Plan:

Introduction

• 1 History of discovery
• 2 Description
• 3 Notable examples
• 4 Classification
• 5 Interpretation
Notes

Introduction

Venus of Willendorf

« Paleolithic Venus" is a general term for many prehistoric figurines of women sharing common characteristics (many depicted as obese or pregnant) dating back to the Upper Paleolithic. Figurines are found mainly in Europe, but the range of finds extends far to the east up to the Irkutsk region, that is, to most Eurasia: from the Pyrenees to Lake Baikal. Most of the finds belong to the Gravettian culture, but there are also earlier ones related to the Aurignacian culture, including the “Venus of Hole Fels” (discovered in 2008 and dating back to at least 35 thousand years ago); and later ones, already belonging to the Magdalenian culture.

These figurines are carved from bones, tusks and soft stones (such as soapstone, calcite or limestone). There are also figurines sculpted from clay and fired, which is one of the oldest examples known science ceramics. In general, more than a hundred “Venuses” have been discovered to date, most of which are relatively small in size - from 4 to 25 cm in height.

1. History of discovery

Venus of Brassempouille

The first figurines of the era Upper Paleolithic depicting women were discovered around 1864 by the Marquis de Vibraye in Laugerie-Basse (Dordogne department) in southwestern France. Vibret called his discovery “Venus impudique,” ​​thus contrasting it with the “modest Venus” (Venus Pudica) of the Hellenistic model, one example of which is the famous “Venus of Medicea.” The figurine from Laugerie-Basse belongs to the Magdalenian culture. Her head, arms and legs are missing, but a clear cut has been made to represent a vaginal opening. Another discovered and recognized example of such figurines was the “Venus of Brassempouille”, found by Édouard Piette in 1894. Initially, the term “Venus” was not applied to it. Four years later, Salomon Reinach published a description of a whole group of soapstone figurines from the caves of Balzi Rossi. The famous "Venus of Willendorf" was found during excavations in 1908 in loess deposits in the Danube River valley, Austria. Since then, hundreds of similar figurines have been discovered in areas from the Pyrenees to Siberia. Scientists of the early 20th century studying primitive societies, considered them the embodiment of the prehistoric ideal of beauty and, therefore, gave them common name in honor of the Roman goddess of beauty, Venus.

In September 2008, archaeologists from the University of Tübingen discovered a 6-centimeter figurine of a woman made from mammoth ivory - the "Venus of Hohle Fels", dating back to at least 35,000 BC. e. She is on this moment is the oldest example of sculptures of this kind and figurative art in general (the origin of the much more ancient figurine of Venus from Tan-Tan is controversial, although it is estimated at 500-300 thousand years). The carved figurine was found in 6 fragments in the Hohle Fels cave, Germany, and represents a typical Paleolithic "Venus" with an emphatically large belly, widely spaced hips and large breasts.

2. Description

Most of the “Paleolithic Venuses” figurines have common artistic characteristics. The most common are diamond-shaped figures, narrowed at the top (head) and bottom (legs), and wide in the middle (belly and hips). Some of them noticeably emphasize certain anatomical features human body: belly, hips, buttocks, breasts, vulva. Other parts of the body, on the other hand, are often neglected or absent altogether, especially the arms and legs. The heads are also usually relatively small in size and lack detail.

In this regard, disputes arose regarding the legality of using the term steatopygia in relation to the “Paleolithic Venuses”. This question was first raised by Édouard Piette, who discovered the Venus of Brassempouille and some other specimens in the Pyrenees. Some researchers consider these characteristics as real physiological traits, similar to those observed among representatives of the Khoisan peoples of South Africa. Other researchers dispute this view and explain them as a symbol of fertility and abundance. It should be noted that not all Paleolithic Venuses are obese and have exaggerated feminine features. Also, not all figures lack facial features. However, the appearance of figurines similar friends to each other in style and according to certain proportions, allows us to talk about the formation of a single artistic canon: the chest and hips fit into a circle, and the entire image into a rhombus.

