Venus of Galgenberg
The Venus of Galgenberg, nicknames Fanny after the Viennese dancer Fanny Elssler is a Venus figurine discovered on September 23, 1988 during the excavation of a habitation of palaeolithic hunters at Galgenberg. When found it was broken into several pieces but when reconstructed was found to be 7.2 cm high weighing 10g, made from greenish, very shiny amphibolite Slate. It is housed in the Vienna Natural History Museum. It is attributed to the Aurignacian Culture.
Appearance[]
The upper body is turned to the side, in a dancing position, it has a three-dimensional front, flat back, believed to have had cultic or religious significance. One breast juts out to the left, the other faces frontward, the vulva is clearly indicated, the left arm is raised, and the right hand rests on the thigh, posed as though in a ritual or dance position. The stone material is from the immediate vicinity of where the figurine was found, and the waste material provides proof that the figurine was made in the same area. cv