Idk man I think the paleolithic predates ancient Egypt.
Most date from the Gravettian period (26,000–21,000 years ago).[1] However, findings are not limited to this period; for example, the Venus of Hohle Fels dates back at least 35,000 years to the Aurignacian era, and the Venus of Monruz dates back about 11,000 years to the Magdalenian, and the Catalhoyuk figurine[2], 8000 years old.
Prehistoric figurines like that I’m counting as inadmissible because we don’t know what they were for. It’s common to call them “Venuses” and something something fertility totems but nobody knows for sure what they’re for or why they were made. They could have been anything from goddess totems to self-portraits to wank dolls.
Contrast that to portraits of Min on Egyptian temple walls where we have a pretty thorough understanding of their purpose.
Idk man I think the paleolithic predates ancient Egypt.
Most date from the Gravettian period (26,000–21,000 years ago).[1] However, findings are not limited to this period; for example, the Venus of Hohle Fels dates back at least 35,000 years to the Aurignacian era, and the Venus of Monruz dates back about 11,000 years to the Magdalenian, and the Catalhoyuk figurine[2], 8000 years old.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_figurine
Prehistoric figurines like that I’m counting as inadmissible because we don’t know what they were for. It’s common to call them “Venuses” and something something fertility totems but nobody knows for sure what they’re for or why they were made. They could have been anything from goddess totems to self-portraits to wank dolls.
Contrast that to portraits of Min on Egyptian temple walls where we have a pretty thorough understanding of their purpose.