A team of archaeologists working on a plot where the Hospital of Estepona, Malaga, is to be built has found a prehistoric statuette of baked mud believed to be at least 5,000 years old.
The piece, known as the 'Venus of Estepona', is five centimeters in height and represents a female figure. It is the only such figurine to have been found during the course of excavations in the province of Málaga and there are few similar examples in Andalucía, explained the municipal archaeologist Ildefonso Navarro.
The figurine is crudely fashioned. Its simple ovoid shaped head lacks any manifest physical features and the upper and lower extremities are likewise devoid of any attributes save for the breasts which are represented by two spirals.
It has been interpreted as a talisman or symbol of fertility, linked to the spiritual world, that was likely used during rituals.
Only one other such figurine, discovered in a rock pool of a cave in Benaoján, has been found in the Malaga province.
A number of prehistoric structures have also been excavated at the Estepona site, located in the westernmost part of the municipality called Arroyo Enmedio.
These structures yielded more than 100 objects, among which were several nearly intact handmade ceramic vessels, flint arrowheads, polished stone axes, beads and several stone idols.
In addition to the prehistoric remains, several structures belonging to the seventh and eighth centuries AD have also been discovered, along with pieces of pottery of the time.
Source: 20minutos [August 30, 2011]
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| The Venus de Estepona [Credit: La Opinion Ds Malaga] |
The figurine is crudely fashioned. Its simple ovoid shaped head lacks any manifest physical features and the upper and lower extremities are likewise devoid of any attributes save for the breasts which are represented by two spirals.
It has been interpreted as a talisman or symbol of fertility, linked to the spiritual world, that was likely used during rituals.
Only one other such figurine, discovered in a rock pool of a cave in Benaoján, has been found in the Malaga province.
A number of prehistoric structures have also been excavated at the Estepona site, located in the westernmost part of the municipality called Arroyo Enmedio.
These structures yielded more than 100 objects, among which were several nearly intact handmade ceramic vessels, flint arrowheads, polished stone axes, beads and several stone idols.
In addition to the prehistoric remains, several structures belonging to the seventh and eighth centuries AD have also been discovered, along with pieces of pottery of the time.
Source: 20minutos [August 30, 2011]