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65-643: The Proto-Aurignacian and the Early Aurignacian stages are dated between about 43,000 and 37,000 years ago. The Aurignacian proper lasted from about 37,000 to 33,000 years ago. A Late Aurignacian phase transitional with the Gravettian dates to about 33,000 to 26,000 years ago. The type site is the Cave of Aurignac , Haute-Garonne , south-west France . The main preceding period is the Mousterian of

130-422: A mother goddess . The female figures are a part of Upper Palaeolithic art, specifically the category of Palaeolithic art known as portable art . The majority of Venus figurines are depictions of women, and follow artistic conventions of the times. Most of the figurines display the same body shape with the widest point at the abdomen and the female reproductive organs exaggerated. Oftentimes other details, such as

195-773: A 2016 genomic study showed that the Mal'ta people have no genetic connections with the people of the European Gravettian culture (the Vestonice Cluster ). Animals were a primary food source for humans of the Gravettian period. Since Europe was extremely cold during this period, they preferred food sources high in energy and fat content. Testing comparisons among various human remains reveal that populations at higher latitudes placed greater dietary emphasis on meat. A defining trait distinguishing Gravettian people

260-503: A Gravettian site in Austria. All belonged to haplogroup Y-Haplogroup I . and all had the same mtDNA, U5 . According to Scorrano et al. (2022), "the genome of an early European individual from Kostenki 14 , dated to around 37,000 years ago, demonstrated that the ancestral European gene pool was already established by that time." A 2023 study found that Gravettian-producing peoples belonged to two genetically distinct clusters. Fournol in

325-574: A bitterly cold period of European prehistory, and the Gravettian lifestyle was shaped by the climate. Pleniglacial environmental changes forced them to adapt. West and Central Europe were extremely cold during this period. Archaeologists usually describe two regional variants: the western Gravettian, known mainly from cave sites in France, Spain and Britain, and the eastern Gravettian in Central Europe and Russia. The eastern Gravettians, which include

390-437: A decrease in obesity of the figurines. This was justified as survival and reproduction, in glacial, colder areas, required sufficient nutrition and, consequently, over-nourished woman may have been seen as the ideal of beauty in these areas. In "The Mythology of Venus Ancient Calendars and Archaeoastronony," Helen Benigni argues that the consistency in design of these featureless, large-breasted, often pregnant figures throughout

455-514: A figurine was produced helps guide archaeologists to reach conclusions as to whether the art piece found can be defined as a Venus figurine or not. For example, ceramic figurines from the late ceramic Neolithic may be accepted as Venus figurines, while stone figurines from later periods are not. This is a matter of ongoing debate given the strong similarity between many figurines from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and beyond. A reworked endocast of

520-434: A higher ratio of lean muscle mass compared to body fat in comparison to modern humans as a result of a very physically active and demanding lifestyle. The females of the Gravettian were much shorter, standing 158 centimetres (5 ft 2 in) on average, with an average weight of 54 kilograms (119 lb). Examinations of Gravettian skulls reveal that high cheekbones were common among them. Clubs, stones and sticks were

585-575: A sign of an earlier prevalence of steatopygia , now associated principally to women of certain African or Andamanese ancestry. However the Venuses do not qualify as steatopygian, since they exhibit an angle of approximately 120 degrees between the back and the buttocks, while steatopygia is diagnosed by modern medical standards at an angle of about 90 degrees only. Another modern interpretation, providing an explanation for visible weight variety amongst

650-578: A straight blunt back. They are today known as the Gravette point, and were used to hunt big game. Gravettians used nets to hunt small game, and are credited with inventing the bow and arrow . Gravettian settlers tended towards the valleys that pooled migrating prey. Examples found through discoveries in Gr. La Gala, a site in Southern Italy , show a strategic settlement based in a small valley. As

715-480: A whole. A consequence of this is that they are subject to generalised stereotypes that minimize morphological variation and differing contexts. Nevertheless, there have been many differing interpretations of the figurines since their discovery. McCoid and McDermott suggested that because of the way these figures are depicted, such as the large breasts and lack of feet and faces, these statues were made by women looking at their own bodies. They state that women during