The Venus of Willendorf and the Venus of Lossel were apparently covered with red ochre. The meaning of this is not entirely clear, but the use of ocher is usually associated with a religious or ritual action - perhaps symbolizing the blood of menstruation or the birth of a child.

All “Paleolithic Venuses” recognized by the majority belong to the Upper Paleolithic (mainly to the Gravettian and Solutrean cultures). At this time, figurines with obese figures predominate. In Magdalenian culture, forms become more graceful and with greater detail.

3. Notable samples

Venus from Hohle Fels

Venuses whose artificial origin has not been proven

4. Classification

Of the several attempts to create a classification of Upper Paleolithic figurines, the least controversial is that proposed by Henri Delporte, based on purely geographical principles. He distinguishes:

• Iberian-Aquitanian group (Venus of Lespugues, Lassel and Brassempouille)
• Mediterranean group (Venus from Malta)
• Rhine-Danube group (Venus of Willendorf, Vestonice Venus)
• Russian group (Kostenki, Zaraysk and Gagarino)
• Siberian group (Venus of Maltinskaya, Venus of Bureti)

5. Interpretation

Venus of Malta

Many attempts to understand and interpret the meaning and use of figurines are based on little evidence. As with other prehistoric artifacts, they cultural significance may never become famous. However, archaeologists suggest that they could be talismans that protect and bring good luck, symbols of fertility, pornographic images, or even directly correlated with the Mother Goddess or other local deities. Female figurines, examples of portable art of the late Paleolithic, apparently had no practical use for subsistence. For the most part, they were found at the sites of ancient settlements, both in open sites and in caves. Their use in burials is much less common.

At a Late Paleolithic site near the village. Gagarino in the Lipetsk region, in an oval half-dugout with a diameter of about 5 meters, 7 figurines of naked women were discovered, which are believed to have served as amulets-amulets. In the parking lot near the village. Malta in the Baikal region, all the figurines were found on the left side of the dwellings. Most likely, these figurines were not hidden, but, on the contrary, were placed in a prominent place where everyone could see them (this is one of the factors that can explain their wide geographical distribution)

The noticeable obesity of the figurines may be associated with the cult of fertility. In times before the advent of agriculture and pastoralism, and in a situation without access to abundant food supplies, excess weight could symbolize the desire for abundance, fertility and security. However, these theories are not a scientifically indisputable fact and are only the result of speculative conclusions of scientists.

Recently found 2 very ancient stone objects (dating 500,000 - 200,000 years ago) are also interpreted by some researchers as an attempt to convey images of women. One of them, “Venus from Berekhat Ram,” was discovered in the Golan Heights, the second, “Venus from Tan Tan,” was discovered in Morocco. The question of their origin is debatable: whether they were processed by humans to give them a more anthropomorphic appearance, or whether they took this form due solely to natural factors.

Some scholars suggest that there is a direct connection between the "Paleolithic Venus" and later images of women in the Neolithic, and even the Bronze Age. However, these views are not confirmed and are not consistent with the fact that similar images absent in the Mesolithic era.

Notes

1. Randall White, “The women of Brassempouy: A century of research and interpretation”, Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 13 .4, December 2006:253 - www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/anthro/programs/csho/Content/Facultycvandinfo/White/Women of Brassempouy Final red.pdf pdf file
2. Conard, Nicholas J.. "A female figurine from the basal Auignacian of Hohle Fels Cave in southwestern Germany - www.nature.com/nature/journal/v459/n7244/pdf/nature07995.pdf." Nature(459): 248–252. DOI:10.1038/nature07995 - dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature07995. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
3. V. A. Semenov Primitive art: Stone Age. Bronze Age.. - St. Petersburg. : ABC-classics, 2008. - P. 53. - 592 p. - 7000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-91181-903-3
4. H. Delporte: L'image de la femme dans l'art préhistorique, Éd. Picard (1993) ISBN 2-7084-0440-7
5. Hizri Amirkhanov and Sergey Lev. New finds of art objects from the Upper Palaeolithic site of Zaraysk, Russia - antiquity.ac.uk/ant/082/ant0820862.htm
6. www.membrana.ru - Stone Age Venuses found near Zaraisk - www.membrana.ru/lenta/?8913
7. Gagarino. Paleolithic site. - slovari.yandex.ru/dict/bse/article/00016/10600.htm

