Venus vom Hohlefels

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Coordinates: 48 ° 22 ′ 45 ″  N , 9 ° 45 ′ 14 ″  E

Venus from the hollow rock
p1
VenusHohlefels2.jpg
location Baden-Wuerttemberg , Germany
Find in Hollow rock near Schelklingen ,

Square 30, Archaeological Horizon Vb

Venus from Hohle Fels (Baden-Württemberg)
Venus from the hollow rock
Dimensions Height 59.7 mm

Width 34.6 mm

Thickness 31.3 mm

When Aurignacia

The Venus of Hohle Fels (also Venus of Hohle Fels , see the name of the cave is) one about six centimeters high, made of mammoth - ivory carved Venus figurines , which in September 2008 during excavations in the karst cave Hohle Fels (historically also Hohle Fels ) at the southern foot of the Swabian Alb was discovered near Schelklingen .

The Venus figurine comes from the Upper Palaeolithic culture of Aurignacia . The archaeological layers Va and Vb in which the fragments were found are dated by means of radiocarbon dating to a minimum of 31,000 and a maximum of 35,000 14 C years , which corresponds to a calibrated calendar age of 35,000–40,000 years. This makes the Venus from Hohle Fels one of the world's oldest representations of the human body, along with Venus from Galgenberg .

Find history

Excavation in the hollow rock

The archaeological excavations in the Hohle Fels have been carried out annually since 1977 by archaeologists from the University of Tübingen on behalf of the State Office for Monument Preservation Baden-Württemberg , since 1997 under the direction of Nicholas Conard . In September 2008, employees recovered a total of six worked ivory pieces. The individual parts were found within the excavation area, which is about 20 meters from the cave entrance in the interior of the cave. The sequence of layers V is located about 3 meters below the current surface of the cave floor. The fragments of the figure lay close together, on an area of ​​about a quarter of a square meter with a difference in height of about 10 centimeters.

After restoration and assembly, the “Venus vom Hohle Fels” was presented to the press on May 13, 2009, and the specialist publication appeared in the science magazine Nature the following day . The original was on public display for the first time in 2009 at the Baden-Württemberg State Exhibition entitled "Ice Age - Art and Culture" in the Stuttgart Art Building . In 2010 it was also shown in the Prehistory Museum Blaubeuren . Since 2012 it has been part of the newly designed permanent exhibition in the Landesmuseum Württemberg in Stuttgart, and in 2014 it became part of the new permanent exhibition in the Prehistoric Museum Blaubeuren . From September 21, 2018 to January 6, 2019, the "Venus vom Hohle Fels" was shown in the Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin in the exhibition Moving Times. Archeology shown in Germany , which took place on the occasion of the European Cultural Heritage Year 2018.

description

The figure, which weighs 33.3 grams, is 59.7 millimeters high, 34.6 millimeters wide, 31.3 mm thick and almost completely preserved, only the left arm and shoulder are missing. Instead of the head, a cross-perforated eyelet was carved out, which indicates that the figure was worn as a pendant before it was introduced into the sediment. Corresponding polishes in the eyelet prove the suspension, which was probably made with a leather strap. However, a cord, for example made of plant fibers , would also be possible , as is proven for the somewhat younger culture stage of the Pavlovian .

The legs are short, pointed, and asymmetrical as the left leg is slightly shorter than the right. The oversized breasts, accentuated buttocks and the clearly emphasized genital area are striking. The furrow between the buttocks is deep and runs through to the front without interruption, where the labia majora are emphasized between the open legs. Conard sees this as a “deliberate exaggeration of the sexual features of the figurine” (“ ... deliberate exaggeration of the sexual features of the figurine. ”) The short arms and the carefully carved hands that lie on the stomach below the breasts are also striking. It is not known whether this hand position had a special meaning in the eyes of the Paleolithic bearers of the figure.

