The reason for my question is this. The Venus figures of Europe in particular have been atributed to a stylistic art, representing the exagerated body of the female form.

I for one have had a problem with the way ancient art has been interpreted, as i believe the basic insparation for art has and still is to represent the world around us in a realistic way.

It is not well known but there is a gene that creates what is known as Steatopygia ("fat bottom") which is only found in African pigmi groups giving the same physical appearance as the Venus figures.

It seems to me that the Venus figures 25, 000 or more years old correspond to Migration data out of Africa. Many of these Images disapear as the dates decrease, indicating a different people migrating from Africa, and I would say the Nile up to 10,000 years ago.

I would just like to confirm that there are not simular images in Pre-historiic Egyptian or Nubian art.

Ozzy

I've seen some in a book from Syria (Mesopotamia?)before; they were also obese figures but some of them suckling children or even animals (lizard?! it had a long tail). But ancient Sumerian type figurines of humans often looked rather like lizards; though without the tails!

Also I heard that some found in Europe were smashed- and that it would seem that they were smashed purposefully in a ritual.

Obese women in the ancient world? I've seen the comical looking fat Queen of Punt. So fatties did exist in ancient times too!

Thanks,
sneuropa

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Originally posted by sneuropa:
Its probable that Venus And Madonna figures are basically the same idea- after all the different names are just modern labels attached to them.

I've seen some in a book from Syria (Mesopotamia?)before; they were also obese figures but some of them suckling children or even animals (lizard?! it had a long tail). But ancient Sumerian type figurines of humans often looked rather like lizards; though without the tails!

Also I heard that some found in Europe were smashed- and that it would seem that they were smashed purposefully in a ritual.

Obese women in the ancient world? I've seen the comical looking fat Queen of Punt. So fatties did exist in ancient times too!

Thanks,
sneuropa

What do they mean?

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quote:

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Originally posted by ausar:
Venus figures have been found from India to parts of the Meditterean sea.

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I was aware they have been found in india, and may be the result of the first migrations there, much like the Andamen Island people, who I believe still carry the Steatopygia gene. But I have not seen anything around the Mediterrean. Most representations come from Europe.

The Upper Paleolithic Period
In the Upper Paleolithic period Neanderthal man disappears and is replaced by a variety of Homo sapiens such as Cro-Magnon man </ce6/society/A0814089.html> and Grimaldi man. This, the flowering of the Paleolithic period, saw an astonishing number of human cultures, such as the Aurignacian, Gravettian, Perigordian, Solutrean, and Magdalenian, rise and develop in the Old World. The beginnings of communal hunting and extensive fishing are found here, as is the first conclusive evidence of belief systems centering on magic and the supernatural. Pit houses, the first man-made shelters, were built, sewn clothing was worn, and sculpture and painting originated. Tools were of great variety, including flint and obsidian blades and projectile points. It is probable that the people of the Aurignacian culture migrated to Europe after developing their distinctive culture elsewhere, perhaps in Asia.