« Paleolithic Venus»

Another circle of Upper Paleolithic finds that have a meaning that goes beyond the boundaries of this everyday life are numerous figurines, reliefs and drawings of women. Of course, this plot was at first interpreted quite materialistically, as a manifestation of erotic inclinations ancient man. But, I must admit, there is little eroticism in most of these images. The figurines of Paleolithic “Venuses,” which mostly belong to Aurignac and are disappearing in Madeleine, show that the interest in women thirty thousand years ago was very different from what it is today. The face, arms and legs are very poorly detailed in these figures. Sometimes the entire head consists of one lush hairstyle, but everything that has to do with the birth and feeding of a child is not only carefully described, but, it seems, exaggerated. Huge ass, thighs, pregnant belly, saggy breasts. Paleolithic Venus is not a graceful creature that captivates the imagination modern man, and not the blooming femininity of the Louvre Aphrodite, but a multi-bearing mother. These are the most famous “Venuses” from Willendorf (Austria), Menton (Italian Riviera), Lespuju (France).

Female figurines made of stone and bone, faceless, but with emphasized signs of the feminine, generative nature, were very widespread in the Upper Paleolithic throughout Northern Eurasia. Almost certainly they reflected the earth’s mother’s womb reviving the furnace life. The Vestonice “Venuses” are especially interesting because they are made of clay and fired. These are almost the first examples of terracotta in the history of mankind (25,500 lots ago).

Paleolithic “Venus” of Aurignacian time:

• a) from Willendorf, Austria. Height 11 cm. Limestone;
• b) from Sapignano, Italy. Height 22.5 cm. Serpentine;
• c) from Lespuju, France. Height 14.7 cm. Mammoth bone;
• d) from Dolní Vestonice, Czech Republic. Terracotta

in his hand is a massive horn, very reminiscent of cornucopias, but most likely this is a sign of the presence of the Bison God.

And it’s not that the Paleolithic artist simply couldn’t or didn’t want to depict feminine beauty. On several monuments we can see that he did this very well in principle - the ivory head (Brassempouille), a relief in the La Madeleine cave, discovered in 1952. But the figurines and images of “Venuses” were by no means intended to glorify the perfection of female beauty.

Finds made in Ukraine by K. Polikarpovich clarify the meaning of the strange figurines. In the sanctuary on the Desna, in addition to mammoth skulls and tusks, in addition to howler monkeys, he also found a female ivory figurine of the “Venus” type. It used to be attached to something and was part of the mortuary sanctuary.

Large ungulates, bison, mammoths, deer, bulls became almost universal in the Upper Paleolithic Heavenly God. They, the bearers of the male “family” principle, give life, which “Mother Earth” accepts and bears in her womb. Was it not this thought that guided the chisel of the Upper Paleolithic master from Laugerie-Basse when he worked on the image of a pregnant woman at the feet of a deer?

Most likely, these “Venuses” were images of “Mother Earth”, pregnant with the dead, who were yet to be born again to eternal life. Perhaps the essence thus depicted was the race itself in its continuation from ancestors to descendants, the Great Mother, always giving birth to life. In Ukraine, in Gagarin, seven such figurines were located along the walls of the Magdalenian dugout. They stood in special niches. It was certainly an object of worship. For the keeper of the clan, individual “personal” characteristics are not important. She is forever pregnant with life the womb, the mother eternally feeding with her milk. It is unlikely that the thoughts of the ancients rose to high abstractions, but if they buried their dead in the ground, then they believed in their resurrection, and if they believed, then they could not help but worship Mother Raw Earth, who gives food, life and rebirth.

