Back to Don's Maps

Back to Venus figures from the Stone Age

The Venus of Abri Pataud

This image is known as the Venus of Abri Pataud near Les Eyzies, but there are questions about its authenticity.

Abri Pataud consists of an immense balcony of a hundred metres length where Cro-Magnon man lived, hunted and gathered. They were seminomads.

The following text is from:'Discovering Perigord Prehistory' by B & G Delluc, A Roussot & J Roussot-Larroque.

It was excavated between 1953 and 1964. 14 archaeological layers with altogether forty successive campings of hunters of reindeer, who settled on 20 000 year old sites under the cliffs of Les Eyzies were discovered. The site and museum is in the village of Les Eyzies

A small block bearing the engraved silhouette (58 mm high) of a woman with atypical proportions was found. According to H. Movius, it came from level 3 (Perigordian VQ - a period which, approximately 21,000 years ago, corresponded to the coldest period of the Wurm glaciation. The occupants built a veritable house between the cliff and the blocks of fallen rack. Or at least, this is the interpretation from the numerous artifacts left behind on their living floors which induded hearths, the remains of prey, flint tools, objects of adornment, numerous art objects, and even debris from the painted decoration of the rock-shelter (Musee de l'Homme; copy at the Musee de Abri Pataud).

Photo from:'Discovering Perigord Prehistory' by B & G Delluc, A Roussot & J Roussot-Larroque.
My thanks to Sharon Rogers/walkhound who alerted me to the existence of this excellent book.

Throughout all the occupation of the Abri Pataud, the biological environment of the Perigord was an open forest where mixed pines, birches, oaks and some other trees such as elms, maples, limes, ashes, alders, beeches, fir trees, walnut trees, hazel trees, and willows also grew.

Abri in english means shelter, or rock shelter, and Pataud refers to a previous owner of the site.

Photo from: http://www.multimania.com/mariane2/perigord/spe007.htm

Abri Pataud Museum

At the time of occupation, the area had large areas of grassland, and was populated by animals from the far north such as reindeer, musk ox, arctic fox; by animals from the steppes of Central Asia such as saiga antelope and the whistling hare; and by animals from the mountains such as ibex and chamois.

All these mammals mixed with bison, horses and, less frequently, with aurochs, deer, mammoths, and the woolly rhinoceros. Among the carnivores, there are the brown bear, and the cave hyena. Reindeer constituted their principal game. They also practised fishing and gathering. The animals, in addition to their meat, provided them with the raw materials of their craft industry: skin, tendons, furs for clothing; wood and bone for clothes, tools and weapons.

Photo from: http://www.multimania.com/mariane2/perigord/spe007.htm

Back to Don's Maps

Back to Venus figures from the Stone Age

This page last modified Monday 13 December 2004

If you have any photographs or information which would be useful for this site please contact Don Hitchcock

Webmaster: Don Hitchcock
Hitchcock Lane Armidale NSW 2350 Australia
Email: don@donsmaps.com