The Venus of Hohle Fels (also known as the Venus of Schelklingen; in German variously Venus vom Hohlen Fels, vom Hohle Fels; Venus von Schelklingen) is an Upper PaleolithicVenus figurine made of mammothivory that was unearthed in 2008 in Hohle Fels, a cave near Schelklingen, Germany. It is dated to between 40,000 and 35,000 years ago,[1] belonging to the early Aurignacian, at the very beginning of the Upper Paleolithic, which is associated with the earliest presence of Cro-Magnon in Europe.
Two views of the Venus of Hohle Fels figurine (height 6 cm (2.4 in)), which may have been worn as an amulet, and is the earliest known, undisputed example of a depiction of a human being
The figure is the oldest undisputed example of a depiction of a human being. In terms of figurative art only the lion-headed, zoomorphicLöwenmensch figurine is older. The Venus figurine is housed at the Prehistoric Museum of Blaubeuren (Urgeschichtliches Museum Blaubeuren).
The Swabian Alb region of Germany has a number of caves that have yielded many mammoth-ivory artifacts of the Upper Paleolithic period. Approximately 25 items have been discovered to date. These include the Löwenmensch figurine of Hohlenstein-Stadel dated to 40,000 years ago[2] and an ivory flute found at Geißenklösterle, dated to 42,000 years ago.[3] This mountainous region is located in Baden-Württemberg and is bounded by the Danube in the southeast, the upper Neckar in the northwest, and in the southwest it rises to the higher mountains of the Black Forest.
This concentration of evidence of full behavioral modernity, including figurative art and instrumental music among humans in the period of 40 to 30 thousand years ago, is unique worldwide and its discoverer, archaeologist Nicholas Conard, speculates that the bearers of the Aurignacian culture in the Swabian Alb may be credited with the invention, not just of figurative art and music, but possibly, the earliest religious practices as well.[4] Within a distance of 70 cm (27.6 in) to the Venus figurine, Conard's team also found a flute made from a vulture bone.[5] Additional artifacts excavated from the same cave layer included flint-knapping debris, worked bone, and carved ivory as well as remains of tarpans, reindeer, cave bears, woolly mammoths, and Alpine ibexes.
Discovery
External video
[1], Nature - an extensive discussion of the artifact by two team members who discovered and study the figurine[6]
The discovery of the Venus of Hohle Fels by the archaeological team led by Nicholas J. Conard of Universität Tübingen Abteilung Ältere Urgeschichte und Quartärökologie pushed back the date of the oldest known human figurative art,[a] by several millennia,[b] establishing that works of art were being produced throughout the Aurignacian Period.[7]
The remarkably early figurine was discovered in September 2008 in a cave called Hohle Fels (Swabian German for "hollow rock") near Schelklingen, some 15 km (9 mi) west of Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, in southwestern Germany, by a team from the University of Tübingen led by archaeology professor Nicholas Conard, who reported their find in Nature.[8] The figurine was found in the cave hall, approximately 20 m (66 ft) from the entrance and 3 m (10 ft) below the current ground level. Nearby a bone flute dating to approximately 42,000 years ago was found, the oldest known uncontested musical instrument.[3]
In 2015 the team presented two further pieces of carved mammoth ivory discovered at the site that have been identified as parts of a second female figurine.[9] The venus and the fragment are shown in comparison here.
Description
The figurine was sculpted from a woolly mammoth tusk and it has broken into fragments, of which six have been recovered, with the left arm and shoulder still missing. In place of the head, the figurine has a perforated protrusion, which may have allowed it to be worn as an amulet.
Interpretation
The discoverer, anthropologist Nicholas Conard, said: "This [figure] is about sex, reproduction... [it is] an extremely powerful depiction of the essence of being female".[10] Anthropologist, Paul Mellars of Cambridge University has suggested that—by modern standards—the figurine "could be seen as bordering on the pornographic".[11]
Anthropologists from Victoria University of Wellington have suggested that such figurines were not depictions of beauty, but represented "hope for survival and longevity, within well-nourished and reproductively successful communities",[12] reflecting the conventional interpretation of these types of figurines as representing a fertility goddess.
^The grid or cross-hatch patterns found engraved at the Blombos Cave in South Africa, dating to 75,000 years ago, may or may not be considered "abstract art".
^by at least 5,000 years, if the 35,000 BP date is compared to that of the Venus of Galgenberg, or by as much as 10,000 years if the 40,000 BP date is accepted.