The hopes of the Cro-Magnons were not limited to the earth; their souls strove for the heavenly God-Beast, the all-powerful giver of life. But from everyday experience they knew very well that the seed of life must find the soil in which only it can germinate. The seed of life was provided by the sky, the soil by the earth. The worship of Mother Earth, so natural among agricultural peoples, actually turns out to be older than agriculture, since the purpose of worship for ancient man was not the earthly harvest, but the life of the next century.

Mircea Eliade is very mistaken when, in the introduction to “The Sacred and the Profane,” he states: “It is obvious that the symbolism and cults of Mother Earth, human fertility, ... the sacredness of Woman, etc. were able to develop and form a widely ramified religious system only thanks to the discovery of agriculture. It is equally obvious that the pre-agrarian society of nomadic vagabonds was also unable to deeply and with the same force feel the sacredness of Mother Earth. Differences in experience are the result of economic, social and cultural differences, in a word - History" - "The obvious" is not yet true, a religious scholar should have known this better than others. The cults of Mother Earth of the Upper Paleolithic hunters force us to assume that the religious is not always a product of the social and economic, but is sometimes their cause and prerequisite.

For a better understanding of the ambiguity of cause and effect in human culture, the “Venus” figurines from Dolní Vestonice are especially interesting. Vestonice “Venuses” are made of clay and fired. These are almost the first examples of terracotta in human history (25,500 years ago). The ancient mystic must have tried to capture in the material itself great idea earth uniting with heavenly fire to receive the heavenly seed. Perhaps a lightning strike that melted the soil brought him to these images. These specially fire-fired clay figurines of Mother Earth are separated from household ceramics that appeared in the early Neolithic by at least twelve thousand years.

The scene of the Magdalenian period, discovered in the late 1950s under the canopy of the rock shelter Angles-sur-1" Anglin, Vienne, France, is also very characteristic. Three women, with their gender clearly marked, stand close to each other. One is with narrow girlish hips, the other is pregnant, the third is old and flabby. The first one stands on the back of a bison, whose raised tail and tilted head show that it is depicted in the excitement of the rut. Doesn't this relief reflect the rhythm of life and doesn't it emphasize that for the Cro-Magnon man this life was not an accident, but a divine gift, the seed of God, which must be properly disposed of in order to gain eternity? Or maybe this is the first of a long series of images of the Great Goddess in her three images - innocent girl, mother and old woman of death, images - so characteristic of later humanity? Death, withdrawal from life in this case turns out to be not a complete disappearance, but only a stage of being, followed by a new conception with the divine seed, a new birth, a complete disappearance, but only a stage of being, followed by a new conception with the divine seed, a new birth.

Women's beauty has always been a subject of controversy and discussion. We compare the standards of past years or centuries with modern ideals, criticize or admire the standards, look for shortcomings and celebrate merits. Yes, female body This is a controversial topic, almost like politics or religion. I usually don’t enter into such discussions, because, as practice shows, they don’t end well. in the best possible way or, in a good version, just nothing) and this text(by the way, the first experience on the gossip site) is no exception.

This is a peaceful post about the ancients known to the world images of women. It is very unusual to look at figurines created several tens (in some cases hundreds) of thousands of years ago.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries different regions around the world, archaeologists have found figurines depicting a female body. They were dubbed the primitive Venuses. Datings range between 230 - 20 thousand BC. However, the main discoveries belong to the Upper Paleolithic era (35-10 thousand days ago).

Let me remind you that the Stone Age (that is, the century when people used stone tools) is conventionally divided into three large periods: Paleolithic (2 million - 10 thousand years BC), Mesolithic (10-6 thousand BC), Neolithic (6-2 thousand BC). The Paleolithic is divided into early (2.5 million years BC - 200 thousand years BC), middle (200-35 thousand years BC) and upper (35-10 thousand years BC ).

The most studied is the Upper Paleolithic and most of the finds, including Venus, are attributed to this period. It was in the Upper Paleolithic that the last glacial period, and homo erectus retrained as Homo sapiens sapiens.