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780-506: A wide region and over a long period of time suggests they represent an archetype of a female Supreme Creator . Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age inhabitants likely connected women as creators innately tied to the cycles of nature. Some scholars suggest a direct continuity between Palaeolithic female figurines and later examples of female depictions from the Neolithic or Bronze Age . A female figurine which has "no practical use and

845-658: Is characterized by worked bone or antler points with grooves cut in the bottom. Their flint tools include fine blades and bladelets struck from prepared cores rather than using crude flakes . The people of this culture also produced some of the earliest known cave art , such as the animal engravings at Trois Freres and the paintings at Chauvet cave in southern France. They also made pendants , bracelets , and ivory beads, as well as three-dimensional figurines. Perforated rods , thought to be spear throwers or shaft wrenches, also are found at their sites. Aurignacian figurines have been found depicting faunal representations of

910-667: Is evidence of some genetic affinity between the Villabruna and Věstonice clusters, which may reflect shared common ancestry from the Balkans region. Fertile Crescent : Europe : Africa : Siberia : Venus figurines A Venus figurine is any Upper Palaeolithic statue portraying a woman, usually carved in the round . Most have been unearthed in Europe , but others have been found as far away as Siberia and distributed across much of Eurasia . Most date from

975-631: Is given a similar date range. A " Levantine Aurignacian " culture is known from the Levant , with a type of blade technology very similar to the European Aurignacian, following chronologically the Emiran and Early Ahmarian in the same area of the Near East , and also closely related to them. The Levantine Aurignacian may have preceded European Aurignacian, but there is a possibility that

1040-505: Is headless, footless, armless, and displays a strongly emphasised vulva . Four years later, Salomon Reinach published an article about a group of soapstone figurines from the caves of Balzi Rossi . The famous Venus of Willendorf was excavated in 1908 from a loess deposit in the Danube valley located in Austria . Since then, hundreds of similar figurines have been discovered from

1105-534: Is not clear, but is traditionally assumed to be religious or ritual in nature. Some human bodies from the Palaeolithic era are found similarly covered, so it is assumed this colour had a significant meaning in their culture even though we do not know what. All generally accepted Palaeolithic female figurines are from the Upper Palaeolithic . Although they were originally mostly considered part of

1170-542: Is portable" and has the common elements of a Venus figurine (a strong accent or exaggeration of female sex-linked traits, and the lack of complete lower limbs) may be considered to be a Venus figurine, even if archaeological evidence suggests it was produced after the main Palaeolithic period. Some figurines matching this definition originate from the Neolithic era and into the Bronze Age. The period and location in which

1235-691: The Ahmarian , Bohunician , Aurignacian, Gravettian , Solutrean and Magdalenian cultures, extending throughout the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), covering the period of roughly 48,000 to 15,000 years ago. In terms of population, the Aurignacian cultural complex is chronologically associated with the human remains of Goyet Q116-1 , while the subsequent Gravettian is associated with the Vestonice cluster . The Aurignacian tool industry

1300-601: The Aurignacian culture, the majority are now associated with the Gravettian and Solutrean cultures. In these periods, the more rotund figurines are predominant. Within the Magdalenian cultures, the forms become finer with more detail and the styling of said figures started to become similar within areas of close contact. Despite being thought as one of the most 'fertile sources of debate in all of archaeology', Venus figurines appear to be relatively understudied as

1365-585: The Czech Republic suggest that nets were used to capture large numbers of smaller prey, thus offering a quick and consistent food supply and thus an alternative to the feast/famine pattern of large game hunters. Evidence comes in the form of 4 mm (0.16 in) thick rope preserved on clay imprints. Research suggests that although no larger net imprints have been discovered, there would be little reason for them not to be made as no further knowledge would be required for their creation. The weaving of nets

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1430-486: The Gravettian period (26,000–21,000 years ago). However, findings are not limited to this period; for example, the Venus of Hohle Fels dates back at least 35,000 years to the Aurignacian era, and the Venus of Monruz dates back about 11,000 years to the Magdalenian . Such figurines were carved from soft stone (such as steatite , calcite or limestone ), bone or ivory, or formed of clay and fired. The latter are among

