An ancient sculpture carved by Paleolithic humans some 30,000 years ago is evidence that our ancestors were a restless bunch who roamed far and wide, new research has revealed.
of Willendorf is instantly recognizable. The enigmatic figurine, just 11 centimeters long, is striking. It has no feet or face, but exaggerated physical characteristics anthropologists typically associate with female fertility: exaggerated breasts, genitalia, and legs. In addition, the figurine sports an elaborate headdress or hairstyle.
Previously, this sculpture had only been studied from the outside. In the new research, scientists led by anthropologist Gerhard Weber of the University of Vienna in Austria used micro-CT scanning to see what's inside the sculpture, down to a resolution of 11.5 micrometers. In fact, the closest match – so close that the rock is virtually indistinguishable – was from Lake Garda in northern Italy. That meant that Venus of Willendorf had to have traveled from south to north of the Alps, a route that would have been roughly 730 kilometers long if traveling around, rather than over, the mountainous region.
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