One of the most important examples of early art in Europe is the Venus figurine from Willendorf. It is made of a rock that is not found in Willendorf. A research team led by the anthropologist Gerhard Weber from the University of Vienna and the two geologists Alexander Lukeneder and Mathias Harzhauser as well as the prehistorian Walpurga Antl-Weiser from the Natural History Museum Vienna have found out with the help of high- The first modern humans were south and north of the Alps. The results are in Scientific Reports.
The design and material of the Venus von Willendorf are special. Oolite was used for the Lower Austrian Venus, which is unique for such cult objects. The figurine found in the Wachau in 1908 and on display in the Natural History Museum in Vienna has only been examined from the outside. The anthropologist from the University of Vienna used a new method to look at the interior. The scientists were able to obtain images with a resolution of up to 11.5 micrometers, a quality that is otherwise only seen under a microscope. Venus does not look uniform on the inside. An anthropologist says that a special property could be used to determine its origin.
The team procured comparative samples from Austria and Europe and evaluated them. Rock samples from France to eastern Ukraine were obtained, sawn up and examined under a microscope, as part of a complex project. The state of Lower Austria provided funds for the analyses.
Information about the outside is given by the inside.
The data from the Venus showed that the rocks were different densities and sizes. There were remnants of shells and limonites in between. The hard limonites probably broke out when the creator of the Venus was carving it.
The Venus oolite is porous due to the fact that the core of the millions of ooides had dissolved. It is much easier to work with this material, which is why the sculptor chose it 30,000 years ago. The scientists dated the tiny shell remnant to the time of the dinosaurs. The Vienna Basin's potential deposits of the rock from the late Miocene geological era were ruled out.
A long way to go.
Grain sizes of the other samples were analyzed by the research team. Hundreds, sometimes even thousands of grains were marked and measured. None of the samples were remotely matched. The analysis showed that the samples from Venus were indistinguishable from samples from northern Italy. It means that the Venus started a journey from the south of the Alps to the north of the Alps.
The tool culture of the time looked for and inhabited favorable locations. They moved along the rivers when the climate changed. It could have taken a long time.
One of the two possible routes from the south to the north would lead around the Alps and into the Pannonian Plain and was described in simulations a few years ago. The Wachau can be reached via the Alps. The climate deteriorated at that time so it's not certain if this was possible more than 30,000 years ago. If there had been continuous glaciers at that time, this would be a rather implausible variant. The path along the Etsch, the Inn and the Danube had always been below 1,000 meters above sea level, with the exception of 35 kilometers at Lake Reschen.
It is possible, but less likely.
The Venus oolite is thought to have originated in northern Italy. The origin of the rock can be found in another place. It is more than 1,600 kilometers from Willendorf. The samples there are better than the rest of the sample. The Venus figures found in southern Russia are very similar to the Venus found in Austria. Genetic results show that people in Central and Eastern Europe are related.
The Lower Austrian Venus could be continued. The existence of early humans in the Alpine region has only been covered by a few systematic studies. The Venus results will be used in the new Vienna research network Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences.
More information: Gerhard W. Weber et al, The microstructure and the origin of the Venus from Willendorf, Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06799-z Journal information: Scientific Reports Citation: Origin of the 30,000-year-old Venus of Willendorf discovered (2022, February 28) retrieved 28 February 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-02-year-old-venus-willendorf.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
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