1495-585: The Last Glacial Maximum , although some elements lasted until c.  17,000 BP. In Spain and France, it was succeeded by the Solutrean and by the Epigravettian in Italy, the Balkans, Ukraine and Russia. The Gravettian culture is known for their artistic works including the famous Venus figurines , which were typically carved from either ivory or limestone . The culture was first identified at

1560-515: The Last Glacial Maximum , the producers of the Solutrean and Magdalenian cultures. All Gravettian-producing peoples are strongly genetically distinct from the producers of the later Epigravettian , who are genetically referred to as the Villabruna cluster , who show a greater affinity to ancient and modern peoples in West Asia than other Palaeolithic European hunter-gatherer groups. There

1625-565: The Mladeč caves in the Czech Republic , dated by direct radiocarbon measurements of the skeletal remains to at least 31,000–32,000 years old. At least three robust, but typically anatomically-modern, individuals from the Peștera cu Oase cave in Romania , were dated directly from the bones to ca. 35,000–36,000 BP . Although not associated directly with archaeological material, these finds are within

1690-594: The Neanderthals . One of the oldest examples of figurative art , the Venus of Hohle Fels , comes from the Aurignacian or Proto-Gravettian and is dated to between 40,000 and 35,000 years ago (though now earlier figurative art may be known, see Lubang Jeriji Saléh ). It was discovered in September 2008 in a cave at Schelklingen in Baden-Württemberg in western Germany . The German Lion-man figure

1755-619: The Pavlovian culture , were specialized mammoth hunters, whose remains are usually found not in caves but in open air sites. Gravettian culture thrived on their ability to hunt animals. They utilized a variety of tools and hunting strategies. Compared to theorized hunting techniques of Neanderthals and earlier human groups, Gravettian hunting culture appears much more mobile and complex. They lived in caves or semi-subterranean or rounded dwellings which were typically arranged in small "villages". Gravettians are thought to have been innovative in

1820-639: The Pyrenees Mountains to the plains of Siberia . In September 2008, archaeologists from the University of Tübingen discovered a 6 cm (2.4 in) figurine carved from a mammoth 's tusk. This figurine was later called the Venus of Hohle Fels and can be dated to at least 35,000 years ago. It represents the earliest known sculpture of this type and the earliest known work of figurative art . Upper Palaeolithic female figurines are collectively described as "Venus figurines" in reference to

1885-574: The Roman goddess of beauty Venus . The name was first used in the mid-nineteenth century by the Marquis de Vibraye , who discovered an ivory figurine and named it La Vénus impudique or Venus Impudica ("immodest Venus"). The Marquis then contrasted the ivory figurine to the Aphrodite Of Knidos , a Greco-Roman sculpture depicting Venus covering her naked body with both her hands. In

1950-509: The "Venus" name as a result. The use of the name is metaphorical as there is no link between the ancient figurines and the Roman goddess Venus ; although they have been interpreted as representations of a primordial female goddess. This perception is said to have derived from the fact that attention is directed to certain features common to most of the figurines, in particular emotionally charged primary and secondary sexual characteristics such as

2015-574: The Aurignacian culture are known as Mode 4, characterized by blades (rather than flakes, typical of mode 2 Acheulean and mode 3 Mousterian ) from prepared cores. Also seen throughout the Upper Paleolithic is a greater degree of tool standardization and the use of bone and antler for tools. Based on the research of scraper reduction and paleoenvironment, the early Aurignacian group moved seasonally over greater distances to procure reindeer herds within cold and open environments than those of

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2080-597: The European Châtelperronian . Lebanon/Palestine/Israel region Siberia Fertile Crescent : Europe : Africa : Siberia : Gravettian The Gravettian was an archaeological industry of the European Upper Paleolithic that succeeded the Aurignacian circa 33,000 years BP . It is archaeologically the last European culture many consider unified, and had mostly disappeared by c.  22,000 BP, close to

2145-701: The Fournol cluster, both of which have genetic continuity from producers of the earlier Aurignacian. Fournol cluster-related groups are thought to be the ancestors of the producers of the following Solutrean and Magdalenian cultures present in Western Europe after the Last Glacial Maximum, while the producers of the Epigravettian are genetically distinct from Gravettian-producing groups. The Gravettians were hunter-gatherers who lived in

