The Venus of Hohle Fels

The Venus of Hohle Fels, Germany

The Venus of Hohle Fels is the oldest known Venus figurine. It is estimated to be up to 40,000 years old. It was found in the Hohle Fels Cave in Germany.

The nearest major city is Ulm from where there is a good train connection to the smaller town of Blaubeuren, with a large URMU Museum of Prehistory where the original Venus figurine is permanently exhibited. From there, you can take the train to the town of Schelkingen, which is about 5 km away. From Schelklingen, there is a pleasant walk through the Achtal valley (along the Ach River) to the Hohle Fels cave. Nearby there is the Geissenklösterle cave where prehistoric musical instruments (flutes) and animal figurines were found. In 1979, an engraving of a person of unclear sex was found there, with their hands raised in an adoration gesture, who is therefore called a worshipper or orant. The orant is engraved on a flat plate of mammoth ivory, measuring 3.8 cm in height, 1.41 cm in width and 0.45 cm in thickness. There are 88 scratches on the back of the plate. Its age is estimated within a wide range from 32 thousand to 40 thousand years. The original is on display in the Landesmuseum Würtenberg in Stuttgart.

Prehistoric flutes were also found in the Hohle Fels cave. Their age is similar to the local Venus figurine. These flutes from the Hohle Fels cave are considered the oldest known musical instruments.

The Venus of Hohle Fels is carved from mammoth ivory, has no head, but has a hanging loop instead. It is exactly 5.97 cm tall. It was found (dug out) in parts, from September 9 to September 15, 2008. A few years later (in 2014), another two fragments were found, which are considered to be pieces of another Venus figurine.