Them the first ones are more interesting two Venuses found on the Gollan Heights (Berekhat Ram) and in Morocco (Tan Tan). Scientists date them to approximately 230 millennium BC. This is the Middle Paleolithic era, therefore the creator of the figurines is homo erectus, so both Venuses are the oldest examples of primitive art. However, scientists have not yet come to a common conclusion - whether these stones should be considered figurines. There is no evidence that the shape and incisions are the work of man. Perhaps this appearance is just an irony of the forces of nature. However, the opposite has not been proven. There are notches on the stones, which means that a person had a hand on them. Here, you can judge for yourself.

Venus from Berekhat Rama (Gollan Heights) It is an anthropomorphic stone from the tuff rock, 35 mm in length.

Venus from Tan-Tan, Morocco (58 mm)

However, traditionally Paleolithic Venuses are called young ladies of the Upper Paleolithic era, of whose man-made origin there is no doubt, just as there is no dual interpretation of what is depicted. Everything is very clear)

These are the beauties, enjoy)

Venus of Willendorf (28 -25 tl BC). Austria, 11 cm. Made of oolitic limestone, which is not found in the area, indicating the movements of peoples.

This is probably the most famous Venus. Her image has been replicated more than Milosskaya. In my opinion, this is the most delicious Venus. Everything is like a donut. The hairstyle is conveyed very well; the author clearly worked on it for a long time. But the face and hands are not worked out at all. This feature is common to almost all Venus. Apparently, the figurines were used as amulets for religious activities.

Most likely, this is the personification of fertility and fertility (the ability to bear children). Accordingly, the primitive sculptor, first of all, highlighted and emphasized those places that are associated with these qualities: the breasts and vulva. But the author’s face, arms and legs were of little interest in this regard. Although, as we will see, attention to detail was not at all alien primitive art. Sometimes such emphasis on trifles manifests itself in the most in an unexpected way(as I already said - curls in the hairstyle of the Willendorf Venus - every ring is cut out).

Venus of Hohle Fels (Venus of Swabia, Venus of Schelklingen), Germany. 35-40 thousand years ago. Mammoth tusk, 6 cm

Apart from the first two Venuses "for people", about which there are indeed serious doubts, then this Venus is the most ancient of famous works art and the progenitor of all other Venuses. It is interesting that there is a hole in the place of its head; it is assumed that the figurine was used as a pendant. So it is also the oldest known piece of jewelry. Considering that the figurine was carved from mammoth tusk, in an era when tools were made of stone, one can imagine how long and painstaking work(it’s also interesting that the author decided to decorate it with carvings - one example unexpected attention to the little things).

By the way, this Venus has the most beautiful breasts(Dancing Venus also has a good shape - you will see below) - unlike the others - she provocatively sticks up!

Venus of Galgenberg, Austria, 30 t.d.e., 7 cm, serpentite (mineral)

This is an attempt to depict movement. Most likely a ritual dance. This Venus is called dancing, she is the owner of the most graceful figure. And here the author tried to convey movement. By the way, despite the roughness of the work, there is a touching charm in this figurine)

Venus from Laussel, France, 20,000 BC. Bas-relief on limestone, painted with red ocher

This Venus is interesting because in her hand she has a turium horn (which was used as a drinking container). That is everyday genre, one might say.

Venus Vestonitskaya. Moravia, Czech Republic, 29-25 BC. Ceramics, 11 cm

Venus of Brassempouille, France, 22,000 BC. Ivory.

This Venus is called the "lady with the hood." She is the first Venus discovered (found in 1892). Ironically, this is the only Venus with a face, however, devoid of everything else. Again, the carving of the hood, considering the level of tools used by the sculpture, is impressive.

Venus of Lespug, France (26~24 BC), 15 cm, ivory

Here is another example of how a primitive author can emphasize seemingly unimportant things. There is an assumption that this Venus is wearing a skirt made of twisted threads.

