By PATRICK McGROARTY, Associated Press Writer Patrick Mcgroarty, Associated Press Writer – Wed May 13, 3:42 pm ET
BERLIN – A 35,000-year-old ivory carving of a busty woman found in a German cave was unveiled Wednesday by archaeologists who believe it is the oldest known sculpture of the human form. The carving found in six fragments in Germany's Hohle Fels cave depicts a woman with a swollen belly, wide-set thighs and large, protruding breasts.
"It's very sexually charged," said University of Tuebingen archaeologist Nicholas Conard, whose team discovered the figure in September.
Carbon dating suggests it was carved at least 35,000 years ago, according to the researchers' findings, which are being published Thursday in the scientific journal Nature.
"It's the oldest known piece of figurative sculpture in the world," said Jill Cook, a curator of Paleolithic and Mesolithic material at the British Museum in London.
Stones in Israel and Africa almost twice as old are believed to have been collected by ancient humans because they resembled people, but they were not carved independently.
The Hohle Fels cave discovery suggests the humans, who are believed to have come to Europe around 40,000 years ago, had the intelligence to create symbols and think abstractly in a way that matches the modern human, Conard said
"It's 100 percent certain that, by the time we get to 40,000 years ago in Swabia, we're dealing with people just like you and me," Conard told The Associated Press, referring to the southern German region where the sculpture was recovered along with other prehistoric artifacts.
Conard believes the 2.4-inch-tall (6-centimeter) figure may have been hung on the end of a string. The left arm is missing, but Conard said he hopes to find it by sifting through material from the cave.
The Hohle Fels sculpture is curvaceous and has neither feet nor a head, like some of the roughly 150 so-called Venus figurines found in a range from the Pyrenees mountains to southern Russia and dating back about 25,000-29,000 years.
But Cook warned against trying to draw any connections between the Venuses and the Hohle Fels figure, saying that would be like comparing Picasso to a classical sculptor — too much time had passed.
"I wonder whether at this point we're looking at figures which are unique within themselves and unique within the cultures that they're arising in," she said.
Archaeologist Paul Mellars, of the University of Cambridge, suggested a clearer continuum.
"We now have evidence of that sort of artistic tradition of Venus figurines going back 6,000 years earlier than anybody ever guessed," he said.
Neanderthals also lived in Europe around the time the sculpture was carved, and frequented the Hohle Fels cave. But Mellars said layered deposits left by both species over thousands of years prove the sculpture was crafted by humans.
"Nothing within a million miles of this has ever been found in a Neanderthal layer," Mellars said.
The archaeologists agreed the sculpture's age and features invite speculation about its purpose and the preoccupations of the culture that produced it.
Cook suggested it could be symbol of fertility, perhaps even portrayed in the act of giving birth.
Mellars suggested a more basic motivation for the carving: "These people were obsessed with sex."
Conard said the differing opinions reinforced the connection between the ancient artist and modern viewer.
"How we interpret it tells us just as much about ourselves as about people 40,000 years ago," he said.
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Hmmm, the experts know better, I guess... All I can say is that when I looked at this image of the "Venus" and the other two images I saw, I thought it depicts two people intertwined in an embrace. Perhaps it's just the way the object was photographed that makes it appear that way.
Yesterday was an easy day as we awaited the arrrival of Isis and Michelle. Mr. Don had ambitious plans but I just wanted to have a big breakfast and go window shopping. So, we compromised. We had breakfast at Applejack's Diner and then walked out shopping. In the afternoon we walked over to the Asia Institute and spent several hours there, including time in the gift shop exploring lots of unique gifts.
After breakfast we headed toward 5th Avenue on West 57th Street so I could do a little window shopping. I was stopped in my tracks by a charming display in a shop window, and Mr. Don stopped with me, and then he was caught too, because the back wall of the store was covered in a black and white checkerboard pattern and the store was filled with black and white (and other colors) of plateware and accessories. It was a dazzling feast for the eyes. We went in. I was enchanted. We probably spent close to an hour exploring the various displays and wares. Mr. Don asked and was given permission to take a few photographs. As he always does, he got into conversations with staff members and customers alike while I floated about from object to object, examining and admiring.
We purchased some gifts and left with a catalog. The name of this enchanting place is MacKenzie-Childs, and I highly recommend it. The patterned beeswax candles are beautiful and well within my budget for gifts; likewise the body creams and scented soaps on the second floor that are gorgeously packaged and have the loveliest scents. I found a lamp to die for, entirely unique (it was not in the catalog). Unfortunately, it was beyond my price range, but one can dream...
The staff at MacKenzie-Childs were gracious and helpful. Our purchases were carefully placed in beautiful bags with the MacKenzie-Childs logo on the outside - see my photo of our packages - amid lots of black and cream checked tissue paper. When two of the gift bags were presented to Isis and Michelle later Thursday night, the bags elicited as much pleasure as the gifts they contained!
Please visit the MacKenzie-Childs website and explore their uniquely designed wares.
