Sculpture of a woman

It has the appearance of an elongated rod, round in cross section, with the usual three-membered division. On the spherical head, with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the torso, there is a flat, well-modeled, oval-shaped face: bulging forehead, cheeks, chin; eyes, nose and mouth are marked with small lines. Rows of thin carved lines on a bulging head-framing face begin at the forehead and run across the entire surface of the head to the neck. Torso is elongated and flat, with narrow sloping shoulders; thin arms on each side tightly pressed to the torso. Slightly protruding belly is formed by two lines converging at an angle. The sciatic part and hips are barely marked, but the legs are raised in relief. Long, tightly pressed to each other legs, separated in front and behind a deep line, ending in a curve. The end of the right leg is broken off, and on the left there are undoubted traces of the hole.



Manufacturing technique

One tool was used while creating this sculpture - a knife with a pointed sting (tip) - as a planning tool and a burin. Planning functions are clearly visible when making the back of the thighs and calves, on the right shoulder, and also on the right back of the head. The same tool was probably used as a staple when making the back and hips (side). The movement of the knife is transverse, but traces are longitudinal. Also, the knife was used as a burin in the design of the head, face, arms, legs, female womb, as well as in creating the eyes, nose and hood of the hair. The haircut itself is made with a knife blade. After the item was made, the surface was ground and probably polished. Polishing is not precisely established due to coating with the restoration composition. A part of the hole in the foot area has been preserved. There are no traces of drilling on the body of the object, but perhaps the same tool was used to shape the edge of the hole. The item was made by right handed man. While creating, the item was kept head up.


Use-wear traces

Use-wear traces are not found.


Storage location

The State Hermitage Museum

Inventory number

370/756

The Museum KAMIS

https://www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/digital-collection/25.+archaeological+artifacts/1401519

Size

(mm)

 
General parameters of the item Head Body A lower part of thighs A lower part of thighs on the back Womb Shoulders Waist Face Thighs
Length 121.70 19.47 38.07 61.93   14.66     12.47  
Thickness   15.40 12.45

13.69(thighs)

9.42(legs)

    11.15 13.28 11.38 13.30-13.70
Width 15.23

 

12.94

14.54(thighs)

14.14(legs)

6.50 8.97 16.73   11.38-14.06 14.21

Material

Antler

Dating

19-23 th years BP

Culture

Mal'ta-Buret' archaeological culture

The author of the excavations

Gerasimov M.M.
1929

Publications

Abramova Z.A. Izobrazhenie cheloveka v paleoliticheskom iskusstve Evrazii / AN SSSR. IA. - L.: Nauka, 1966, S. 196, tabl. VIII,1

Abramova Z.A. Paleoliticheskoe iskusstvo na territorii SSSR // SAI, vyp. A 4-3. M,- L.: Izd-vo AN SSSR, 1963, S.45, tabl. XLVI, 7 i XLVII, 8

Gerasimov M.M. Mal'ta. Paleoliticheskaya stoyanka (predvaritel'nye dannye): rezul'taty rabot 1928/29 g. – Irkutsk: Vlast' truda, 1931, S.22-23, tabl. 17