New Theory on ‘Venus’ Figurines“维纳斯”小像新理论

One of world’s earliest examples of art， the enigmatic ‘Venus’ figurines1 carved some 30，000 years ago， have intrigued2 and puzzled scientists for nearly two centuries. Now a researcher from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus believes he’s gathered enough evidence to solve the mystery behind these curious totems3.

神秘的“维纳斯”小像雕刻于大约3万年前，属于世界上最早的艺术品。近两个世纪以来，科学家一直对此感到好奇和困惑。目前，美国科罗拉多大学安舒茨医学院的一位研究人员认为，他已经搜集到充足的证据，可以揭开这些奇特图腾背后的奥秘。

The hand-held depictions of obese or pregnant women， which appear in most art history books， were long seen as symbols of fertility or beauty. But according to Richard Johnson， MD4， lead author of the study published today in the journal， Obesity， the key to understanding the statues lies in climate change and diet.

在大多数艺术史书籍中，都会出现刻画肥胖或怀孕女性呈双手交握姿态的雕像，它们长期被视为生育力或美的象征。但是，今天《肥胖》杂志发表了一项研究，其主要作者、医学博士理查德·约翰逊认为，理解这些小像的关键在于气候变化和日常饮食。

“Some of the earliest art in the world are these mysterious figurines of overweight women from the time of hunter-gatherers in Ice Age Europe where you would not expect to see obesity at all，” said Johnson， a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine specializing in renal disease and hypertension. “We show that these figurines correlate to times of extreme nutritional stress.”

“世界上最早的一些艺术品就是这些神秘的超重女性小像，它们来自冰期欧洲狩猎采集者的时代。你根本想不到那时会出现肥胖。”美国科罗拉多大学医学院的肾病和高血压专家约翰逊教授说，“我们的研究表明，这些小像与极度缺乏营养的时期有关。”

Early modern humans entered Eur-ope during a warming period about 48，000 years ago. Known as Aurignacians5， they hunted reindeer， horses and mammoths with bone-tipped spears. In summer they dined on6 berries， fish， nuts and plants. But then， as now， the climate did not remain static.

大约4.8万年前，早期现代人在升温期进入欧洲，形成了奥瑞纳文化。奥瑞纳人用骨尖矛猎捕驯鹿、马和猛犸象。夏天，他们以浆果、鱼、坚果和植物为食。但是，那时和现在一样，气候并不稳定。

As temperatures dropped， ice sheets advanced and disaster set in7. During the coldest months， temperatures plunged to 10–15 degrees Celsius. Some bands of hunter-gatherers died out， others moved south， some sought refuge in forests. Big game8 was overhunted.

随着气温下降，冰原扩大，灾难来临了。在最冷的月份，气温骤降至10—15摄氏度。一些狩猎采集者死亡了，另一些南迁，还有一些在森林中避难。大型猎物遭到过度捕杀。

It was during these desperate times that the obese figurines appeared. They ranged between 6 and 16 centimeters in length and were made of stone， ivory， horn or occasionally clay. Some were threaded and worn as amulets9.

正是在这段危急时期，肥胖小像出现了。小像长约6—16厘米，由石头、象牙、动物角制成，偶尔也用陶土制作。有些小像被穿连成串，作为护身符佩戴。

Johnson and his co-authors， Professor （ret.） of Anthropology John Fox， Ph.D.， of the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates， and Associate Professor of Medicine Miguel Lanaspa-Garcia， Ph.D.， of the CU School of Medicine， measured the statues’ waist-to-hip and waist-to-shoulder ratios. They discovered that those found closest to the glaciers were the most obese compared to those located further away. They believe the figurines represented an idealized body type for these difficult living conditions.

约翰逊及其共同作者——阿联酋沙迦美国大学人类学退休教授约翰·福克斯博士以及美国科罗拉多大学医学院医学副教授米格尔·拉纳斯帕-加西亚博士——测量了小像的腰臀比和腰肩比。他们发现，与那些离冰川较远的小像相比，最接近冰川的小像是最肥胖的。他们认为，这些小像代表着艰苦生活条件下的理想身材。

“We propose they conveyed ideals of body size for young women， and especially those who lived in proximity to glaciers，” said Johnson， who in addition to being a physician has an undergraduate degree in anthropology. “We found that body size proportions were highest when the glaciers were advancing， whereas obesity decreased when the climate warmed and glaciers retreated.”

“我们认为，它们展现了年轻女性的理想身材，特别是那些居住在冰川附近的女性。”约翰逊（这位医学专家同时拥有人类学学士学位）说道，“我们发现，当冰川前进时，理想身形最为肥胖，而当气候变暖、冰川后退时，理想身形的肥胖度则会下降。”

Obesity， according to the researchers， became a desired condition. An obese female in times of scarcity could carry a child through pregnancy better than one suffering malnutrition. So the figurines may have been imbued10 with a spiritual meaning—a fetish11 or magical charm of sorts12 that could protect a woman through pregnancy， birth and nursing.

研究人员认为，肥胖变成了一种理想状态。在资源短缺时期，肥胖的女性可以比营养不良的女性更好地度过孕期。所以，这些小像可能被赋予了精神意义。作为一种崇拜物或者类似巫术饰物的东西，它们可保佑女性平安度过孕期、产期和哺乳期。

Many of the figurines are well-worn， indicating that they were heirlooms13 passed down from mother to daughter through generations. Women entering puberty or in the early stages of pregnancy may have been given them in the hopes of imparting14 the desired body mass to ensure a successful birth.

许多小像已磨损，这说明它们是母女之间代代相传的传家宝。进入青春期或者处于孕早期的女性可能会收到这些小像，以期带来理想体重，确保顺利分娩。

“Increased fat would provide a source of energy during gestation through the weaning15 of the baby and as well as much needed insulation16，” the authors said.

“从孕期到婴儿断奶前，增加的脂肪可以提供能量，以及急需的保温功能。”几位作者说。

Promoting obesity， said Johnson， ensured that the band would carry on for another generation in these most precarious of climatic conditions.

约翰逊说，提倡肥胖可以确保部落在这种极端糟糕的气候条件下代代延续。

“The figurines emerged as an ideological tool to help improve fertility and survival of the mother and newborns，” Johnson said. “The aesthetics of art thus had a significant function in emphasizing health and survival to accommodate increasingly austere climatic conditions.”

“这些小像成为了一种思想意识工具，有助于增强女性的生育力，提高母亲和新生儿的存活率。”约翰逊说，“因此，艺术审美具有强调健康和生存，以适应日益恶劣的气候条件的重要功能。”

The team’s success in amassing evidence to support its theory came from applying measurements and medical science to archaeological data and behavioral models of anthropology.

这个团队在搜集证据、支持该理论方面取得了成功，因为他们将测量学和医学应用于考古数据和人类学行为模型。