2210-503: The Gravettian have revealed that they were tall and relatively slender people. The male height of the Gravettian culture ranged between 179 and 188 centimetres (5 ft 10 in and 6 ft 2 in) tall with an average of 183.5 centimetres (6 ft 0.2 in), which is exceptionally tall not only for that period of prehistory, but for all periods of history. They were fairly slender and normally weighed between 67–73 kilograms (148–161 lb), although they would likely have had

2275-556: The Levantine Aurignacian was rather the result of reverse influence from the European Aurignacian: this remains unsettled. The Aurignacians are part of the wave of anatomically modern humans thought to have spread from Africa through the Near East into Paleolithic Europe , and became known as European early modern humans , or Cro-Magnons. This wave of anatomically modern humans includes fossils of

2340-640: The abdomen, hips , breasts , thighs, or vulva , although many found examples do not reflect these typical characteristics. Depictions of hairstyles can be detailed, and clothing or tattoos may be indicated. The original cultural meaning and purpose of these artefacts is not known. It has frequently been suggested that they may have served a ritual or symbolic function. There are widely varying and speculative interpretations of their use or meaning: they have been seen as religious figures, an expression of health and fertility, grandmother goddesses, or as self-depictions by female artists. The Vénus impudique , which

2405-467: The animal's age and size. For example, first year deer offered hides most suitable for clothing, while fourth year deer contained far more meat. Gravettian diet included larger animals such as mammoths, hyenas, wolves, and reindeer killed with stone or bone tools, as well as hares and foxes captured with nets. This time period is classified by the strong emphasis on meat consumption because agriculture had not been fully introduced nor utilized. In addition,

2470-462: The breasts, stomachs and buttocks. The term has been criticised for being a reflection of modern Western ideas rather than reflecting the beliefs of the sculptures' original owners, but the original names are unknown as well, so the term Venus has persisted. Like many prehistoric artefacts, the exact cultural meaning of these figures may never be known. Archaeologists speculate, however, that they may be symbolic of security and success, fertility , or

2535-442: The case of, for example, Arctic foxes , incisors and canines were used for decoration, while their humeri and radii bones were used as tools. Similarly, the skeletons of some red foxes contain decorative incisors and canines as well as ulnas used for awls and barbs . Some animal bones were only used to create tools. Due to their shape, the ribs, fibulas, and metapodia of horses were good for awl and barb creation. In addition,

2600-607: The chronological and geographical range of the Early Aurignacian in southeastern Europe. On genetic evidence it has been argued that both Aurignacian and the Dabba culture of North Africa came from an earlier big game hunting Levantine Aurignacian culture of the Levant . In a genetic study published in Nature in May 2016, the remains of an early Aurignacian individual, Goyet Q116-1 from modern-day Belgium , were examined. He belonged to

2665-410: The climate was not favorable to stable crop cultivation. Coastal Gravettians were able to avail of marine protein. From remains found in Italy and Wales , carbon dating reveals that 20–30% of Gravettian diets of coastal peoples consisted of sea animals. Populations of lower latitudes relied more on shellfish and fish while higher latitudes' diets consisted of seals. Physical remains of people of

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2730-494: The deceased, placed within the grave or tomb. Surviving Gravettian art includes numerous cave paintings and small, portable Venus figurines made from clay or ivory, as well as jewelry objects. The fertility deities mostly date from the early period; there are over 100 known surviving examples. They conform to a very specific physical type, with large breasts, broad hips and prominent posteriors. The statuettes tend to lack facial details, and their limbs are often broken off. During

2795-582: The development of tools such as blunted-back knives, tanged arrowheads and boomerangs . Other innovations include the use of woven nets and oil lamps made of stone. Blades and bladelets were used to make decorations and bone tools from animal remains. Gravettian culture extends across a large geographic region, as far as Estremadura in Portugal. but is relatively homogeneous until about 27,000 BP. They developed burial rites, which included simple, purpose-built offerings and/or personal ornaments owned by

