Researchers propose new theory on ‘Venus’ figurines

One of the world’s earliest examples of art, the enigmatic “Venus” figurines sculpted some 30,000 years ago, have intrigued and puzzled scientists for nearly two centuries. Today, a University of Colorado researcher Anschutz Medical Campus believes he has gathered enough evidence to solve the mystery behind these curious totem poles.

Portable representations of obese or pregnant women, which appear in most art history books, have long been considered symbols of fertility or beauty. But according to Richard Johnson, MD, lead author of the study published today in the journal, Obesity, the key to understanding statues lies in climate change and food.

“Some of the earliest arts in the world are these mysterious figurines of overweight women from the hunter-gatherer days of Ice Age Europe where you wouldn’t expect to see obesity at all,” said Johnson, professor. at the University of Colorado School of Medicine specializing in kidney disease and hypertension. “We show that these figurines correlate with periods of extreme nutritional stress.”

The first modern humans entered Europe during a period of warming about 48,000 years ago. Known as the Aurignacians, they hunted reindeer, horses, and mammoths with bone-tipped spears. In the summer they dined on berries, fish, nuts and plants. But then, as today, the climate did not remain static.

As the temperatures dropped, the ice caps advanced and disaster set in. During the colder months, temperatures plunged to 10-15 degrees Celsius. Some bands of hunter-gatherers die out, others move south, some take refuge in the forests. The big game was overwhelmed.

It was during these desperate times that obese figurines appeared. They were 6 to 16 centimeters long and were made of stone, ivory, horn, or sometimes clay. Some were strung on and worn as amulets.

Johnson and his co-authors, Professor (ret.) Of Anthropology John Fox, Ph.D., American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, and Associate Professor of Medicine Miguel Lanaspa-Garcia, Ph.D. ., from UC School of Medicine, measured the waist-to-hip and waist-to-shoulder ratios of the statues. They found that the people closest to the glaciers were the most obese compared to those further away. They believe that the figurines represented an idealized body type for these difficult living conditions.

“We propose that they convey ideals of body size for young women, and especially those who lived near glaciers,” said Johnson, who in addition to being a physician has an undergraduate degree in anthropology. “We found that body size proportions were highest as glaciers progressed, while obesity decreased as climate warmed and glaciers retreated.

Obesity, according to researchers, has become a desired condition. An obese woman in times of scarcity might bear a child during pregnancy better than a woman suffering from malnutrition. So, the figurines may have been imbued with spiritual significance – some sort of fetish or magical charm that could protect a woman during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.

Many of the figurines are well worn, indicating that they were heirlooms passed down from mother to daughter through the generations. Women entering puberty or in the early stages of pregnancy may have received it in hopes of passing on the desired body mass to ensure a successful birth.

“Increased fat would provide a source of energy during gestation through weaning the baby and much needed insulation,” the authors said.

Promoting obesity, Johnson said, allowed the group to continue for another generation in these most precarious weather conditions.

“The action figures have emerged as an ideological tool to help improve fertility and the survival of mother and newborns,” Johnson said. “The aesthetics of art therefore had an important function by emphasizing health and survival to adapt to increasingly severe climatic conditions.”

The team’s success in gathering evidence to support their theory has come from the application of measurements and medical science to archaeological data and behavioral models of anthropology.

“These types of interdisciplinary approaches are gaining momentum in science and showing great promise,” Johnson said. “Our team also has other topics on Ice Age art and migration in their research.”

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