Venus of Dolní Věstonice
Template:Short description Template:Infobox Artifact
The Venus of Dolní Věstonice (Template:Langx) is a Venus figurine, a ceramic statuette of a nude female figure dated to 31,000–27,000 years ago (Gravettian industry). It was found at the Paleolithic site Dolní Věstonice in the Moravian basin south of Brno, in the base of Děvín Mountain in what is today the Czech Republic. This figurine and a few others from locations nearby are the oldest known ceramic articles in the world.<ref>The body used is the local loess, with only traces of clay; there is no trace of surface burnishing or applied pigment. Pamela B. Vandiver, Olga Soffer, Bohuslav Klima and Jiři Svoboda, "The Origins of Ceramic Technology at Dolni Věstonice, Czechoslovakia", Science, New Series, 246, No. 4933 (November 24, 1989: pp. 1002–1008).</ref>
DescriptionEdit
It has a height of Template:Convert, and a width of Template:Convert at its widest point and is made of a clay body fired at a relatively low temperature (500–800 °C).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The statuette follows the general morphology of the other Venus figurines: exceptionally large breasts, belly and hips, perhaps symbols of fertility, relatively small head and little detail on the rest of the body. A feature which no longer remains a part of the sculpture, is the fact that it is thought to have been originally ornamented with four feathers.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This is evidenced by the four small holes on the top of the head.<ref name=":1" /> Although the type of feather has not been determined, the holes are said to be produced with a tool that is relatively sharp – of which a feather would satisfy.<ref name=":1" />
The palaeolithic settlement of Dolní Věstonice in Moravia, a part of Czechoslovakia at the time organized excavation began, now located in the Czech Republic, has been under systematic archaeological research since 1924, initiated by Karel Absolon. In addition to the Venus figurine, figures of animals – bear, lion, mammoth, horse, fox, rhino and owl – and more than 2,000 balls of burnt clay have been found at Dolní Věstonice.
The figurine was discovered on 13 July 1925 in a layer of ash, broken into two pieces. It was found situated in a central fireplace.<ref name=":0" /> Once on display at the Moravian Museum in Brno, it is now protected and only rarely accessible to the public. It was exhibited in the National Museum in Prague from 11 October 2006 until 2 September 2007 as a part of the exhibition Lovci mamutů (The Mammoth Hunters).<ref>Mammoth Hunters at the National Museum Template:Webarchive, information at the official website of the Czech Republic</ref><ref>Primal Bohemia, The Prague Post, October 18, 2006</ref><ref>Lovci mamutů Template:Webarchive, information on the web of the National Museum Template:In lang</ref> It was presented in the Moravian Museum in Brno at an expo "Prehistoric Art in Central Europe". It has returned to depository as of June 2009.<ref>Venus of Dolní Věstonice and of Venus of Willendorf shown in Anthropos, Brno Now, June 26, 2009</ref> Scientists occasionally examine the statuette. A tomograph scan in 2004 found a fingerprint of a child estimated at between 7 and 15 years of age, fired into the surface; the child who handled the figurine before it was fired is considered by Králík, Novotný and Template:Ill (2002) to be an unlikely candidate for its maker.<ref name=":0">Template:Citation</ref>
GalleryEdit
- Vestonicka venuse.jpg
Front
- Vestonicka venuse back.jpg
Back
- Vestonicka venuse left.jpg
Left side
- Vestonicka venuse right.jpg
Right side
See alsoEdit
- Venus figurines
- Art of the Upper Paleolithic
- List of Stone Age art
- Venus of Hohle Fels
- Venus of Petřkovice
- Venus of Willendorf
ReferencesEdit
General Information
- National Geographic Society. Wonders of the Ancient World; National Geographic Atlas of Archaeology, Norman Hammond, Consultant, Nat'l Geogr. Soc., (Multiple Staff authors), (Nat'l Geogr., R.H.Donnelley & Sons, Willard, OH), 1994, 1999, Reg or Deluxe Ed., 304 pgs. Deluxe ed. photo (pg 248): "Venus, Dolni Věstonice, 24,000 B.C." In section titled: The Potter's Art, pp 246–253.