Abstract

The origin and key details of the making of the ~ 30,000 year old Venus from Willendorf remained a secret since its discovery for more than a hundred years. Based on new micro-computed tomography scans with a resolution of 11.5 µm, our analyses can explain the origin as well as the choice of material and particular surface features. It allowed the identification of internal structure properties and a chronological assignment of the Venus oolite to the Mesozoic. Sampling numerous oolite occurrences ranging ~ 2500 km from France to the Ukraine, we found a strikingly close match for grain size distribution near Lake Garda in the Southern Alps (Italy). This might indicate considerable mobility of Gravettian people and long-time transport of artefacts from South to North by modern human groups before the Last Glacial Maximum.

Details

Title
The microstructure and the origin of the Venus from Willendorf
Author
Weber, Gerhard W 1 ; Lukeneder Alexander 2 ; Harzhauser Mathias 2 ; Mitteroecker Philipp 3 ; Wurm, Lisa 4 ; Lisa-Maria, Hollaus 1 ; Kainz, Sarah 1 ; Haack Fabian 5 ; Antl-Weiser Walpurga 6 ; Kern, Anton 6 

 University of Vienna, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology & Core Facility for Micro-Computed Tomography, Vienna, Austria (GRID:grid.10420.37) (ISNI:0000 0001 2286 1424); University of Vienna, Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences-HEAS, Vienna, Austria (GRID:grid.10420.37) (ISNI:0000 0001 2286 1424) 
 Natural History Museum Vienna, Geological-Paleontological Department, Vienna, Austria (GRID:grid.425585.b) (ISNI:0000 0001 2259 6528) 
 University of Vienna, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Vienna, Austria (GRID:grid.10420.37) (ISNI:0000 0001 2286 1424) 
 Ludwig-Maximilians University, Clinic of Small Animal Surgery and Reproduction, Munich, Germany (GRID:grid.5252.0) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 973X) 
 Württemberg State Museum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany (GRID:grid.461767.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 0945 4111) 
 Natural History Museum Vienna, Department of Prehistory, Vienna, Austria (GRID:grid.425585.b) (ISNI:0000 0001 2259 6528) 
Publication year
2022
Publication date
2022
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2634292141
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2022. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.