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The Venus Figurines

By Priestess Jean

Last month, I described the general developments in archeology pertaining to the Great Mother Goddess in Europe and the Near East, during the pre-historic times which followed the end of the last ice age. In that article I also alluded to certain older female figurines, which suggest that the worship of the Goddess may extend significantly furthur into the past.

In this issue, I will try to provide a more detailed description of these figurines, and a deeper analysis of them. Let's begin by reviewing a little background information about the lives of the people who created the figurines, and the times in which they lived.

The Upper Paleolithic era (circa 50,000-10,000 BCE) is the period in which modern man first began to distinguish himself from other contemporary humanoid species, such as the Neanderthals. Prior to that time, both Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals used the same sort of extremely crude multi-purpose stone tools... however, after 50,000 BCE, Homo Sapiens in Africa began to make much more sophisticated implements, including specialized items for drilling, piercing, cutting and carving, spear points, etc.

Within 4000 years this technological revolution spread to Europe, and eventually included such items as fish hooks, oil lamps, rope, and eyed needles. These advances correspond with a major increase in the Homo Sapien population, which subsequently displaced the Neanderthals and lead to their extinction in Europe.

Archeologists believe that these technical developments resulted from the invention of language, which enabled Homo Sapiens to formulate more complex concepts, exchange ideas, and pass along acquired knowledge. In addition to the practical tools which they fabricated, they also left behind some amazing works of art, in the form of cave paintings , and the so-called Venus figurines.

Interestingly, a DNA analysis of these early humans shows that they (and the Neanderthals) originally entered Europe from the general area of the Near and Middle East. The Neanderthals were extinct in Europe by about 28,000 BCE, while the Homo Sapiens continued to prosper until the arrival of the last ice-age (more properly referred to as the last glacial period) in approximately 16,000 BCE.

At the time the first Venus figurine was discovered, archeology was not yet a true science. It was more akin to a game for wealthy men, hunting for buried treasure. In 1864, one of those men, the Marquis de Vibraye, stumbled upon the torso section of a female figurine in southern France. As might be expected, the meaning of the figurine, and it's age, were a complete mystery to him. He did, however, coin the term "Venus" to refer to the figurine... a term which would later become the standard descriptor in the archeological community.

A much more interesting discovery was made in 1892 by Edouard Piette. In a cave in southern France, he found a number of female figurine fragments, carved from mammoth ivory. One of these fragments was a very detailed head, which has been named the Venus of Brassempouy , for a nearby local village. The carving has now been dated to 23,000 BCE.

About the same time as the Venus of Brassempouy was discovered, another excavation was under way in northern Italy, near the French border, at Balzi Rossi. The area has a large number of natural caves, and while exploring them Louis Jullien discovered a total of 15 female figurines. Of special interest was the material used for the figurines, which consisted of green steatite (soapstone) and mammoth ivory.

There were no mammoths in that area, and green steatite is very rare, indicating that the materials must have been relatively valuable, and that the local people must have traveled or traded to obtain them. In addition, many of the figurines were small, and had holes cut in the top of them, indicating that they had been worn as pendants. They have been dated to between 20-25,000 BCE.

The next figurine, known as the Venus of Willendorf , was found in Austria in 1908. It had been carved from limestone, and decorated with a natural red ochre paint. The limestone used for it does not occur in the area where the figurine was found. It has been dated to about 23,000 BCE.

Another noteworthy discovery occured in southern France, in 1911. Although more a petroglyph than a statue, the Venus of Laussel is remarkable in that it shows a woman holding a ram's horn, as if about to drink from it. This limestone carving stands 18 inches tall, and dates to around 23,000 BCE. One of the reasons this date is so often quoted is the fact that it represents the lower limit of the Gravettian culture , which is generally identified by the type of stone tools in use at the time.

In 1925, the Venus of Dolni Vestonice was found in the Czech republic. This figurine is quite significant because it is the oldest known ceramic object in the world, being composed of a fired clay material, and dating to around 27,000 BCE. Stimulated by this, and other sensational discoveries such as the tomb of Tutankhamun, archeology began to receive much greater funding, manpower, and public support. This resulted in a veritable explosion in the number of Venus figurines being discovered.

Between 1925 and the present, over 100 new Venus figurines have been found. As excavations became more thorough, digging deeper and more carefully, even older figurines began to turn up.