Venus of Savignana, Italy, 28-20 thousand years BC. Serpentine. 22 cm - one of the largest

Venus of Moravan, Slovakia, 22-23 thousand years BC. Mammoth tusk 7.6 cm

And finally - our domestic Venuses. Ten figurines were found in the village of Kostenki, Voronezh region. They were created according to a similar canon - exaggerated body sizes, small arms, legs and head. Perhaps this is due to the cult of the ancient Goddess of fertility and childbirth, which It was in the Upper Paleolithic that man began the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and cattle breeding, and the favor of the goddess became especially important)

Thank you everyone, don't judge too harshly!)

• • Subject and basic concepts of the history of religion
  • Universality of Faith
  • Why does a person believe in God
    • Why does a person believe in God - page 2
    • Why does a person believe in God - page 3
• Early and Middle Paleolithic
  • Paleoanthropology as a subject in the history of religions
  • Modern "savage" and prehistoric man
  • What can we say about the religion of ancient man?
    • What can we say about the religion of ancient man? - page 2
  • Religious ideas Middle Paleolithic. Mousterian burials
    • Religious ideas of the Middle Paleolithic. Mousterian burials - page 2
  • Bear cult in the Middle Paleolithic
  • Ethical ideas of the Neanderthal
• Upper Paleolithic religion
  • Upper Paleolithic religion
  • Upper Paleolithic burials
  • Souls of the dead
  • Religious meaning of Upper Paleolithic painting
  • The idea of ​​God in the Upper Paleolithic
    • The idea of ​​God in the Upper Paleolithic - page 2
  • "The Great Sorcerer"
  • "Paleolithic Venus"
  • Ethical ideas of the Upper Paleolithic
• Religious beliefs of the Neolithic
  • Theory of the "Neolithic Revolution"
  • The mysticism of grain and the beginning of agriculture
  • Honoring ancestors and the beginning of settled life
  • Mother is the damp earth
  • "Unknown God" of the Neolithic
  • Sanctuary and Temple
    • Sanctuary and Temple - page 2
  • « world of the dead" and "world of the living"
    • “The world of the dead” and “the world of the living” - page 2
  • Human sacrifice
• Megalithic religion
  • Culture « large stones»
  • Who and when created the megalithic civilization
  • Why were buildings made of “big stones” built?
  • "You must be born again"
  • "Owl-Eyed Goddess"
  • Heavenly Father
    • Heavenly Father - page 2
  • The end of megalithic religion
• Religions of modern non-literate peoples: god and spirits, mysteries of non-literate cultures
  • The Mystery of Unliterate Cultures
  • Ideas about the creator god among non-literate peoples
    • Ideas about the creator god among non-literate peoples - page 2
    • Ideas about the creator god among non-literate peoples - page 3
  • Mother Earth
  • Spirit World
    • Spirit World - page 2
  • Totem
  • The World Tree and the Supernatural Transition
• Religions of modern non-literate peoples: man and his world
  • A man of many parts
  • Is man a god or a beast?
  • Mirror instead of otherness
    • Mirror instead of other existence - page 2
    • Mirror instead of otherness - page 3
  • The moral imperative in the religions of non-literate peoples
    • Moral imperative in the religions of non-literate peoples - page 2
  • Cannibalism and human sacrifice
    • Cannibalism and human sacrifice - page 2
    • Cannibalism and human sacrifice - page 3
    • Cannibalism and human sacrifice - page 4
  • “Unliterate peoples” - causes of social stagnation
• Shamanism
  • Origin and meaning of the concept of shamanism
  • Who is a shaman
  • Who and how becomes a shaman
  • Shamanic initiation
  • Inner meaning shamanic initiation
    • The inner meaning of shamanic initiation - page 2
  • The mystery of Tudinism
  • What is ritual?
  • Collecting Spirits
  • Magical heat and shamanic flight
  • Healing
  • Preservation of a saved soul
  • Final feeding and dissolution of the spirits
  • Shamanism as a cultural and religious phenomenon
    • Shamanism as a cultural and religious phenomenon - page 2

"Paleolithic Venus"

Another circle of Upper Paleolithic finds that have a meaning that goes beyond the boundaries of this everyday life are numerous figurines, reliefs and drawings of women. Of course, this plot was at first interpreted quite materialistically, as a manifestation of the erotic inclinations of ancient man. But, I must admit, there is little eroticism in most of these images.

