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Full text of article
'Přichystal A, 2026: The possible creator of the Věstonice Venus in light of ethnographic parallels. Anthropologie (Brno) 64, 3: 179-187'. |
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| Abstract | | This paper shows how even specialists have been greatly influenced by classic fiction and artistic
reconstructions. For decades, thanks to E. Štorch's novel Lovci mamutů (Hunters of the Mammoth) and Z. Burian's
artistic reconstructions, it has been assumed that the Věstonice Venus was created by an older man. This view was first
challenged by research into a fingerprint on the figurine's back, which showed that its owner was probably aged only
seven to fifteen, and may have been a girl or young woman. Two ethnographic parallels, from southern Africa and
Central America, show that in both cases they were young girls who modelled objects from clay; the South African clay
figure of a woman is comparable in quality to the Věstonice Venus, even though it was never fired. Given that the
Věstonice Venus is made from an exceptional material among Eurasian Palaeolithic female figurines, it is reasonable
to assume that its creator, too, was probably atypical – most likely a girl or young woman. This is supported by
observations among indigenous peoples who practised pottery-making: vessels made from shapeless clay were usually
crafted by women, whereas carving or grinding objects from stone, as seen in an example from Nicaragua, appears to
have been more of a male activity. | | | | Keywords | | Věstonice Venus – Possible creator – Ethnographic parallels – Young girls | | | | DOI | | https://doi.org/10.26720/anthro.26.09.01.1 | | |
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