Venus of Berekhat Ram

The Venus of Berekhat Ram is a 250000-280000 year old possible Venusfigurine, which was discovered in 1981 during excavations in the Golan Heights (Israel). It is one of the few objects that is recognized by a part of Urgeschichtler as altpaläolithische cabaret.

Locality

The Venus of Berekhat Ram was by the Israeli archaeologist Naama Goren - Inbar ( Hebrew University of Jerusalem ) found in the summer of 1981 during an excavation in Berekhat Ram on the Golan Heights. When reference is a volcanic crater containing a lake today. The 0.25 m thick layer Fund in a position alluvial sediment was ( lower and upper Kramim basalts ) sandwiched between two layers of basalt, of which the upper with the potassium - argon dating ( Ar40/Ar39 ) at an age of about 233,000 years, the bottom has been dated to about 470,000 years. The accompanying Silexfunde come from the Acheulian and contain Levalloisabschläge. In addition, Upper Palaeolithic types such stilettos and Endre inks occur.

Figure

In the figure is a 35 mm long, 25 mm wide and 21 mm thick red tuff, which has three wells that were probably nicked with a sharp- edged stone. A groove runs around the smaller end, two more run down the sides and are considered neck or arms. A detailed SEM analysis of the figure and of natural and experimentally processed Tuff- chunks from the same site can be Francesco d' Errico and April Nowell come to the conclusion that the scribe lines are anthropogenic. Therefore, the stone is considered to be processed, even if the alleged figure has little resemblance with later findings. He would be the oldest example of human art, the Homo erectus would have been in the late Acheulian to the Creator.

Controversy

Being able to prove some scientists believe that it is this stone is a purely natural, geological formation, their similarities to a Venusfigurine are purely coincidental. In contrast, the American Paläokunstexperte Alexander Marshack (Harvard University) after an in microscopic examination of the opinion that at this proto- plastic ones apparently dictated by the natural shape similarity was enhanced by selective editing and a purely natural origin could be ruled out. Although the archaeologists Angela Close and João Zilhão accept a human processing, but not the interpretation as a woman statuette. Zilhão proposes a use for ocher production.