This 28,000-Year-Old Ancient Phallus Unearthed in a Cave in Germany Had More Uses Than One
The Venus of Hohle Fels, discovered in 2008. Dated to about 35,000 to 40,000 years ago, it is the earliest known Venus figurine and the earliest undisputed example of expressly human figurative art. Image credit: Ramessos
The phallus measures 20 cm long and 3 cm wide, and is made of siltstone, a fine-grained sedimentary rock. It was reassembled from 14 fragments that were recovered from a well-dated ash layer in the cave complex associated with the activities of modern humans. Its life size suggests it may well have been used as a sex aid by its Ice Age makers, the scientists report.
The object has a distinctive form and etched rings around one end, indicating that it was not only a symbolic representation of male genitalia, but also a functional tool that was used for knapping flints, as evidenced by some scars on its surface.
The phallus measures 20 cm long and 3 cm wide, and is made of siltstone, a fine-grained sedimentary rock. It was reassembled from 14 fragments that were recovered from a well-dated ash layer in the cave complex associated with the activities of modern humans. Its life size suggests it may well have been used as a sex aid by its Ice Age makers, the scientists report.
The object has a distinctive form and etched rings around one end, indicating that it was not only a symbolic representation of male genitalia, but also a functional tool that was used for knapping flints, as evidenced by some scars on its surface.
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31 August 2023
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