Venus Figurines of the European Paleolithic: Symbols of Fertility or Attractiveness?
Table 1
Waist-to hip ratio (WHR), mean attractiveness rating, and numbers of participants rating the images (shown in Figure 1) as being pregnant or nonpregnant and belonging to one of four age groups.
Image number and name
WHR
Attractiveness rating
Pregnant?
Adolescent?
Young adult?
Middle aged?
Old?
no. of participants
Yes
No
(1) Willendorf
1.16
0.14
34
127***
1
7
122***
31
161
(2) Lespugue
1.56
0.66
70
91
5
71***
71***
14
161
(3) Laussel
0.81
0.90
125***
36
3
57
86***
15
161
(4) Dolní Věstonice
1.20
1.25
91
70
6
69***
83***
3
161
(5) Gagarino
1.03
0.83
89
72
14
54
44
49
161
(6) Moravany
1.00
1.50
83
78
1
67***
88***
5
161
(7) Kostenki
1.04
1.44
148***
13
35
82***
37
7
161
(8) Grimaldi
1.04
0.61
36
125***
1
24
94***
42
161
(9) Chiozza di Scandiano
1.05
1.11
76
85
60*
64**
32
5
161
(10) Petřkovice
0.72
1.92
12
149***
40
97***
18
6
161
(11) Modern Statue
0.69
3.89
0
161***
2
151***
8
0
161
(12) Eleesivitchi
0.63
1.74
7
154***
17
99***
44
1
161
(13) Savignano
1.03
0.92
141***
20
4
36
103***
18
161
(14) Brassempouy
0.78
1.30
75
86
1
22
126***
12
161
(15) Hohle Fels
1.03
0.19
26
90***
1
8
40
67***
116
Chi-squared: *; **; ***. Where observed numbers of participants selecting a particular category exceeded those expected to do so at chance levels.
