Wombs: How the ancient world perceived it

Reading
Ninety percent of the Stone Age sculptures found around the world are
feminine forms.
the womb was the primary way of understanding and making sense of
the world
One naturally occurring circular symbol of the womb space was the cave

on a psychological level, ancient humans would have perceived caves

as external expressions of the womb

circular womb symbol prevalent during The Stone Age of womb

cosmology was the mound

mounds signify fertility and the capacity to give life.

concentric series of circles or spirals also reflect womb consciousness.

Lecture

the Womb Cave, The cave was specifically carved in order to resemble
the womb and even includes small water flows that wash the sides of its
walls.

Mount Everest’s Tibetan name is translated as “holy mother mountain.”

The pregnant mounds had the power to rebirth and resurrect the dead.

The feminine shape of a spiral or of circles within circles are also

reflected in the archeological evidence.
the Hypogeum, an underground structure carved from rock. Spiraling
passageways connect the chambers. In the main chamber, figurines
were found, one among them called the Sleeping Lady. This figurine
depicts a very voluptuous woman on one side sleeping, which could
indicate death or point to the period of gestation within the womb.

Introduction
The reading explains how in ancient times, in different cultures, the womb
was considered an important part of human life to the understanding of
the world and how ninety percent of the Stone Age sculptures found
around the world are feminine forms. Likewise, the lecture gives
archeological evidence from around the world that supports this. Both
want to demonstrate the importance that the womb represented in the
past, as honoring the sacred womb was an integral part of life, and the
primary symbol for the womb was the circle.

First, the reading claims that the cave was one of the naturally occurring
circular symbols of the womb space. The author states that caves were
homes for prehistoric humans, providing safety and shelter. Additionally,
the lecture proves this with the Womb Cave, discovered in 2001 near the
village of Nenkovo in Bulgaria. Archaeologists determined that the cave
was specifically carved in order to resemble the womb and even includes
small water flows that wash the sides of its walls. Some researchers
believe that the cave was used as a fertility temple by the people of
Thrace, sometime in the 11th century BCE. The reading asserts that, on a
psychological level, ancient humans would have perceived caves as
external expressions of the womb.

Furthermore, the reading states that the mound was another circular
womb symbol prevalent during The Stone Age of womb cosmology, and
the lecture affirms it with the example of Mount Everest’s Tibetan name
translated as “holy mother mountain.” Also, as the round shape of hills
and some mountains resembles a pregnant belly, the mounds signify
fertility and the capacity to give life. An example given by the lecture
would be Newgrange in Ireland, a mound site that dates from around
3,500 BCE. This mound, originally classified as only a tomb, is now
recognized as a ceremonial site with spiritual and astrological
importance. During the winter solstice, sunlight illuminates and
penetrates the opening of the mound and enters its inner rooms for 17
minutes. Light entering into the mound’s dark, inner rooms may signify
fertilization and the victory of life over death. And later on, according to
the lecture, the Egyptian pyramids would also follow a similar mound
tradition, as their pyramids would not only be the deceased kings tomb,
but also the place for them to rebirth. The pregnant mounds had the
power to rebirth and resurrect the dead. Likewise, the reading says that in
ancient womb religions, death was thought of as a return to Mother Earth
and the cosmic mother creator.

Finally, the reading alleges that concentric series of circles or spirals also
reflect womb consciousness, while the lecture attest that these spirals
are also reflected in the archeological evidence. A proof of this is the first
Paleolithic temple, as this place had spaces with spiraling passageways
that led deep into the earth. This is because in paleolithic societies, the
concept of heaven was not external to the individual, but rather it was
held within. Another example of spiral symbolism in the archeological
evidence is the Hypogeum, an underground structure carved from rock.
This place was built around 3300 BCE on the island of Malta, and
contained an underground network of caves, burial grounds and other
rooms. In one room, there are painted red spirals on the walls. In the main
chamber, figurines were found, one among them called the Sleeping Lady.
This figure depicts a very voluptuous woman sleeping on one side, which
could indicate death or point to the period of gestation within the womb.

In conclusion, the reading and the lecture provided me with the

knowledge of how in the past the womb was more than the way of
bringing new life to the world, and how they venerated it as an important
phase of human life. I learnt about cultures that wanted to present the
womb as something that represented a path to life and death.