2860-420: The earlier tool cultures. A 2019 demographic analysis estimated a mean population of 1,500 persons (upper limit: 3,300; lower limit: 800) for western and central Europe during the Aurignacian period (~42,000 to 33,000 y cal BP). A 2005 study estimated the population of Upper Palaeolithic Europe from 40–30 thousand years ago was 1,738–28,359 (average 4,424). The sophistication and self-awareness demonstrated in

2925-441: The early 20th century, the general belief among scholars was that the figurines represent an ancient ideal of beauty. Since their discovery, considerable diversity in opinion amongst archaeologists and in palaeoanthropological literature has arisen as to the function and significance of the figures. Most scholars that have differing opinions on the purpose of the figurines, such as anthropologist Randall White, also disapprove of

2990-441: The figurines, comes from Johnson et al. Here, they argue that differences in the statues can be said to relate to human adaption to climate change. This is because figurines that are seen to be obese or pregnant originate to the earlier art from 38,000 to 14,000 BP - a period where nutritional stress arose as a result of falling temperatures. Accordingly, they found a correlation between an increase in distance from glacial fronts and

3055-443: The head and limbs, are neglected or absent which leads the figure to be abstracted to the point of simplicity. The heads are often of relatively small size and devoid of detail. Some may represent pregnant women, while others show no indication of pregnancy. The Venus of Willendorf and the Venus of Laussel (a rock relief rather than a figurine) bear traces of having been externally covered in red ochre . The significance of this

3120-631: The most ancient figurines is the Venus of Hohle Fels , discovered in 2008 in the Hohle Fels cave in Germany. The figurine has been dated to 35,000 years ago and is the earliest known, undisputed example of a depiction of a human being in prehistoric art. The Lion-man of Hohlenstein-Stadel , found in the Hohlenstein-Stadel cave of Germany's Swabian Alb and dated to 40,000 years ago, is the oldest known anthropomorphic animal figurine in

3185-426: The oldest ceramics known to historians. In total, over 200 such figurines are known; virtually all of modest size, between about 3 and 40 cm (1.2 and 15.7 in) in height. These figurines are recognised as some of the earliest works of prehistoric art . Most have wide hips and legs that taper to a point. Arms and feet are often absent, and the head is usually small and faceless. Various figurines exaggerate

3250-495: The paternal haplogroup C1a and the maternal haplogroup M . Haplogroups identified in other Aurignacian samples are the paternal haplogroups C1b and K2a ; and mt-DNA haplogroup N , R , and U . The Aurignacian material culture is associated with the expansion of 'early West Eurasians' during the Upper-Paleolithic, replacing or merging with previous Initial Upper Paleolithic cultures to which possibly relates

3315-445: The period would not have had access to mirrors to maintain accurate proportions or depict the faces or heads of the figurines. The theory remains difficult to prove or disprove, and Michael S. Bisson suggested that alternatives, such as puddles, could have been used as mirrors. It has also been suggested that the size and shape of the figures makes them suitable for holding through childbirth . It has been suggested that they may be

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3380-523: The post glacial period, evidence of the culture begins to disappear from northern Europe but was continued in areas around the Mediterranean. The Mal'ta Culture ( c.  24,000 BP ) in Siberia is often considered as belonging to the Gravettian, due to its similar characteristics, particularly its Venus figurines , but any hypothetical connection would have to be cultural and not genetic:

3445-497: The primary hunting tools during the Upper Paleolithic period. Bone, antler and ivory points have all been found at sites in France; but proper stone arrowheads and throwing spears did not appear until the Solutrean period (~20,000 Before Present ). Due to the primitive tools, many animals were hunted at close range. The typical artefact of Gravettian industry, once considered diagnostic, is the small pointed blade with

3510-467: The remains of fourteen Gravettians. The eight males included three samples of Y-chromosomal haplogroup CT , one of I , one IJK , one BT , one C1a2 , and one sample of F . Of the fourteen samples of mtDNA , there were thirteen samples of U and one sample of M . The majority of the sample of U belonged to the U5 and U2 . Teschler et al. (2020) examined the remains of one adult male and two twin boys from

