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The Galgenberg Venus - Fanny

Venus vom Galgenberg, the oldest figurine of a woman apart from the Berekhat Ram figure ever found, was created around 30 000 B.C. Found on September 23, 1988 during the excavation of a habitation of palaeolithic hunters at Galgenberg near Stratzing (Lower Austria), broken into several pieces. 7.2 cm high figurine of a woman weighing 10 g and made of greenish, very shiny amphibolite slate, the upper body is turned to the side, in a dancing position, three-dimensional front, flat back, believed to have had cultic or religious significance. 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. Exhibited in the Weinstadt museum in Krems an der Donau.

Galgenberg near Stratzing was a frequently used camp site between Krems-Rehberg and Stratzing. Excavations started in 1985. Charcoal and tools of stone were found at various fire places. Special constructions probably served as shelters. It is the world's oldest sculpture of a woman.

Above text from: http://www.aeiou.at/aeiou.encyclop.v/v132616.htm

In August of 1985 at the Stratzinger Galgenberg the earthwork for a new elevated tank was completed. Dark areas in the light Loess, in which a fire place and flint tools were found, which pointed to an old stone age culture. By the end of that October a rescue excavation was completed at the area, and was shown to be a camp for hunters.

On 23 September 1988 a small amphibolite slate fragment with carving traces caused great excitement. It was identified as a 30 000 year old fragment of art. In the morning of the next day 4 fragments were then discovered, which when joined formed a 7.2cm high statuette of a woman. Because of its moving, dancing attitude it was spontaneously christened "Fanny" - after the famous Viennese dancer Fanny Elssler.

It is a green serpentine carving of a nude with one breast jutting out to the left, the other facing frontward, the vulva clearly indicated, the left arm raised, and the right hand resting on the thigh, posed as though in a ritual or dance position.

Excavations E. Weinfurter made the first discoveries in 1941 when he was looking for fossils. He also mentioned the loess snail remains and found charcoal, bone remains and stone artifacts which he classified correctly as Aurignacien (younger Old Stone Age). During road works and works for a local water storage facility in the summer of 1985 J. W. Neugebauer (Abteilung fur Bodendenkmale des Bundesdenkmalamtes) was informed by a worker about some discoveries. In autumn of the same year a first rescue excavation took place. Since 1986 several excavations followed, co-ordinated by Chr. Neugebauer-Maresch. Above text from: http://www.univie.ac.at/Palaeontologie/niederhuber/site.htm Bones of horses and mammoths as well as antlers were found. Charcoal samples made an exact determination of the age of the finds using radiocarbon dating possible. This method resulted in an age of approximately 32,000 years for the Statuette. Excavations have been made annually since 1985. There have been found to be 3 cultural layers. In 1998 the status of the excavation was: Layer I: 4 fire places Layer II: 11 fire places. Dating: between approx. 33,000 and 28,000 BP. The most important find was 'Fanny' with an age approximately 31,600 BP. Note the poster of the Galgenberg venus on a stake in front of the excavation area The plan of the excavations is from: http://www.oeaw.ac.at/praehist/palaeo-symposium/galgenberg.html

This image of the famous Viennese dancer Fanny Elssler shows graphically why she was thought of when the excavators found the Galgenberg venus. Even the pose is the same. Photo from: http://libweb5.princeton.edu/visual_materials/delarue/Htmls/printsE.html

The image of the Galgenberg Venus has been used as the logo for a wine. The name Charivee comes from Chardonnay + Rivaner + Fruhroter Veltliner.

Photo from: http://www.winzerin.at/Fanny.htm

Photo from: http://www.wald4telcard.at/gut.asp?Serial=162

On the 12th November 2000 a ceremony was held in the parish church in Stratzing to 'baptise' the wine universally known as 'Fanny'. It is a wine made by a number of local wine makers. The wine was in a superb specially made and carved cask, and it was baptised with much laughter and good times - and then the wine was drunk, and good food was eaten. Wish I'd been there, it looks like it was a lot of fun. Photos from: http://www.winzerin.at/weintaufe.asp

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