Cavemen preferred full-figured ladies

[Strengthandhonour]

Cavemen Preferred Full-Figured Ladies

Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

March 27, 2007 — Thin may be in now, but prehistoric men 15,000 years ago prefered full-figured gals, suggest dozens of flint figurines excavated from a Paleolithic hunting site in Poland.
Since almost identical depictions have been found elsewhere throughout Europe, the figurines indicate a shared artistic tradition existed even then.
The findings are published in the current issue of the journal Antiquity.
Co-author Romuald Schild explained that the artifacts offer "a cultural inventory" for the late Magdalenian era (18,000-10,000 years ago).
In the paper, Schild and colleagues Bodil Bratlund, Else Kolstrup and Jan Fiedorczuk describe the carvings as "stylized voluptuous female outlines" that "are cut out of flint flakes."
The same symbolic representations of women displayed in the artifacts extend across Europe, added Schild, a researcher in the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology at the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Because the site, near the Polish village of Wilczyce, served as a late autumn/early winter hunting camp, it is likely men created the figurines when they were taking breaks from hunting arctic foxes, woolly rhinoceros and other game.
Most of the carvings show a slight curve in the breast area. Very exaggerated curves depict the buttocks, while tiny rounded tops served as heads. One figure's head was, at one point, polished and retouched.
Examination of the flint artifacts under high magnification revealed they were in "mint" condition with no signs of use as tools.
The book The Nature of Paleolithic Art by R. Dale Guthrie contains images of nearly identical renderings. It seems shapely women also inspired stone carvings and cave art, some of which date to 35,000 years ago.
Among the human depictions, "female images dominate and are nude, almost every one full-figured above and below," explained Guthrie, an emeritus professor in the Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
Guthrie believes most of their creators were young men. He suggests it is not too difficult to theorize what was on their minds in their free time.
"Think of it, Paleolithic people must have been surrounded by a wealth of other available images," said Guthrie.
"For example, the (art subject) repetition could have involved: babies, butterflies, frogs, song birds, small mammals, flowers, beautiful clothes, battle scenes, shields, clan symbols and so on. These are absent or virtually unknown in Paleolithic art."
In addition to animal bones and the flint figurines, the researchers found hundreds of carefully perforated arctic fox teeth that had either been strung into a necklace or placed in a pouch before disposal of the animal's remains. The researchers believe the teeth may have had some kind of ritualistic, spiritual meaning.
The teeth and bones were found preserved in an ice wedge, where they had remained frozen in time until their recent discovery.



source: Discovery Channel :: News - Human :: Cavemen Preferred Full-Figured Ladies

[Galaico]

I don't think cavemen prefered fat women. It's just that these figures, "Paleolithic Venuses", try to represent the maximum symbol of fertility, enormous breasts and exagerated curves. Realise that those figures, just focus in those two aspects, and not in the face, legs, or arms.

Men in those times were probably attracted to healthy and balanced looking women, just like today. Remember Nature is wise.

The Paleolithic Venuses are just religious symbols that represent worship to fertility, not Prehistoric Pornography

[Vincent]

Originally Posted by Galaico

I don't think cavemen prefered fat women. It's just that these figures, "Paleolithic Venuses", try to represent the maximum symbol of fertility, enormous breasts and exagerated curves. Realise that those figures, just focus in those two aspects, and not in the face, legs, or arms.

Men in those times were probably attracted to healthy and balanced looking women, just like today. Remember Nature is wise.

The Paleolithic Venuses are just religious symbols that represent worship to fertility, not Prehistoric Pornography

You think so. I remember how my gradn-grand father told me many times to get a "full" woman, cause only they can work hard, and give me good healthy children.
I think in the old times (including cavemen) they prefered fat women. It was a whole different world, not like todays society, where marriage is based on love and not anymore as an institution for bringing children to life (and raising them) and economic survival.

[Strengthandhonour]

Also look at the renaissance paintings. Full figured women were a hot choice during that time due to fertility.

[Galaico]

Originally Posted by ProduSlav

You think so. I remember how my gradn-grand father told me many times to get a "full" woman, cause only they can work hard, and give me good healthy children.

Well, but that's just because you Bosniaks are damned crazy!

I think in the old times (including cavemen) they prefered fat women. It was a whole different world, not like todays society, where marriage is based on love and not anymore as an institution for bringing children to life (and raising them) and economic survival.

Do you think love only plays an important role nowadays? Love is just a chemical response when the body reacts positively to the hormones of a desired female (in the male case, and vice-versa), it is just another way the nature has to ensure the process of reproduction. I told you nature is wise

[svin]

Love is just a chemical response when the body reacts positively to the hormones of a desired female (in the male case, and vice-versa), it is just another way the nature has to ensure the process of reproduction. I told nature is wise

Your view on love ins't very... Catholic.

[Galaico]

Originally Posted by Strengthandhonour

Also look at the renaissance paintings. Full figured women were a hot choice during that time due to fertility.

Compare:





The differences are evident.

[Strengthandhonour]

haha I never said you were wrong gallego. I can compare, the difference is the first one is your mother and the second one is mine..joking but interesting, where is the first image from?

[Galaico]

Originally Posted by Strengthandhonour

haha I never said you were wrong gallego. I can compare, the difference is the first one is your mother and the second one is mine..joking

Of course she's my mother, the Magna Mater, show some respect for our ancestral matrilinear religion, you dirty Roman Pantheist . No me tires de la lengua...

but interesting, where is the first image from?

Venus from Willendorf.

[Vincent]

Originally Posted by Galaico

Do you think love only plays an important role nowadays? Love is just a chemical response when the body reacts positively to the hormones of a desired female (in the male case, and vice-versa), it is just another way the nature has to ensure the process of reproduction. I told you nature is wise

I agree. But that's what I am talking about. I think this is the main reason why we today have so many divorces (largest numbers in USA and western Europe), while in the past, marriages lasted longer because love was not the main thing that kept them together.
I also think nowdays people have more desires concerning their future partner, and a more clear vision of him (his character, physical appearance). Many of them never find such a person, or find the "wrong" one, wich brings us back to the divorce.

And about the paintings. these girls here are not what you would call "slim", or?

[Galaico]

Originally Posted by ProduSlav

And about the paintings. these girls here are not what you would call "slim", or?

They're not slim, but they're not that fat either, they look healthy.

[Vincent]

Originally Posted by Galaico

They're not slim, but they're not that fat either, they look healthy.

Then ok. All the time I wasn't talking about fat women, but about these "healthy" ones... or maybe a little bit more healthy then the two ladies on the picture I posted.

[Chauntecleer]

Well, it's obvious that preferences toward female shape have changed wildly throughout history. Just in the 20th century alone we saw several different ideals... from the flat-chested flappers of the '30s, to the buxom beauties of the '50s and now the modern 'heroin chic' anorexic look.

So who's to say that Cro-Magnons didn't have a preference for stronger, larger women? It makes sense that they should choose them over thinner women who wouldn't be as adapt at survivng the harsh weather or challenges of Upper Paleolithic life. I for one definitely prefer 'fuller' women. A lot of people would consider her overweight, but to me Thora Birch is perfect:

[Señor Malo]

Well I think there was a short interval of preference for lite slim -but not anorexic- females during the minoan times, not?

[Susi]

Chauntecleer: She doesn't look overweight at all! I don't understand who you've been talking to...

I think men prefer women with an hourglass figure (small waist, larger hips), because it indicates fertility (to a point).