Sunday, May 23, 2010

Mohenjo Daro

Flourishing around 2,000 B.C.E., Mohenjo Daro was by far the largest city of the Indus Valley civilization, covering more than 600 acres. Here is a picture of a small part of that city as it has been uncovered by archeologists during the past century.

The Willendorf Venus

Less than four and a half inches in height and dating to about 25,000 years ago, this female figure, which was found near the town of Willenodorf in Austria, has become the most famous of the may Venus figurines. Certain features - the absence of both face and feet, the coils of hair around her head, the prominence of her breasts and sexual organs - have promted much speculation among scholars about the significance of these intriguing carvings.