Why is she called "Venus?" Venus is the Roman god of love, but she has nothing to do with ancient Rome. It turns out there have been many of these types of figures discovered throughout Europe and Asia--all dating from the Paleolithic Age. As a result, some people have described them as "Venus" figures, thinking they were representative of an early religion or fertility goddess. But no one knows why these figures were carved or their true meaning. But they all have certain things in common: naked female form with an emphasis on hips and breasts; many have no arms or faces.
But they are some of the oldest statues ever discovered.
Questions to consider:
1. How were these statues carved?
2. What could these figures represent? Why were they created?
3. The existence of these statues suggest what about prehistoric humans?