References
^ Universität Tübingen. July 22, 2016. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
^. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
^ ab"Earliest music instruments found". BBC News. 2012-05-25.
^"Prehistoric pin-up". Nature. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
^Henderson, Mark (2009-05-13). "Prehistoric female figure 'earliest piece of erotic art uncovered'". The Times. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
^Conard, Nicholas J. (2009). "A female figurine from the basal Aurignacian of Hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany". Nature. 459 (7244): 248–252. Bibcode:2009Natur.459..248C. doi:10.1038/nature07995. PMID 19444215. S2CID 205216692.
^. Past Horizons. 22 July 2015. Archived from the original on 30 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
^. The Smithsonian. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
^"Full-Figured Statuette, 35,000 Years Old, Provides New Clues to How Art Evolved". 2009. New York Times. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
^Dixson, Alan F.; Dixson, Barnaby J. (2011). "Venus Figurines of the European Paleolithic: Symbols of Fertility or Attractiveness?". Journal of Anthropology. 2011: 1–11. doi:10.1155/2011/569120.
Further reading
"Venus of Hohle Fels (38,000 - 33,000 BCE)". Encyclopedia of Art Education (Visual-Arts-Cork).
Neil Patrick (8 Jun 2016). "The Venus of Hohle Fels is the oldest statue depicting a woman's figure". The Vintage News.
Cook, Jill (2013), Ice Age Art: the Arrival of the Modern Mind; [... to accompany the exhibition of the British Museum from 7 February to 26 May 2013]. London: British Museum Press. ISBN978-0-7141-2333-2
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Venus of Hohle Fels.
Don Hitchcock (Don's Maps): "The Venus of Hohle Fels"
The Earliest Pornography? at Science
Obsession with Naked Women Dates Back 35,000 Years at LiveScience
Nature Magazine
July 09, 2023
venus, hohle, fels, also, known, venus, schelklingen, german, variously, venus, hohlen, fels, hohle, fels, venus, schelklingen, upper, paleolithic, venus, figurine, made, mammoth, ivory, that, unearthed, 2008, hohle, fels, cave, near, schelklingen, germany, da. The Venus of Hohle Fels also known as the Venus of Schelklingen in German variously Venus vom Hohlen Fels vom Hohle Fels Venus von Schelklingen is an Upper Paleolithic Venus figurine made of mammoth ivory that was unearthed in 2008 in Hohle Fels a cave near Schelklingen Germany It is dated to between 40 000 and 35 000 years ago 1 belonging to the early Aurignacian at the very beginning of the Upper Paleolithic which is associated with the earliest presence of Cro Magnon in Europe Two views of the Venus of Hohle Fels figurine height 6 cm 2 4 in which may have been worn as an amulet and is the earliest known undisputed example of a depiction of a human being The figure is the oldest undisputed example of a depiction of a human being In terms of figurative art only the lion headed zoomorphic Lowenmensch figurine is older The Venus figurine is housed at the Prehistoric Museum of Blaubeuren Urgeschichtliches Museum Blaubeuren Contents 1 Context 2 Discovery 3 Description 4 Interpretation 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksContext EditThe Swabian Alb region of Germany has a number of caves that have yielded many mammoth ivory artifacts of the Upper Paleolithic period Approximately 25 items have been discovered to date These include the Lowenmensch figurine of Hohlenstein Stadel dated to 40 000 years ago 2 and an ivory flute found at Geissenklosterle dated to 42 000 years ago 3 This mountainous region is located in Baden Wurttemberg and is bounded by the Danube in the southeast the upper Neckar in the northwest and in the southwest it rises to the higher mountains of the Black Forest This concentration of evidence of full behavioral modernity including figurative art and instrumental music among humans in the period of 40 to 30 thousand years ago is unique worldwide and its discoverer archaeologist Nicholas Conard speculates that the bearers of the Aurignacian culture in the Swabian Alb may be credited with the invention not just of figurative art and music but possibly the earliest religious practices as well 4 Within a distance of 70 cm 27 6 in to the Venus figurine Conard s team also found a flute made from a vulture bone 5 Additional artifacts excavated from the same cave layer included flint knapping debris worked bone and carved ivory as well as remains of tarpans reindeer cave bears woolly mammoths and Alpine ibexes Discovery EditExternal video 1 Nature an extensive discussion of the artifact by two team members who discovered and study the figurine 6 The discovery of the Venus of Hohle Fels by the archaeological team led by Nicholas J Conard of Universitat