David Ian Howe | Venus Figurines @davidianhowe | Uploaded October 2019 | Updated October 2024, 10 hours ago.
Instagram.com/ethnocynology
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In 1908, Johann Veran unearthed a small, anthropomorphic figurine at an archaeological site outside of Willendorf, Austria. The 11cm figurine is carved from oolitic limestone and is coated in red ochre (see previous video post).
The artifact is unable to be directly dated (our boy Johann has some sketchy notes), but recent geoarchaeological analyses of the surrounding site have provided relative carbon dates of about 28-25,000 years BP, which place the artifact within the Gravettian cultural horizon of the Upper Paleolithic period (Antl-Weiser, 2009). Another study (Svoboda, 2000) dates the artifact to 30k BP.
Most importantly, the figurine resembles the shape of a human female, and is referred to as the Venus of Willendorf. Other Venus figurines have been found all around Europe and some as far as Siberia. They resemble what many describe as “exaggerated” female features, including accentuated breasts, hips, and buttocks. While these figurines have no obvious subsistence utility, their symbolic and cultural function is a master class in anthropological speculation.
In the symbolic sense, they may represent the image of the “Mother Goddess” – an anthropomorphic symbol of creation, nature, and life. They may be used as fertility idols, like the Aphrodite/Venus idols found in Greco-Roman homes. Or like Athena or Minerva, represented security and success. They may represent idealized female beauty in Upper Paleolithic culture, but since we don’t know how gender existed in the past (if at all); they may just represent human beauty.
Or in a literal sense, they may simply be a product of women looking down at their bodies and sculpting what they saw. Maybe they’re dolls? Or maybe just be art for art’s sake?
Until Elon invents a time machine, we’ll never know. So as I said in the video, share this post, have some discussions, and let me know what you think.
I’m making more videos now, follow @ethnocynology to see more.
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#venusfigurines #Anthropology #Archaeology #artifacts #bones #museum #evolution #art #paleolithic #ancientart #prehistory #prehistoric #excavation #scicomm #womeninstem #womeninscience #germanshepherds #gsd #trowel #sonya7iii
Instagram.com/ethnocynology
--------------
In 1908, Johann Veran unearthed a small, anthropomorphic figurine at an archaeological site outside of Willendorf, Austria. The 11cm figurine is carved from oolitic limestone and is coated in red ochre (see previous video post).
The artifact is unable to be directly dated (our boy Johann has some sketchy notes), but recent geoarchaeological analyses of the surrounding site have provided relative carbon dates of about 28-25,000 years BP, which place the artifact within the Gravettian cultural horizon of the Upper Paleolithic period (Antl-Weiser, 2009). Another study (Svoboda, 2000) dates the artifact to 30k BP.
Most importantly, the figurine resembles the shape of a human female, and is referred to as the Venus of Willendorf. Other Venus figurines have been found all around Europe and some as far as Siberia. They resemble what many describe as “exaggerated” female features, including accentuated breasts, hips, and buttocks. While these figurines have no obvious subsistence utility, their symbolic and cultural function is a master class in anthropological speculation.
In the symbolic sense, they may represent the image of the “Mother Goddess” – an anthropomorphic symbol of creation, nature, and life. They may be used as fertility idols, like the Aphrodite/Venus idols found in Greco-Roman homes. Or like Athena or Minerva, represented security and success. They may represent idealized female beauty in Upper Paleolithic culture, but since we don’t know how gender existed in the past (if at all); they may just represent human beauty.
Or in a literal sense, they may simply be a product of women looking down at their bodies and sculpting what they saw. Maybe they’re dolls? Or maybe just be art for art’s sake?
Until Elon invents a time machine, we’ll never know. So as I said in the video, share this post, have some discussions, and let me know what you think.
I’m making more videos now, follow @ethnocynology to see more.
-------------
#venusfigurines #Anthropology #Archaeology #artifacts #bones #museum #evolution #art #paleolithic #ancientart #prehistory #prehistoric #excavation #scicomm #womeninstem #womeninscience #germanshepherds #gsd #trowel #sonya7iii
