The Venus figurines
Small carved female figures appear across Europe over 20,000 years, from Spain to Siberia.
- When
- —
- Duration
- 15 thousand years
- Known to
- ± 3 thousand years
- Era
- Late Pleistocene, Quaternary
From the Venus of Hohle Fels at around 40,000 years old through Willendorf, Dolni Vestonice and Kostenki, hundreds of small female figures are carved in ivory, stone and fired clay across a continent-wide area and a very long span. Most emphasise breasts, belly and hips while leaving faces and feet unformed. Interpretations range from fertility figures to self-portraits viewed from above to teaching objects; none commands consensus, and the consistency across such distances is itself the striking fact.