the forms become finer with more detail; conventional stylization also develops. The Magdalenian, also spelled Magdalénien refers to one of the later cultures of the Upper Palaeolithic in Western Europe.

Venus of Malta (Archaeological Museum of Valletta)
Venus of Malta (Archaeological Museum of Valletta)

Classification

A number of attempts to subdivide or classify the figurines have been made. One of the less controversial is that by Henri Delporte, simply based on geographic provenance[3]. He distinguishes:

According to André Leroi-Gourhan, there are cultural connections between all these groups. André Leroi-Gourhan ( August 25, 1911 &ndash February 19, 1986) was a French archaeologist, paleontologist, He states that certain anatomical details suggest a shared Oriental origin, followed by a westward diffusion. [4].

The absence of such figurines from the Iberian peninsula is curious. The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra Only few and rather dubious examples have been reported, especially at El Pendo and La Pileta. The so-called Venus of Las Caldas from a cave near Oviedo is a Magdalenian antler carving. Oviedo ( Asturian: Uviéu is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. The Magdalenian, also spelled Magdalénien refers to one of the later cultures of the Upper Palaeolithic in Western Europe. Antlers are the usually large and complex horn -like appendages of most Deer species mostly worn by males only for some species such as Caribou by both Although some scholars see it as a stylised female body with an animal head, it is probably a decorated atlatl-type device. An atlatl (from Nahuatl ahtlatl; in English pronounced or) or spear-thrower is a Tool that uses Leverage to achieve greater velocity

Interpretation

There are many interpretations of the figurines, often based on little argument or fact. Like many prehistoric artifacts, the cultural meaning of these figures may never be known. Archaeologists speculate, however, that they may be emblems of security and success, fertility icons, pornographic imagery, or even direct representations of a Great Goddess or Mother Goddess or various local goddesses. Fertility is the natural capability of giving life As a measure "Fertility Rate" is the number of children born per couple person or population A mother goddess is a Goddess, often portrayed as the Earth Mother who serves as a general Fertility deity the bountiful embodiment of the Earth. A goddess is a Female Deity. Many Cultures have goddesses Often deities are part of a polytheistic system that includes several deities The female figures, as part of Upper Palaeolithic portable art, appear to have no practical use in the context of subsistence. Subsistence is the food necessary to sustain life The following is a list of subsistence techniques: Hunting and Gathering They are mostly discovered in settlement contexts, both in open-air sites and caves; burial contexts are much rarer.

At Gagarino in Russia, seven Venus figurines were found in a hut of 5 m diameter; they a have been interpreted as apotropaic amulets, connected with the occupants of the dwelling. An amulet ( the Elder|Pliny]] meaning "an object that protects a person from trouble" a close cousin of the talisman (from Arabic At Mal'ta, near Lake Baikal, figurines are only known from the left sides of huts. Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia The figurines were probably not hidden or secret amulets, but rather were displayed to be seen by all (a factor that may explain their wide geographic spread).

The apparent obesity of the figures strongly implies a focus on fertility as, at the time of their construction, human society had not yet invented farming and did not have ready access to rich or plentiful foodstuffs. A society is a Population of Humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive Culture and Institutions Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture An image of excess weight may have symbolized a yearning for plenty and security. Nevertheless, the widespread theories concerning a possibly fertility cult or a Mother Goddess are entirely speculative and cannot be scientifically evaluated. A mother goddess is a Goddess, often portrayed as the Earth Mother who serves as a general Fertility deity the bountiful embodiment of the Earth.

Recently, two very ancient stone objects (between 200,000 and 300,000 years old) have been interpreted as attempts at representing females. One, the Venus of Berekhat Ram was discovered on the Golan Heights, the other, the Venus of Tan-Tan in Morocco. The Venus of Berekhat Ram is a proposed Venus figurine that was found on the Golan Heights in the summer of 1981 by archaeologist N Borders of Israel The Golan Heights ( الجولان al-Jawlān, הגולן ha-Golan) is a strategic Plateau and mountainous Venus of Tan-Tan was found in Morocco. It is 6 centimeters long gender Indeterminate and faceless and has been dated between 300000 and 500000 BC. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Both pieces remain controversial. In any case, both are at best very cursorily and marginally carved, at worst simply natural, their anthropomorphic appearance being coincidence.

Some scholars and popular theorists suggest a direct continuity between the Palaeolithic female figurines, and later examples of female depictions from the Neolithic or even the Bronze Age. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for [5] Such views have been contested on numerous grounds, not least the general absence of such depictions during the intervening Mesolithic. The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of human technology in between the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age

See also

Gallery

Examples of Palaeolithic Venus figurines

Reconstruction of the Venus of Lespugue

Venus of Laussel

Venus of Dolní Věstonice (ceramic)

Venus of Savignano

stylised Venus of Bouret'

Mal'ta Venus

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ Randall White, "The women of Brassempouy: A century of research and interpretation", Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 13.4, December 2006:253 pdf file
  2. ^ Of the mammoth-ivory figurine fragment known as La Poire ("the pear") from her massive thighs, Randall White (White 2006:263, caption to fig. 6) observed the connection.
  3. ^ H. Delporte : L’image de la femme dans l’art préhistorique, Éd. Picard (1993) ISBN 2-7084-0440-7
  4. ^ Leroi-Gourhan, A. , Cronología del arte paleolítico, 1966, Actas de VI Congreso internacional de Ciencias prehistóricas y protohistóricas, Roma.
  5. ^ Walter Burkert, Homo Necans (1972) 1983:78, with extensive bibliography, including P.J. Ucko, who contested the identification with mother goddesses and argues for a plurality of meanings, in Anthropomorphic Figurines of Predynastic Egypt and Neolithic Crete with Comparative Material from the Prehistoric Near East and Mainland Greece (1968). Peter John Ucko FRAI FSA (27th July 1938- 14th June 2007 was Professor Emeritus of Comparative Archaeology, former Executive Director of University College London

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