What is depicted, braids or a coiled basketry cap?
Archaeologists gave this 11.1 cm high limestone figurine the name Venus of Willendorf because it represents a naked adult female figure. It was found in Willendorf in der Wachau, Lower Austria, on the left bank of the Danube north of the Alps. The figurine is now in the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna. Its age is estimated at approximately 28,000 years before Christ, a period when very harsh, glacial conditions prevailed in Europe. The extensive northern ice cap caused the partial drying up of the North Sea, called Doggerland.
A head without a face, but with striking "braid work" The head of the Venus of Willendorf is bent forward and has no face. This seems to draw attention to the possible hairstyle: The most obvious braiding material at that time would naturally have been her own hair.
The spiral braiding of the Venus of Willendorf is depicted as circles.
This could be an artistic liberty taken by the creator of the figurine. However, from a braiding technique perspective, it's only more work to braid loose rings instead of a spiral. At the base of the back of the head, we see two extra strands. It is precisely straw spiral braiding that is suitable for turning back in a 180-degree curve. An example of such straw coiling can be seen on the back of an Orkney Chair: https://www.rauwscollection.com/blog/the-enduring-art-of-straw-coiling
The head of the Venus of Willendorf from above.
Comparisons with other early finds
A broken mammoth ivory head, found in a cave in Brassempouy, Southwest France, and kept in the Musée Archeologie Nationales in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, dates from about 23,000 BC. Jawline of a Neanderthal child? The vertical strands resemble braids. Or is smooth loose hair visible between the neck and the "straw cap"?
https://musee-archeologienationale.fr/collection/objet/la-dame-la-capuche
Furthermore, there is a detail of a more recent relief of King Ur-Nanshe of Lagash from Girsu Tello, Iraq (circa 2,500 BC), who wears a coiled basketry basket on his head (Louvre, Paris).
https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010121762
Alternative interpretation: a braided headdress
If it is not a hairstyle, the representation on the head could also be a headdress of coiled basketry, made of a straw strand sewn together with bramble strands. We know this braiding technique from old models of beehives, as illustrated in the fable of the bear and the bees from 1608 by Aegidius Sadeler II.
Primitive techniques, advanced craftsmanship
The tools used for coiled basketry were primitive: silex flint shards for cutting and split bones that could serve as awls. These ancient techniques testify to a remarkable degree of craftsmanship and attention to detail, which emphasizes the cultural and practical knowledge of early humans at that time.
Origin of the figurine material sheds new light on prehistoric contacts
Chemical analysis of the oolitic limestone of the Venus of Willendorf suggests that it originates from the Czech Republic, but it also occurs in the English Channel on the Portland Peninsula. This offers a fascinating insight into the northern trade routes and cultural exchanges between different groups in prehistoric Europe.
For more information about coiled basketry, see blog: https://www.rauwscollection.com/blog/the-enduring-art-of-straw-coiling