The figurines of Paleolithic “Venuses,” which mostly belong to Aurignac and are disappearing in Madeleine, show that the interest in women thirty thousand years ago was very different from what it is today. The face, arms and legs are very poorly detailed in these figures. Sometimes the entire head consists of one lush hairstyle, but everything that has to do with the birth and feeding of a child is not only carefully described, but, it seems, exaggerated. Huge ass, hips, pregnant belly, saggy breasts.

Paleolithic Venus is not a graceful creature that captivates the imagination of a modern man, nor is it the blooming femininity of the Louvre Aphrodite, but a multi-bearing mother. These are the most famous “Venuses” from Willendorf (Austria), Menton (Italian Riviera), Lespuju (France). Such is the remarkable relief from Lussels (France), in which a woman standing in front holds in her right hand, bent at the elbow, a massive horn, very reminiscent of cornucopias, but most likely this is a sign of the presence of the Bison God.

And it’s not that the Paleolithic artist simply couldn’t or didn’t want to depict female beauty. On several monuments we can see that he did this very well in principle - the ivory head (Brassempouille), a relief in the La Madeleine cave, discovered in 1952. But the figurines and images of “Venuses” were by no means intended to glorify the perfection of female beauty.

Finds made in Ukraine by K. Polikarpovich clarify the meaning of the strange figurines. In the sanctuary on the Desna, in addition to mammoth skulls and tusks, in addition to howler monkeys, he also found a female ivory figurine of the “Venus” type. It used to be attached to something and was part of the mortuary sanctuary.

Most likely, these “Venuses” were images of “Mother Earth”, pregnant with the dead, who were yet to be born again to eternal life. Perhaps the essence thus depicted was the race itself in its continuation from ancestors to descendants, the Great Mother, always giving birth to life.

In Ukraine, in Gagarin, seven such figurines were located along the walls of the Magdalenian dugout. They stood in special niches. It was certainly an object of worship. For the keeper of the clan, individual “personal” characteristics are not important. She is a womb forever pregnant with life, forever feeding her mother with her milk. It is unlikely that the thoughts of the ancients rose to high abstractions, but if they buried their dead in the ground, then they believed in their resurrection, and if they believed, then they could not help but worship Mother Raw Earth, who gives food, life and rebirth.

The hopes of the Cro-Magnons were not limited to the earth; their souls strove for the heavenly God-Beast, the all-powerful giver of life. But from everyday experience they knew very well that the seed of life must find the soil in which only it can germinate. The seed of life was provided by the sky, the soil by the earth. The worship of Mother Earth, so natural among agricultural peoples, actually turns out to be older than agriculture, since the purpose of worship for ancient man was not the earthly harvest, but the life of the next century.

Mircea Eliade is very mistaken when, in the introduction to “The Sacred and the Profane,” he states: “It is obvious that the symbolism and cults of Mother Earth, human fertility, ... the sacredness of Woman, etc., were able to develop and constitute a widely branched religious system only thanks to the discovery of agriculture. It is equally obvious that the pre-agrarian society of nomadic vagabonds was also unable to deeply and with the same force feel the sacredness of Mother Earth.

The difference of experience is the result of economic, social and cultural differences, in a word - History” - “The obvious” is not yet true, a religious scholar should have known this better than others. The cults of Mother Earth of the Upper Paleolithic hunters force us to assume that the religious is not always a product of the social and economic, but is sometimes their cause and prerequisite.

For a better understanding of the ambiguity of cause and effect in human culture, the “Venus” figurines from Dolní Vestonice are especially interesting. Vestonice “Venuses” are made of clay and fired. These are almost the first examples of terracotta in human history (25,500 years ago). The ancient mystic must have tried to capture in the material itself the great idea of ​​the earth uniting with the heavenly fire to receive into itself the heavenly seed. Perhaps a lightning strike that melted the soil brought him to these images. These specially fire-fired clay figurines of Mother Earth are separated by at least twelve thousand years from household ceramics that appeared in the early Neolithic.

