The best known Paleolithic female figure is the Venus of Willendorf, which dates back to between 28,000 and 25,000 BC. The tiny statue, which is only four and a half inches tall, is made of limestone and was named after the town, which she was found in, Willendorf, Austria. The sculpture shows a very anatomically exaggerated woman, which has suggested to many that this served as a fertility image. The sculpture shows a nude woman with a large stomach that sticks out but does not hide her pubic area. The stomach appears to depict pregnancy. Her thighs and breast are also enormous yet her arms and hands are very thin in comparison. The sculpture gave little importance to detail and gave the statue no facial characteristics

in many other statues of women. It may indicate that the queen is a fertility figurine like the Venus of Willendorf who also displays the same outline. Egyptian sculptors created these types of statues to represent the deceased and to serve as homes for the ka (our idea of the soul). Furthermore they chose to create them out of stone in order for the sculpture to achieve permanence of style. Overall a lot of differences can be seen between the portrayal of the Menkaure and queen, especially in the concealment of their bodies. In many previous cultures when drawings of statues of kings where created, the kings were always portrayed as larger than the other figures in order to show their superiority. Yet the statue of Menkaure and his Wife shows the queen at the same height as the king giving her more importance than was given to numerous women.

Another important figurine is that of the Snake Goddess. This statue was created in 1600 BC and is a great representation of the Minoan culture and portrayal of women. The statue is from Crete and like the Venus of Willendorf it is said to represent a fertility deity. The faience statue stands 1' 11/2" tall and is a figure in the round. She wears the typical and elaborate Minoan dress, which exposes her breasts. The exposed breast may suggest that the statue represents a fertility image whom where usually considered divinities. The Snake Goddess is shown with her arms stretched and holding a snake in each hand. This along with the feline that is found in her head represents her control over nature. Like the Venus of

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1059
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)