Perhaps the most significant discoveries to date have come to us from several caves in the Swabian Alb region of Germany. Work first began in the Stadel cave , in Hohlenstein Mountain, but was interrupted by the second World War. At that time, the pieces of a broken mammoth-ivory carving were stored in the Museum of Ulm, where they were mostly forgotten until some additional pieces were discovered in 1997. At that time the figurine was reassembled, and it's overall form became clear.

Standing fully 11.7 inches tall, and dating to an amazing 30,000 BCE, here was a well-carved, detailed human figure with the head of a lion. At first referred to as "the lion man" , and then later thought to be female, the experts finally agreed to simply call it a "lion-person". Then, to make the situation yet more interesting, a second, smaller lion-headed figurine was found in another cave in the area, along with two carved ivory flutes dating to about 33,000 BCE.

The final discovery that I would like to mention comes from Hohle Fels cave , which is about 25 miles from Stadel cave, in southern Germany. In 2008, a female figurine known as the Venus of Hohle Fels was discovered, which was carved from mammoth ivory, and dated to about 35,000 BCE. This is the oldest Venus figurine found so far. In addition, just two feet from the figurine, another flute was found, carved from vulture bone, and also dating to about 35,000 BCE.

Archeologists have debated the significance of the Venus figurines for decades. In general, they usually discuss only one particular example, and focus on a careful search of the site at which it was found, for some furthur evidence of it's meaning. Naturally, most Paleolithic objects were bio-degradable, and have not survived. Things made of wood and other plant materials, animal skins, crude fabrics and rope, and even many bone tools, have long since decomposed... and thus, whatever information might have been gained from them is no longer available.

In the absence of conclusive evidence, some rather amusing theories have been put forward. It has been suggested that the figurines may have been a primitive form of pornography. Another speculation is that they may have been toys for children. Yet another theory is that they were some sort of a fertility charm. Let's briefly consider those ideas.

It has become clear in recent years that most of the Venus figurines, as well as the cave paintings, were probably made by women. The size of hand-prints, which often accompany cave paintings, corresponds to female remains of the time period, found in the area. Moreover, the details of the clothing, which the Venus figurines are frequently depicted wearing, indicates that the person who did the carving was very familiar with female attire. Since the typical division of labor was that men hunted, while women made clothing, it seems far more likely that women would have had that particular knowledge... and if women did indeed carve most of the figurines, it clearly precludes the idea that they were created as a form of pornography.

The theory that the figurines were created as toys for children is equally problematic. There were a few small animal figurines, which may indeed have been children's toys... but the Venus figurines were often carved from solid rock, and would have been much too heavy to be suitable for use as toys. In addition, if they were toys, why were there no other kind of figurines of that general size and composition ? Are we to believe that nearly every child's toy in Europe, for over 20,000 years, was a female figurine ?

Speculation that the figurines may have been some sort of a fertility charm is somewhat more believable, yet it still leaves us with some unanswered questions. Although some of the figurines are corpulent, with exaggerated hips and breasts, they do not appear to be pregnant... indeed, many are quite slender. And if the people who created the figurines believed in using charms to encourage pregnancy, why didn't they create any similar charms for other important purposes ?

Although archeologists have been reluctant to compare artifacts from different cultures and time periods, we may now have sufficient evidence to draw some valid general conclusions. The sheer quantity of the figurines, and their dispersal through both time and location across Europe, indicates that there may have been some basic universal purpose for them. The time and effort it would have taken to create them, as well as the rare materials frequently used, indicates that these figurines were of some special significance and value.

Since many of the figurines were worn as pendants, it implies that they were intended as some form of personal expression... yet as a mere body decoration, the figure of a woman is not particularly esthetic. Various simpler geometric shapes could have served that purpose much better, and with far less effort. We might also note that some of the figurines depict a more sophisticated style of clothing than a typical woman of that time normally wore, which implies that they may have been representations of an elite archetype, such as a Priestess or a deity.

Of course nothing has been proven yet, but it seems to me that the idea of a religious belief based on a primordial Great Mother Goddess is one of the best and most likely explanations for the existence of the Venus figurines. Perhaps one day conclusive evidence will be found... but until then, I suppose it must simply remain a matter of personal opinion, and a subject of continued debate.

Finally, there is the issue of the "lion-person" figurines. Only two of them have been found, so we must be careful not to jump to any conclusions... however, those of us who are followers of the Goddess are well-aware of Her connection to lions, and also know that when She appears in dreams and visions She is often accompanied by them. Might it not be a pleasant speculation then, in this holiday season, for us to put a little magic in our hearts and imagine that these figurines were inspired by just such a visit ?

Bright Blessings,

Priestess Jean