Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Oldest ceramic, not just a goddess

 The Venus of Dolní Věstonice is a ceramic statuette of a nude female figure dated to 29,000–25,000 BCE. It was found in 1925 at the Paleolithic site Dolní Věstonice in the Moravian basin south of Brno / Czech 

It is considered the oldest known ceramic article in the world, crafted from fired clay mixed with bone ash.

@Moravian Museum in Brno.



One may also have a thought or two whether the artist who modeled and carved this figure in clay, then burned it in the firepit was a man or woman.


Thanks for hosting Tuesday's Treasures, Tom the Backroads Traveller!

I've posted lots of other ancient goddesses. Here are a few of them.

Happy 2026

Peace on Earth

Maybe the Angry Women -4

Celebrations of Light

Maybe the Angry Women - 2

Well, there are a lot more, but these came up first in my search!

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Some more ancient wonders:

Built before the pyramids, Newgrange is aligned with the winter solar solstice. This civilization included minds which remembered a year to year event, engineers and artists who could build forms to show how the sun would shine down a passageway at that yearly event, and a group of people who could mound up all that earth and move those stones without metal tools or wheels. Whenever a civilization can build monuments, it means there is enough sustenance and wealth that people don't all have to be focused on survival issues, raising food and families and protecting themselves against the elements and possible enemies. I'm always in  awe of these ancient skilled peoples.

Dawn shines down the passageway at Newgrange on Winter Solstice

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Art in Bloom - Alchemy of Clay blog has some photos each day for this year's display of art with floral arrangements at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts 


21 comments:

  1. The figure made from clay and bone ash then fired. That speaks of well developed knowledge over time even then.
    She is beautiful

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    1. Indeed this remaining artifact may represent many other trials and errors of creative people! They were very smart!

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  2. The sculptures and ancient wonders are awesome sights. Take care, enjoy your day!

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    1. We are so connected in our similarities to the ancient societies.

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  3. ...yes, be an opportunist!!!

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    1. Being practical or realistic certainly answers a lot of questions that the intellectuals never quite answer.

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  4. Much food for thought here. Thank you

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  5. That figure is a bit over 4" tall. She's tiny, amazing detail. Thanks for bringing her to us.

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    1. She’s so much like the bone and stone figures which have been found!

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  6. It is rather mind boggling to realize that our very distant ancestors had so much knowledge. Some of them far more than many of us! And I am also humbled by the realization that humans have such a deep need to create art.

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    1. Imagine hunter gatherers who had time on their hands too! They must have played some fun games as well!

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  7. With all our fancy machines that do all the work for us we have lost so much knowledge and so many skills and the unity needed to build something so connected to the earth and the universe and the desire to do so.

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    1. I think our tribal nature still continues, but unfortunately we don't all live together who think the same any more. But some of that creative coming together was in Chicago this last week with the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. It may not be spiritual in it's purpose, but it does raise our consciousness to consider our neighbors and leadership.

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  8. I love those spirals at Newgrange!

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  9. I have always found Newgrange fascinating.

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    1. The ability to create such a place just boggles the mind. Sort of like Stonehenge.

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  10. Ah, the opportunist! That made me chuckle.
    I have been to Newgrange. It is a remarkable place.

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  11. The past is so fascinating and what we could accomplish when and where.

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There is today, more than ever, the need for a compassionate regenerative world civilization.