title: Early depictions of the human anterior nasal septum.
abstract: In the literature, remarks on the depiction of the anterior nasal septum in prehistoric times cannot be found. Studying works of art from some archaeological sites of Asia, Asia Minor, Near East, Egypt, and Southeastern Europe the anatomical depiction of the columella and the nostrils in human figures are shown. These figures or heads, partly appearing as masks, were made of ivory, stone, marble, terracotta, steatite, reeds and clay, or of burned limestone. Faces and figures sculpted in the time between the Upper Palaeolithic (30,000 - 25,000 BC) and the Early Bronze Age (3,300 - 2,400 BC) are presented as examples of our ancestors' outstanding skill to create works of art with an astonishing ability to observe anatomical details. The tendency to create a human nose in a natural manner can already be recognized in the figurines of the Upper Palaeolithic.
authors.affiliation: HNO-Klinik, University of Ulm, Germany. wolfgang.pirsig@extern.uni-ulm.de
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pirsig
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sokiranski
mesh_terms: D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D009300:Nasal Septum; D012613:Sculpture / Q000266:history*