Venus of Kołobrzeg: Rare 6,000-Year-Old Neolithic Figurine Unearthed in Poland!
In a discovery hailed as one of the most important in Poland’s recent archaeological history, a limestone figurine believed to be over 6,000 years old has been unearthed near the Baltic coastal city of Kołobrzeg. Nicknamed the “Venus of Kołobrzeg,” the 12-centimetre statue is a rare Neolithic fertility figure, echoing similar artefacts found across Europe.
This significant find was made back in December 2022 by a farm worker near the Parsęta River. What started as a chance encounter in a field quickly escalated into a nationwide archaeological effort. Over nearly three years, the figurine underwent careful analysis and authentication, involving experts from across the country, including specialists from the Polish Arms Museum and the Relicta Foundation.
Aleksander Ostasz, director of the Polish Arms Museum in Kołobrzeg, described it as “the find of the century.”
The figurine is believed to have been made by one of the early farming communities that once settled in what is now Western Pomerania. What makes this particular find so extraordinary is its location; it’s the only statue of its kind discovered north of the Carpathian Mountains, an area not previously associated with such Neolithic artworks.
Photo Credit: Polish Arms Museum, Kołobrzeg
Carved from beige limestone embedded with tiny mussel and snail shells, the figurine shows exaggerated breasts and highly stylised limbs, while its face is deliberately left blank. The back is flat, suggesting it may have once been fixed to a wall or altar, possibly used during fertility rituals or spiritual ceremonies.
Though similar “Venus” figurines have been found further south in Europe, like the famous Venus of Willendorf in Austria (circa 28,000–25,000 BCE) and the Venus of Hohle Fels in Germany (roughly 40,000 years old), this Polish example is much younger but geographically significant, offering a rare glimpse into early symbolic art in the region.
Following extensive testing, the Venus was handed over to Poland’s national Conservator of Monuments for final analysis. Experts confirmed both its age and cultural importance. Now, preparations are underway for its official display at the Polish Arms Museum in Kołobrzeg, where it will serve as the centrepiece of the museum’s expanded exhibition on the prehistoric heritage of the area.
As the museum puts it: “The Venus is a unique find from Poland, where we have not discovered any analogies yet.” It not only enhances Poland’s collection of Neolithic art but also invites new questions about the spread of symbolic female figures in ancient farming societies across Central and Eastern Europe.
Soon, visitors will be able to view this ancient artefact in person, an extraordinary reminder of the deep, shared roots of human culture that stretch back thousands of years.