Paleothic Art

By ramieve
  • Female Figuring of Hohlefels, c. 35,000 B.C.E., 2.4 in, mammoth ivory, found in cave near Schelklinge, southern Germany
    35,000 BCE

    Female Figuring of Hohlefels, c. 35,000 B.C.E., 2.4 in, mammoth ivory, found in cave near Schelklinge, southern Germany

    The female figure of Hohlefels, also known as the Venus of Hohle Fels, is the oldest known representational imagery and originates from the Aurignacian culture of the Upper Paleolithic period. It is assumed to be an amulet related to fertility; instead of a head, there is a perforation so that it could be worn as a pendant. It was made from mammoth ivory, a material that carried symbolic significance of power, given that mammoths were the largest land mammals.