Waist-to-hip ratios of Jomon figurines

Hudson, Mark; Aoyama, Mami

doi:10.1017/s0003598x00096046

Cited by 19 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…The average WHR of the four samples was 0.7 for the female figures and 0.95 for the male figures (Singh 2002a, b). Recently, Hudson and Aoyama (2007) have looked at clay figurines (n=155) from the hunter-gatherer Jomon tradition of Japan (16,500-2,500 BP). Results show that the majority of the figurines had a WHR between 0.65 and 0.69 and less than five figurines from the total sample had a WHR of 0.80 or greater.…”

Section: Cross-generational (Historical) Consensusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shape and Significance of Feminine Beauty: An Evolutionary Perspective

Singh

2011

Sex Roles

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Evolutionary and feminist perspectives on female beauty are compatible in some respects, such as the oppressive and destructive outcomes for women as a consequence of the importance attached to female beauty. The perspectives tend to differ on the issue of the origins of (some) beauty standards. Evolutionary scientists have proposed that beauty is a reliable cue for women's health and fertility. However, as the factors regulating health and reproductive capabilities cannot be directly observed, sexual selection has fashioned psychological adaptations to attend to bodily features that are correlated with health and fertility. It is proposed that people resonate to such bodily features and find them attractive. One such bodily feature in women is gynoid body distribution (i.e., femalenormative body shape in which fat distribution is concentrated around hips and thighs). Gynoid body fat distribution is measured by the ratio of waist and hips circumferences (WHR). In this paper we summarize empirical evidence showing that WHR is an independent predictor for risks for major diseases, optimal hormonal profile, and reproductive capabilities. Next, we present findings from studies that demonstrate systematic variations in the size of WHR produce systematic changes in judgment of female attractiveness within diverse societies throughout the world. Such widespread appeal of low WHR suggests that people have evolved mental mechanisms to judge body features indicative of good health as attractive, meaning that some standards of beauty are not arbitrary or constructed. We conclude that a better understanding and appreciation of the beauty-health linkage can be empowering to women.

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Section: Cross-generational (Historical) Consensusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shape and Significance of Feminine Beauty: An Evolutionary Perspective

Singh

2011

Sex Roles

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“…Given that the faces of these 'protruding buttock' figurines are rarely realistically human, it is possible that they represent a mixture of female and 'other', perhaps even mythological, elements. That such a mixture of elements would not necessarily detract from the interpretation put forward here is a point discussed in more detail in Hudson and Aoyama (2007).…”

Section: Interpretation and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…This paper is part of a broader project that attempts to examine the representation of physical features on Jomon figurines from prehistoric Japan using evolutionary theory. In previous work we have analyzed the waist-to-hip ratios of these figurines (Hudson and Aoyama, 2007). Here we focus on the buttocks of one type of figurine from Middle Jomon central Honshu and suggest that the exaggerated buttocks of these figurines may be representations of steatopygia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Possible steatopygia in prehistoric central Japan: evidence from clay figurines

Hudson

Aoyama

Kawashima

et al. 2008

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It is proposed that the so-called 'protruding buttock' figurines from Middle Jomon central Japan may be representations of steatopygia. The distribution of these figurines is associated with archaeological evidence for high population densities and possible intensive use of wild yams (Dioscorea japonica). Given the low fat content of these yams, it is suggested that nutritional stress in the diet of Middle Jomon hunter-gatherers of the Chubu highlands may be consistent with the fat accumulation on the buttocks apparently represented in the 'protruding buttock' figurines.

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“…Singh showed that a low female WHR, such as is judged as highly sexually attractive in many modern populations, was typical of these ancient statuettes. Likewise, Hudson and Aoyama [10] found that Jomon clay figurines made in Japan, made by hunter-gatherers between 16,500-2,500 years ago, typically depict females with low WHRs. These authors conclude that "in creating these figurines, prehistoric people were no doubt turning a recognition of health and fertility into more cultural icons.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Venus Figurines of the European Paleolithic: Symbols of Fertility or Attractiveness?

Dixson

2011

Journal of Anthropology

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The earliest known representations of the human female form are the European Paleolithic “Venus figurines,” ranging in age from 23,000 to 25,000 years. We asked participants to rate images of Paleolithic figurines for their attractiveness, age grouping and reproductive status. Attractiveness was positively correlated with measures of the waist-to hip ratio (WHR) of figurines, consistent with the “sexually attractive symbolism” hypothesis. However, most figurines had high WHRs (>1.0) and received low attractiveness scores. Participants rated most figurines as representing middle-aged or young adult women, rather than being adolescent or older (postmenopausal). While some were considered to represent pregnant women, consistent with the “fertility symbol” hypothesis, most were judged as being non-pregnant. Some figurines depict obese, large-breasted women, who are in their mature reproductive years and usually regarded as being of lower attractiveness. At the time these figurines were made, Europe was in the grip of a severe ice age. Obesity and survival into middle age after multiple pregnancies may have been rare in the European Upper Paleolithic. We suggest that depictions of corpulent, middle-aged females were not “Venuses” in any conventional sense. They may, instead, have symbolized the hope for survival and longevity, within well-nourished and reproductively successful communities.

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Waist-to-hip ratios of Jomon figurines

Cited by 19 publications

References 31 publications

Shape and Significance of Feminine Beauty: An Evolutionary Perspective

Shape and Significance of Feminine Beauty: An Evolutionary Perspective

Possible steatopygia in prehistoric central Japan: evidence from clay figurines

Venus Figurines of the European Paleolithic: Symbols of Fertility or Attractiveness?

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