The Venus of Willendorf
The Venus of Willendorf
The Venus of Willendorf is one of the oldest known works of art in (pre)history. It's certainly the oldest work of art I'm familiar with.
It was discovered in Austria in the early 20th century and dates in the range c. 30000-25000 BCE. Recorded history (aka civilization) begins around 6000 BCE, so, long before we began to congregate, we knew how to ruminate and make abstract representations of our desires.
We often marvel at large ancient works, wondering how things as large as Stonehenge or the pyramids could've been constructed. Venus lands on the opposite end of the spectrum. At just 4.4 inches (11 cm) tall, she's a marvel of delicate artistry created with literal primitive tools.
Yeah baby, she's got it
Obviously, unless you're an ardent believer in Greek and Roman mythology, this Venus preceded any mention of the god after which she was named by roughly 20,000 years.
She received her name because she, along with a class of other similar carvings, was assumed to be a fertility symbol due to the exaggeration of her female form. The jury's still out as to what her actual purpose was, but the name has stuck, even if somewhat grudgingly among some scholars.
Though she was found near the Austrian town of Willendorf, the limestone she's composed of places her creation further south or east in Europe. So neither her name nor origin is accurate. After 20,000+ years, she's still a Woman of Mystery.