National Geographic History - 01 e 02.2022

ICELAND

AFRICA

S

C

A

N

D

I

N

A

V

I

A

E

U

R

O

P

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G R

E E

N L

AN

D

Renancourt

Gönnersdorf

Hohle Fels

Petersfels

Monruz

Abri Pataud

Laugerie-Basse

Monpazier

Tursac

Laussel

Brassempouy

Lespugue

Grimaldi

Savignano

Petřkovice

Moravany

Dolní Věstonice 

Galgenberg

Willendorf

ALTAMIRA

LASCAUX

CHAUVET

M

eri

dia

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f^ G

ree

nw

ich

(L

on

do

n) Arctic Circle

AR

CT

IC

OCE

AN

MEDITERRANEAN

(^)
(^)
(^)
SE
A
NORTH
SEA
(^70) ºN
(^50) ºN
the upper paleolithic began
some 40,000 years ago, soon
after the arrival of modern hu-
mans in Europe. They left behind
traces of their culture through
cave paintings and portable art
in the form of small figurines, in-
cluding the Venus statuettes.
The oldest Venus figurine yet
found, the Hohle Fels Venus is
around 35,000 years old, pre-
dating by around 3,000 years
the oldest cave paintings made
by modern humans in Europe at
Chauvet. The practice of sculpt-
ing female statuettes endured
during the last ice age, whose
extreme cold marked the Gravet-
tian and Solutrean cultures. As
the climate slowly warmed dur-
ing the Magdalenian period, fine
figurine carvings were cre-
ated in parallel with cave
art at Lascaux (France)
and Altamira (Spain).
Archaeologists sus-
pect that much
Paleolithic art still
lies hidden in as-
yet-unknown sites,
whose treasures
await discovery.
ART IN
A COLD
CLIMATE
MAP: EOSGIS.COM/NG MAPS