In addition to the carefully executed anatomical details, the figure shows a series of incised lines and notches, which are unique in their complexity among the ivory figures of the Swabian Alb. The figure shows no traces of previous coloring.

Dating

The Aurignacia layers Va and Vb of the Hohle Fels, from which the six fragments of the figure originate, have been dated with new AMS data from the Oxford Laboratory ( Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator ). One of the six fragments was found at the base of the upper layer Va, the other five fragments in the lower layer Vb. The individual dates were in ascending order: 31,140 ± 310  BP , 31,290 ± 180 BP, 31,380 ± 180 BP, 31,760 ± 200 BP (Layer Va), 34,570 ± 260 BP, 34,720 ± 280 BP and an obvious outlier of 40,000 ± 500 BP . When calibrating the younger data group, this results in a minimum age of 35,000 years ago. The outstanding importance of the figure lies in the fact that it is at least 6000 years older than all known - and usually also obese - Venus figurines of Gravettia . There is a somewhat younger figure with Venus vom Galgenberg (Austria). Two even older finds, the so-called Venus from Berekhat Ram from Israel and the Venus from Tan-Tan from Morocco, on the other hand, are rated by the majority of archaeologists as pure geofacts or only superficially worked on by humans (nature games).

The group of the four younger AMS data (around 32,000 BP) is in principle identical to the already known ivory cabaret of the Swabian Alb, such as the figures from Vogelherd , the Geißenklösterle or the lion man from the Hohlenstein -Stadel. Although other small works of art that have been found in the hollow rock in recent years come from the overlying and thus younger layer IV, the time difference between their storage in the sediment is possibly insignificant and almost simultaneous production is conceivable. From the surroundings of these works of art, a water bird and a small anthropomorphic figure made of ivory, nine dates were obtained in the AMS laboratories in Kiel and Oxford, all of which lie between 30,000 and 33,000 BP. This shows an area of ​​overlap with the more recent data group on Venus vom Hohle Fels .

Interpretations

Video: Art in the Stone Age

A film trailer under the heading “ Prehistoric pin-up ” was added to the first publication in 2009 . In the same edition of Nature, the English prehistorian Paul Mellars comments on the new find that the figurative features would border on pornography by the standards of the 21st century (... "that by twenty-first-century standards could be seen as bordering on the pornographic." ) Parts the media used this point of view as a headline . This contrasts with the traditional evaluation of the Paleolithic "Venus figurines" as symbols of fertility . In this context, a function known from ethnology among the Bantu as a talisman worn around the neck can be placed during pregnancy.

A conceivable human ethological interpretation is also offered by the gesture of defense of the so-called “ breast-holder ” or “ breast-pointing woman ”, as evidenced by ethnology in various regions . If the figure shows a typical gesture of defense against evil, this could be reconciled with Joachim Hahn's interpretation , according to which " strength and aggression " was the message of the body language of Aurignacian statuettes . Even if the publication only dealt with the animal figures from the Vogelherd cave , animal figures and the " adorants " from the Geißenklösterle, as well as the lion people from the Hohlenstein , known until around 1980 , the tense and defensive body language of Venus vom Hohlefels can also be in this context.

In 1996, the art historian Leroy D. McDermott and the anthropologist Catherine Hodge McCoid suggested an interpretation that Paleolithic "Venus figures" could be self-portrayals of prehistoric women, since the execution of the figures would correspond to the perspective a woman takes when she is looking at them looks down. This explains the lack of facial features, the prominence of the breasts, large bellies and tiny feet. In this way, women would have wanted to map and preserve knowledge about their body in its various states of puberty, pregnancy, and old age. This also results in the different appearance of the figures.

In paleolithic research, there is broad agreement that figurative Upper Paleolithic small art is exclusively associated with anatomically modern humans (also known as Cro-Magnon humans in Europe ). In total there are around 600 figurative works of art from at least 20 sites from the period between 40,000 and 30,000 BP, but not a single figurative work of art from the time before. The possible cultural influence of the Neanderthals by the Cro-Magnon man is limited to a few, non-figural jewelry objects from Châtelperronia .

