Is the Lion Man a Woman? Solving the Mystery of a 35,000-Year-Old Statue

[xchrom]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,802415,00.html


Archeologists have discovered previously unknown fragments of a figurine known as the "Lion Man," and are piecing it back together. Could the 35,000-year-old statue actually represent a female shaman? Scientists hope to resolve a decades-long debate.

Using a hand hoe and working in dim light, geologist Otto Völzing burrowed into the earth deep inside the Stadel cave in the Schwäbische Alb mountains of southwestern Germany. His finds were interesting to be sure, but nothing world-shaking: flints and the remnants of food eaten by prehistoric human beings.

Suddenly he struck a hard object -- and splintered a small statuette.

It was 1939 and Völzing didn't have much time. He had just been called up to serve in the military and World War II was about to begin. He quickly packed the pieces into a box and the excavation, which was being financed by the SS, was terminated on the same day.

For the next 30 years, little heed was paid to the pieces. But then, they were reassembled to create one of the most impressive sculptures of the Paleolithic Age.

[thereismore]

1. Thanks. Interesting. nt

[formercia]

2. You may not know who your Daddy is

But your Mother is a pretty good bet.

That concept live to this day in societies.

[Tansy_Gold]

3. Thank you!

I love this stuff,

[Hestia]

4. Can you say Sekhmet?

Ancient history can be so misogynistic

[Tsiyu]

5. That is the truth

Women as "not fully human" is not and was not the default position.

Shocking.....