'Kolobrzeg's Venus' - a 6,000-year-old figurine discovered in Pomerania excites scientists
Discovered by a farmer in Pomerania in 2022, the so-called "Kolobrzeg Venus" has now been confirmed as a six-thousand-year-old artefact, which, according to archaeologists, is unique in the history of Polish specimens. Following an extensive dating process, the figurine will be presented in a new part of the permanent exhibition of the Museum of Polish Arms.
This "unusual stone figurine" - as the experts examining it describe it in a press release - was discovered in the village of Obroty, near the Parsęta River. It came into the hands of Waldemar Sadowski, a member of the Parsęta Exploration Group operating at the Society of Friends of the Museum of Polish Arms in Kołobrzeg. Then, in 2023, archaeologist Marcin Krzepkowski of the Relicta Foundation, together with a team of experts, confirmed the uniqueness of the artefact.
There had never been such a discovery in the history of this country. According to the researchers, the Kolobrzeg Venus figurine "will be one of the oldest artefacts" in the museum, and "at the same time a unique find in Central and Eastern Europe from the area of Western Pomerania".
The figurine dates back to the Neolithic period and archaeologists believe that it is most likely a symbol of Venus, the goddess of love and fertility. Although the figurine has no facial features, it clearly highlights female characteristics. It is possible that it was used for fertility rituals in the Neolithic era.
"It may be the work of the first farmers who settled in the fertile lands of Western Pomerania, in this case around the Parsęta River," - write the researchers in the release.
While this is not the only Venus figurine found in Europe, experts say that "the Kolobrzeg Venus represents [...] a unique find from an area of Poland where, for the time being, we do not find an analogue". What's more, while this type of figurine was usually made of clay, the Polish example was made of limestone, a mineral used in fewer cases of this type of work.
"I can confidently say that this is the discovery of the century," - Aleksander Ostasz, historian, underwater archaeologist and director of the Museum of Polish Arms in Kołobrzeg, told National Geographic.
"It absolutely pushes our boundaries of Kolobrzeg's history". - he added.
The figurine now joins other well-known examples, including the Venus of Willendorf, discovered in Austria in 1908, and the Venus of Hohle Fels, discovered in 2008, as one of the largest prehistoric discoveries from the region. According to the communiqué, experts will continue to study the figurine to gain more information about Neolithic life.
"Currently, an interdisciplinary team of scientists assembled by Marcin Krzepkowski of the Relicta Foundation, is preparing a detailed study devoted to the Kolobrzeg Venus," the press release reads.
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