A 2010 published narrative, composed of: excavation director Nicholas Conard paints a different picture: In this docufiction a young Neanderthal has carved the "Venus from the ice" after a Cro-Magnon group was rescued and culturally quickly assimilated has . A review in the FAZ pointed to implausible aspects of this scenario. According to Conard, however, the theories about the origin of the figure could be "neither confirmed nor refuted" based on the available data, since no associated human remains have been found in the caves of the Swabian Alb.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

In July 2017, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided to grant World Heritage status to two valley sections of the Ach and Lone rivers in the Swabian Alb under the name Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Alb . This means that the archaeological cave sites with objects of the world's oldest mobile art - Geißenklösterle, Sirgenstein, Hohle Fels, Vogelherd, Hohlenstein-Stadel and Bockstein with the surrounding landscapes - are UNESCO World Heritage Sites .

See also

literature

  • Nicholas J. Conard : A female figurine from the basal Aurignacian of Hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany. In: Nature , Volume 459, 2009, pp. 248-252. doi : 10.1038 / nature07995 ( online , PDF)
  • Nicholas J. Conard, Stefanie Kölbl (ed.): The Venus from the hollow rock. Fundstücke 1 (museum booklet 9), Urgeschichtliches Museum Blaubeuren, 2010, ISSN  1617-2655 .
  • Georg Hiller and Stefanie Kölbl: world-cult original leap. Jan Thorbecke Verlag, Ulm 2016, ISBN 978 3 7995 1168 1 , chapter Venus vom Hohle Fels , pp. 38–39 (German and English).
  • Martin Porr: The Hohle Fels 'Venus': Some Remarks on Animals, Humans and Metaphorical Relationships in Early Upper Palaeolithic Art. In: Rock Art Research , Volume 27, Issue 2, 2010, pp. 147–159 (summary) .

