The Role Of Clothing In Paleolithic Society

For many researches, and scientists, Paleolithic society was thought to have been an age of grit, savagery, and masculinity where women are practically wiped out of the history books only to be remembered by crude statutes carved out between 27,000 and 20,000 years ago called Venuses. Such little focus on the women of the Paleolithic era led scientists to misinterpret these Venus statutes as objects of sexual fetishes due to their exaggerated body features, as Angier points out, “Researchers have suggested that the figurines were fertility fetishes, or prehistoric erotica, or gynecology primers.” Angier and several other scientists believe that minor details such as intricate headdresses, string skirts, and belts were overlooked during the observation of the statues.
Soffer, an archeologist, believed upon further inspection of the Venus statues that because of the intricacy of the carvings showed that prehistoric humans had the ability of weaving fabric into clothing. Dr. Soffer also pointed out that this form of clothing would not have protected the wearer from the harsh environment and bitter cold during the prehistoric era, that these garbs may have however been used for a ceremony or a ritual. This also suggest that what Dr. Elizabeth Wayland barber calls the “String revolution,” occurred much early than what was previously believed going back to about 40,000 B.C.E., and that it was also started by the women of the Paleolithic era, and that the Venus statues were crafted by women rather than men as a way to boast beauty and