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- History Magazine
- Feature
Who were these ‘Queens of the Stone Age’?
Were they goddesses—or toys? The true purpose of ancient figurines known as the “Stone Age Venuses” has stumped scholars for more than a century.
Pint-size icon
More than 200 Paleolithic female figurines have been found all across Europe and western Asia. This 24,000-year-old icon is one of 13 Grimaldi Venuses found at the Balzi Rossi caves in northern Italy; pint-sized, it stands just 2.4 inches tall.
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