Web links

Commons : Venus vom Hohle Fels  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Ice Age: Art and Culture. Exhibition catalog. Thorbecke, 2009 ISBN 978-3799508339
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Nicholas J. Conard : A female figurine from the basal Aurignacian of Hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany. In: Nature , Volume 459, 2009, pp. 248-252. doi : 10.1038 / nature07995 ( online ( memento of the original from March 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this note. , PDF). @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.geo.uni-tuebingen.de
  3. ↑ Nicholas J. Conard, Maria Malina: Spectacular finds from the lower Aurignacien from the Hohle Fels near Schelklingen, Alb-Donau-Kreis. In: Archaeological excavations in Baden-Württemberg 2008. Stuttgart, Theiss, 2009, pp. 19–22
  4. ↑ Press release from the University of Tübingen
  5. ↑ State Museum Stuttgart: Legendary Master Works
  6. ↑ The statue from Schelklingen is the heart of the Prehistoric Museum in Blaubeuren at www.schwaebische.de
  7. ↑ Homepage of the Prehistoric Museum Blaubeuren (accessed on September 15, 2015)
  8. ↑ Berlin is planning a superlative archeology show in focus on March 22, 2018
  9. ^ A b Nicholas J. Conard: A female figurine from the basal Aurignacian of Hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany. In: Nature , Volume 459, 2009, pp. 248-252, here: p. 250.
  10. ↑ Details of the controversy
  11. ^ Nicholas J. Conard, Palaeolithic ivory sculptures from southwestern Germany and the origins of figurative art. In: Nature. Volume 426, 2003, pp. 830–832 doi : 10.1038 / nature02186 ( PDF download ( memento of the original from January 17, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.geo.uni-tuebingen.de
  12. ↑ Prehistoric Pinup (video)
  13. ↑ Paul Mellars: Origins of the female image. In: Nature . Volume 459, 2009, pp. 176-177 doi : 10.1038 / nature07995
  14. ↑ Spiegel-online: Stone Age sex symbol beguiles researchers (May 13, 2009)
  15. ↑ Handelsblatt.com: The oldest pin-up comes from Swabia (May 14, 2009)
  16. ^ Henry Delporte: Image de la Femme dans l'Art Préhistorique. Picard, 1993
  17. ↑ Migene Gonzáles Wippler: Talismans and amulets. The magical world of lucky charms and protective symbols. Verlag Kailash, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-7205-2231-8
  18. ↑ Erika Qasim: Statuettes of women - two gestures as part of the representation. In: ArchaeNova eV (Ed.): First Temples - Early Settlements. Isensee, Oldenburg 2009, ISBN 3-89995-563-3 , pp. 161-185
  19. ↑ Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt , Christa Sütterlin: Under the spell of fear. On the natural and art history of human defense symbolism. Piper, Munich / Zurich 1992, ISBN 3-492-03387-3 .
  20. ↑ Joachim Hahn: Strength and Aggression. The message of Ice Age art in the Aurignacia of southern Germany? Archaeologica Venatoria (Volume 7) Tübingen 1986.
  21. ↑ Erika Qasim: A possible interpretation of the "Venus from the hollow rock." ( Memento from September 17, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
  22. ^ Adeline Schebesch : Five Anthropomorphic Figurines of the Upper Paleolithic - Communication Through Body Language. In: Communications from the Society for Prehistory. Volume 22, 2013, pp. 61–100, full text (PDF) ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.geo.uni-tuebingen.de
  23. ↑ LeRoy D. McDermott: Self-Representation in Upper Paleolithic female figurines . In: Current Anthropology 37, 1996. pp. 227-275.
  24. ^ Catherine Hodge McCoid, Leroy D. McDermott: Toward Decolonizing Gender: Female Vision in the Upper Paleolithic . In: American Anthropologist, New Series 98/2 (1996), pp. 320–323 ( online (PDF) ( Memento of the original from December 10, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this note. ). Both contributions are based on McDermott's 1985 dissertation. The following archaeological experts are u. a. followed this interpretation: Timothy Taylor: The Prehistory of Sex . 1996. Röder / Hummel / Kunz: Göttinnendämmerung , 1996, 2000. Margaret Conkey / Joan M. Gero: Women in Prehistory , 1991. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.kbcc.cuny.edu
  25. ↑ Harald Floss : L'art mobilier Aurigacien du Jura Souabe et sa place dans l'art paleolithique / The cabaret of Aurignacien on the Swabian Alb and its position in Paleolithic art. In: Les chemins de l'art aurignacien en Europe / The Aurignacien and the beginnings of art in Europe. Colloque international / international symposium. Aurignac, 16-18 September 2005. Editions Musée-forum Aurignac, Cahier 4, 2007, pp. 295-316.
  26. ↑ Floss 2007, p. 314
  27. ↑ Thomas Higham et al .: Chronology of the Grotte du Renne (France) and implications for the context of ornaments and human remains within the Châtelperronian. In: PNAS . Volume 107, No. 47, 2010, pp. 20234-20239 doi : 10.1073 / pnas.1007963107
  28. ↑ Nicholas Conard, Jürgen Wertheimer : The Venus from the ice. How our culture came into being 40,000 years ago. Knaus Verlag, Munich 2010, ISBN 3-8135-0376-3 .
  29. ↑ Ulf von Rauchhaupt : A girl from the Neandertal. (FAZ of October 2, 2010, accessed on October 13, 2010)
  30. ↑ Nicholas J. Conard : A female figurine from the basal Aurignacian of Hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany. In: Nature , Volume 459, 2009, pp. 248-252, here: p. 248.
  31. ↑ Stephan M. Heidenreich / Conny Meister / Claus-Joachim Kind: Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Alb. The first Paleolithic UNESCO World Heritage Site in Germany. In: Preservation of monuments in Baden-Württemberg. Newsletter of the State Monument Preservation, Volume 48 (2017) No. 3, p. 162.