3575-591: The ribs were also implemented to create different types of smoothers for pelt preparation. The shapes of hare bones are also unique, and as a result, the ulnas were commonly used as awls and barbs. Reindeer antlers, ulnas , ribs, tibias and teeth were utilised in addition to a rare documented case of a phalanx . Mammoth remnants are among the most common bone remnants of the culture, while long bones and molars are also documented. Some mammoth bones were used for decorative purposes. Wolf remains were often used for tool production and decoration. Fu et al. (2016) examined

3640-538: The settlers became more aware of the migration patterns of animals like red deer , they learned that prey herd in valleys, thereby allowing the hunters to avoid travelling long distances for food. Specifically in Gr. La Gala, the glacial topography forced the deer to pass through the areas in the valley occupied by humans. Additional evidence of strategically positioned settlements include sites like Klithi in Greece, also placed to intercept migrating prey. Discoveries in

3705-468: The site of La Gravette in the southwestern French department of Dordogne . While historically assumed to represent a genetically homogenous group, recent analysis of ancient DNA sequences suggests that the Gravettian was produced by multiple genetically divergent groups of hunter-gatherers. Eastern Gravettian-producing groups belong to the Věstonice cluster , while western Gravettian-producing groups belong to

3770-470: The time period associated with now-extinct mammals , including mammoths , rhinoceros , and tarpan , along with anthropomorphized depictions that may be interpreted as some of the earliest evidence of religion . Many 35,000-year-old animal figurines were discovered in the Vogelherd Cave in Germany. One of the horses, amongst six tiny mammoth and horse ivory figures found previously at Vogelherd,

3835-425: The west (France and Spain) and Věstonice in the east (Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, and Italy) both of whom traced their descent from producers of the earlier Aurignacian culture. Some individuals showed mixed ancestry from both clusters where the range of the two clusters bordered. The study found that members of the western Fournol cluster were ancestral to later Western European Cro-Magnon groups that existed after

3900-550: The work led archaeologists to consider the makers of Aurignacian artifacts the first modern humans in Europe. Human remains and Late Aurignacian artifacts found in juxtaposition support this inference. Although finds of human skeletal remains in direct association with Proto-Aurignacian technologies are scarce in Europe, the few available are also probably modern human. The best dated association between Aurignacian industries and human remains are those of at least five individuals from

3965-545: The world. Aurignacian finds include bone flutes . The oldest undisputed musical instrument was the Hohle Fels Flute discovered in the Hohle Fels cave in Germany's Swabian Alb in 2008. The flute is made from a vulture's wing bone perforated with five finger holes, and dates to approximately 35,000-40,000 years ago. A flute was also found at the Abri Blanchard in southwestern France. Stone tools from

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4030-420: Was likely a communal task, relying on the work of both women and children. The Gravettian era landscape is most closely related to the landscape of present-day Moravia. Pavlov I in southern Moravia is the most complete and complex Gravettian site to date, and a perfect model for a general understanding of Gravettian culture. In many instances, animal remains indicate both decorative and utilitarian purposes. In

4095-492: Was sculpted as skillfully as any piece found throughout the Upper Paleolithic. The production of ivory beads for body ornamentation was also important during the Aurignacian. The famous paintings in Chauvet cave date from this period. Typical statuettes consist of women that are called Venus figurines . They emphasize the hips, breasts, and other body parts associated with fertility. Feet and arms are lacking or minimized. One of

4160-664: Was the figurine that gave the whole category its name, was the first Palaeolithic sculptural representation of a woman to be discovered in modern times. It was found in 1864 by Paul Hurault, 8th Marquis de Vibraye at Laugerie-Basse in the Vézère valley. This valley is one of the many important Stone Age sites in and around the commune of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil in Dordogne , southwestern France . The figurines were mostly discovered in settlement contexts, both in open-air sites and caves. The Magdalenian Venus from Laugerie-Basse

4225-403: Was their ease of mobility compared to their Neanderthal counterparts. Modern humans developed the technology and social organization that enabled them to migrate with their food source whereas Neanderthals were not adept at travelling, even with relatively sedentary herds. With their ability to move with the herds, Gravettian diets incorporated a huge variety of animal prey. The main factors were

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