Tubingen Abteilung Altere Urgeschichte und Quartarokologie pushed back the date of the oldest known human figurative art a by several millennia b establishing that works of art were being produced throughout the Aurignacian Period 7 The remarkably early figurine was discovered in September 2008 in a cave called Hohle Fels Swabian German for hollow rock near Schelklingen some 15 km 9 mi west of Ulm Baden Wurttemberg in southwestern Germany by a team from the University of Tubingen led by archaeology professor Nicholas Conard who reported their find in Nature 8 The figurine was found in the cave hall approximately 20 m 66 ft from the entrance and 3 m 10 ft below the current ground level Nearby a bone flute dating to approximately 42 000 years ago was found the oldest known uncontested musical instrument 3 In 2015 the team presented two further pieces of carved mammoth ivory discovered at the site that have been identified as parts of a second female figurine 9 The venus and the fragment are shown in comparison here Description EditThe figurine was sculpted from a woolly mammoth tusk and it has broken into fragments of which six have been recovered with the left arm and shoulder still missing In place of the head the figurine has a perforated protrusion which may have allowed it to be worn as an amulet Interpretation EditThe discoverer anthropologist Nicholas Conard said This figure is about sex reproduction it is an extremely powerful depiction of the essence of being female 10 Anthropologist Paul Mellars of Cambridge University has suggested that by modern standards the figurine could be seen as bordering on the pornographic 11 Anthropologists from Victoria University of Wellington have suggested that such figurines were not depictions of beauty but represented hope for survival and longevity within well nourished and reproductively successful communities 12 reflecting the conventional interpretation of these types of figurines as representing a fertility goddess See also EditList of Stone Age art Lowenmensch figurine Prehistoric art Venus of Berekhat Ram Venus of Tan Tan Venus of Willendorf Venus of Dolni VestoniceNotes Edit The grid or cross hatch patterns found engraved at the Blombos Cave in South Africa dating to 75 000 years ago may or may not be considered abstract art by at least 5 000 years if the 35 000 BP date is compared to that of the Venus of Galgenberg or by as much as 10 000 years if the 40 000 BP date is accepted References Edit It must be a woman The female depictions from Hohle Fels date to 40 000 years ago Universitat Tubingen July 22 2016 Archived from the original on October 11 2016 Retrieved July 26 2016 Work carved from mammoth ivory has been redated and 1 000 new fragments discovered but it won t make it to British Museum show Archived from the original on August 10 2014 Retrieved August 23 2014 a b Earliest music instruments found BBC News 2012 05 25 Alteste Menschenfigur der Welt gefunden permanent dead link Sudwestrundfunk 14 May 2009 Schwabische Alb Alteste Flote vom Hohle Fels Prehistoric pin up Nature Retrieved April 16 2013 Henderson Mark 2009 05 13 Prehistoric female figure earliest piece of erotic art uncovered The Times Retrieved 2009 05 13 Conard Nicholas J 2009 A female figurine from the basal Aurignacian of Hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany Nature 459 7244 248 252 Bibcode 2009Natur 459 248C doi 10 1038 nature07995 PMID 19444215 S2CID 205216692 Fragments of a 40 000 year old female figurine found in Hohle Fels Past Horizons 22 July 2015 Archived from the original on 30 December 2016 Retrieved 15 December 2016 The Cave Art Debate The Smithsonian Archived from the original on 29 October 2013 Retrieved 23 October 2013 Full Figured Statuette 35 000 Years Old Provides New Clues to How Art Evolved 2009 New York Times Retrieved 23 October 2013 Dixson Alan F Dixson Barnaby J 2011 Venus Figurines of the European Paleolithic Symbols of Fertility or Attractiveness Journal of Anthropology 2011 1 11 doi 10 1155 2011 569120 Further reading Edit Venus of Hohle Fels 38 000 33 000 BCE Encyclopedia of Art Education Visual Arts Cork Neil Patrick 8 Jun 2016 The Venus of Hohle Fels is the oldest statue depicting a woman s figure The Vintage News Cook Jill 2013 Ice Age Art the Arrival of the Modern Mind to accompany the exhibition of the British Museum from 7 February to 26 May 2013 London British Museum Press ISBN 978 0 7141 2333 2External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Venus of Hohle Fels Don Hitchcock Don s Maps The Venus of Hohle Fels The Earliest Pornography at Science Obsession with Naked Women Dates Back 35 000 Years at LiveScience Nature Magazine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Venus of Hohle Fels amp oldid 1158893398, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
