Comments on: Prehistoric carving is oldest known figurative art

By: Speedy

Speedy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:01:25 +0000

Figurative? Maybe this artist was just… you know… bad at art…

By: Monado

Monado — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:05:59 +0000

I’m revisiting this and it’s such a nice summary I’m going to link to it.
About clothing, as I recall the “Venus of Willendorf” has a nubbly head that a fabric expert has said represents knitting. And as soemone else said, this was probably preceded by wooden or leaf models.
The half-animal hybrids are even more interesting, in a way, as they are clearly products of imagination. Perhaps they represented gods or clan spirits? But to me they say, “First ever science fiction!”

By: Julia Steinberger

Julia Steinberger — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:42:58 +0000

Thanks for changing the title, Ed. The comments on the sciencemag website are so disturbingly bad: people (and by people I mean men) seem to have swallowed evopsych hook line and sinker, and don’t even realize how it distorts their worldview.

By: chris y

chris y — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:08:42 +0000

In contrast to these exaggerated sexual features, her arms and legs are relatively small and her head has been left out entirely.
Huh. Objectification of women. No seriously, the evopsych crowd are going to have a field day with this.

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:34:25 +0000

Right, it’s been pointed out to me that the “prehistoric pin-up” headline is inappropriate and I agree. I’ve changed it.

By: Lilian Nattel

Lilian Nattel — Wed, 13 May 2009 23:41:15 +0000

Fascinating. But I think it’s an open question as to where figurative art developed. This is a new find. Might there not be other objects elsewhere that simply haven’t yet been found?

By: DDeden

DDeden — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:42:22 +0000

Could the dolls/venuses have had exchangeable heads, like sticking an acorn or little apple onto the neck? (Compare to Native American corn cob dolls.) 35+ka for such careful sculpture surely must have been long preceded by other work, maybe it had been all wood carving, later discarded as fuelwood, or decomposing in soil. So many have pregnancy features, might they have been post-weaning pacifiers of some sort?

By: Zach Miller

Zach Miller — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:07:48 +0000

Maybe these passed for ancient’s man version of a “Page 3″ girl. Hey, you said it was a European find!
Seriously, though, this is pretty awesome. It means a strongly artistic culture was already prevalent way back then.

By: Scicurious

Scicurious — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:49:48 +0000

Great post, Ed! Unfortunately, now that you mention it, all I can see is how it looks like a roast chicken.