15,000-Year-Old Venus of Schweizersbild Returns to Schaffhausen After Century-Long Absence

A 15,000-year-old female figurine is returning to Schaffhausen after over a century away. The carved artefact, known as the Venus of Schweizersbild, was discovered in 1891 near the city but has been held in Basel since 1975. Schaffhausen formally requested its return last year, and Basel's government has now approved the transfer.

The figurine was unearthed by workers during gravel extraction at a site on the outskirts of Schaffhausen. Made from fossilised wood called jet, it depicts an abstract female form, stylised by humans using flint tools. The same location, Schweizersbild, also revealed traces of the Magdalenian culture, including hundreds of flint tools and intricate engravings.

Over the decades, the artefact was loaned for international exhibitions, most recently in Paris between 2022 and 2023. Despite its travels, it remained part of Basel's Museum der Kulturen collection after being donated in 1975. The site where it was found also yielded over 50 Neolithic female figurines, tools, and pottery from the Pfyn culture, dating back to around 3700–3500 BCE. Schaffhausen has long viewed the Venus of Schweizersbild as a cornerstone of its heritage. After a formal request in 2023, Basel's authorities agreed to transfer the figurine back to its place of origin.

The transfer marks the return of a significant prehistoric artefact to Schaffhausen. The Venus of Schweizersbild will now be housed closer to the site where it was originally discovered. Its presence is expected to strengthen the region's archaeological collections.