This Venus figurine made of mammoth ivory

No pH๏τo description available.

This Venus figurine made of mammoth ivory was unearthed in 2008 in Hohle Fels, a cave near Schelklingen, Germany, in the Swabian Jura UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Carousel image representing the 3D design. Either an user-provided picture or a 3D render.

The figure is the oldest undisputed example of a depiction of a human being, being ca. 40,000 years old. In terms of figurative art only the lion-headed, zoomorphic Löwenmensch figurine is older. The Venus is housed at the Prehistoric Museum of Blaubeuren.

The Venus of Hohle Fels

As the earliest image of a human being and the oldest piece of figurative art, the female figurine of Hohle Fels remains a significant discovery for understanding the development of symbolic behaviour in Homo sapiens. Discovered in southwestern Germany in 2008, this mammoth-ivory sculpture was found in several fragments and has always been ᴀssumed to be complete, never owning a head. In place of a head, there is instead a small loop that would allow her to be threaded, possibly to be worn as a pendant. Several hypotheses have been put forward as to her original use context, ranging from representing a fertility goddess to a pornographic figure. Yet none of these theses have ever suggested that she once had a head. Here we explore whether the female figurine of Hohle Fels was designed as a two-part piece, with the head made of perishable material culture, possibly woven plant or animal fibres; or that the artefact is a broken and reworked figurine with the head simply never found. By exploring the possibility that this figurine did originally have a second part—a head—we investigate issues surrounding the role of women and children in the Swabian Aurignacian.

 

 

 

 

 

Related Posts

This well-preserved mummy is in the Louvre museum, and it belongs to a man who lived during the Ptolemaic period (305-30 BC).

This well-preserved mummy is in the Louvre museum, and it belongs to a man who lived during the Ptolemaic period (305-30 BC).

This well-preserved mummy is in the Louvre museum, and it belongs to a man who lived during the Ptolemaic period (305-30 BC). It belongs to a grown…

Unearthing the Mysteries: The Mill Hill Crown Attached to its Owner’s Skull

Unearthing the Mysteries: The Mill Hill Crown Attached to its Owner’s Skull

The world of archaeology is often filled with remarkable discoveries that captivate our imaginations and shed light on the remarkable achievements of our ancestors. One such extraordinary…

The Beekeeper 2 (2025) First Trailer | Jason Statham, Megan Fox

The Beekeeper 2 (2025) First Trailer | Jason Statham, Megan Fox

The first trailer for The Beekeeper 2 teases an adrenaline-fueled sequel as Jason Statham returns as Mr. Clay, a former operative-turned-vigilante beekeeper. Picking up a year after…

Roman Shipwreck discovered in 1980 during the maintenance of drainage canal in Comacchio, Northern Italy.

Roman Shipwreck discovered in 1980 during the maintenance of drainage canal in Comacchio, Northern Italy.

In 1981, a wreck of a Roman merchant ship was found during the maintenance of the drainage canal at Comacchio, Northern Italy. Researchers suggest that the ship…

Arch of тιтus, triumphal arch, located on the Via Sacra near the Roman Forum, in Rome, Italy.

Arch of тιтus, triumphal arch, located on the Via Sacra near the Roman Forum, in Rome, Italy.

Arch of тιтus, triumphal arch, located on the Via Sacra near the Roman Forum, in Rome, Italy. Designed to glorify the memory of individual emperors and their deeds, Rome’s monumental arches were also…

“Church Bar” or “Contraband Bar” from Atocha 1622 Shipwreck

“Church Bar” or “Contraband Bar” from Atocha 1622 Shipwreck

Gold “Finger (“church”) or Contraband bar #82A-9, 664 grams, stamped with fineness XXIII: (2350/2400) and weight of approx. 622gm (20 oz). The size is 5 1/4″ x…