Origins Of Ancient “Venus Of Willendorf” Statue Traced To Italy
HELMUT FOHRINGER/APA/AFP via Getty ImagesResearchers from the University of Vienna have likely figured out where the 30,000-year-old statue came from.
The Venus Of Willendorf, a 4.4-inch, 30,000-year-old limestone statue of an amply proportioned woman, has long fascinated researchers. In 2022, scientists from the University of Vienna announced that tomographic scans of the famous artifact suggested that it was made hundreds of miles away from where it was originally found in Willendorf, Austria.
By using the high-resolution scans to study sediment in the statue, then comparing the scans to other sediment samples, the team of researchers determined that the statue was made of oolite limestone that was “virtually indistinguishable” from limestone found near Lake Garda in Italy.
Experts noted that the sediment in the statue also bore a strong resemblance to sediment samples from eastern Ukraine. However, they believe that the Italian sediment sample was a better match.
The discovery offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of Ice Age people. Researchers noted that humans migrated frequently during this time, often embarking on generations-long treks, and the Venus Of Willendorf apparently accompanied its creators on one of these arduous journeys.
“People in the Gravettian — the tool culture of the time — looked for and inhabited favorable locations,” explained Gerhard Weber, the head of the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Vienna, who led the new study. “When the climate or the prey situation changed, they moved on, preferably along rivers.”