The Magdalenian scene, discovered in the late 1950s under the canopy of the rock shelter of Angles-sur-l'Anglin, Vienne, France, is also very characteristic. Three women, with their gender clearly marked, stand close to each other. One is with narrow girlish hips, the other is pregnant, the third is old and flabby. The first one stands on the back of a bison, whose raised tail and tilted head show that it is depicted in the excitement of the rut.

Doesn't this relief reflect the rhythm of life and doesn't it emphasize that for the Cro-Magnon man this life was not an accident, but a divine gift, the seed of God, which must be properly disposed of in order to gain eternity? Or maybe this is the first of a long series of images of the Great Goddess in her three images - an innocent girl, a mother and an old woman-death, images - so characteristic of later humanity? Death, withdrawal from life in this case is not a complete disappearance, but only a stage of existence, followed by a new conception with the divine seed, a new birth.

“Paleolithic Venuses”: the most ancient works of art

Since the beginning of civilization, art has played a special place in people's lives, which in ancient times was of a ritual nature. Many people are familiar with the so-called “Paleolithic Venus” - figurines of the Upper Paleolithic era, depicting obese or pregnant women. The most significant of these finds will be discussed below.

Prehistoric figurines of women, which scientists have collectively called “Paleolithic Venuses,” were found mainly in Europe, but the area of ​​such finds extended to most of Eurasia up to Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia.

Western European finds mostly belong to the Gravettian culture, dating back to 28-21 millennia BC. e., but figurines were found that also belonged to the earlier Aurignacian culture (33-19 millennium BC).

Such ancient works of art include the Venus of Hohle Fels, discovered in a cave of the same name near the German city of Schelklingen. This is the oldest “Paleolithic Venus” known to science; its age is determined to be between 35 and 40 thousand years. This figurine is recognized the oldest work figurative art. The Venus of Swabia, as this figurine is also called, is made from the tusk of a woolly mammoth and represents the figure of an obese woman with a bright accent on her breasts and vulva. The figurine was preserved without some fragments, but from the surviving part it is clear to scientists that it was used as a pendant.

Nowadays, more than a hundred “Paleolithic Venuses” are known, which are made of soft stones, bones, tusks, and even sculpted from clay using firing. The size of such figurines varies from 4 to 25 cm. Sometimes such “Venuses” were found in the form of bas-reliefs (Venus of Lossel).

One of the first “Paleolithic Venuses” found was the Venus of Brassempouille, or “Lady with a Hood.” It was discovered near the French village of Brassempouy in 1892. All that remains of the figurine is a fragment depicting a woman’s face. This image is considered one of the earliest realistic images human face generally.

In 1908, another famous “Paleolithic Venus” called the Venus of Willendorf was found in the Danube River valley in Austria. The 11 cm high figurine was carved from oolitic limestone. This material is not found in this area, which speaks volumes about the movements of ancient people. The figurine is painted with red ocher and dates back to approximately 24-22 millennia BC. e. The Venus of Willendorf is also made in an exaggerated manner, has a clearly defined navel, genitals and breasts, on which the hands are folded.

The oldest ceramic figurine known to science is the Vestonice Venus, found in Moravia (Czech Republic) in 1925. Its age dates back to between 29-25 millennium BC. e. It is noteworthy that during a tomographic examination of the figurine, an ancient imprint of a child’s hand, left before firing, was found on it.

The cultural significance of these figurines may never be known because, in the case of other prehistoric artifacts, scientists work with only a small amount of evidence when trying to interpret their meaning. Archaeologists suggest that the “Paleolithic Venus” could be talismans, amulets and amulets, symbols of fertility and the ability of women to give viable offspring. Such figurines were rarely found in burials; most often they were found at the sites of ancient settlements.