Michelangelo's Fallopian Tubes may have roots in the Neolithic Art by Cristian Horgos

The study "The Hidden Symbols of the Female Anatomy in Michelangelo Buonarroti's Ceiling in the Sistine Chapel", published in the Clinical Anatomy journal in 2016, garnered widespread attention, with most global news outlets presenting it in positive terms. However, a few publications expressed skepticism, offering counterarguments. For instance, one article concluded: "But linking the bucranium symbol, which dates back to the Neolithic, with an understanding of female anatomy not commonly known until well after Michelangelo's time, is quite a stretch." This study does not aim to directly address such criticisms. Instead, it seeks to provide additional evidence supporting the hypothesis that Michelangelo may have consciously incorporated symbols of female anatomy in his work. If Neolithic societies could metaphorically represent the Fallopian tubes, it becomes even more plausible that Michelangelo, with his advanced anatomical knowledge, could do the same. The focus here is on the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture (circa 5050–2950 BCE), which produced pottery with intricate designs—abstract, anthropomorphic, or zoomorphic—including the bucranium symbol, a pivotal element in discussions of female anatomical symbolism in the Sistine Chapel. Such a a bucranium is featured in the Wikipedia gallery for the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture. Given the temporal distance of the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture—spanning five to seven millennia—the study relies on indirect evidence, employing a method similar to that used by Deivis de Campos and colleagues in their investigation of Michelangelo's symbolic use of anatomy. While Neolithic populations are often perceived as primitive, the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture was notably advanced. It featured proto-urban settlements, sophisticated artifacts emphasizing spirals, an early grasp of mathematical concepts, and abstract symbols predating Taoism and Jainism. These included motifs reminiscent of Yin-Yang or hooked crosses. Additionally, anthropophagy—disturbing by modern standards—was likely practiced, as was the case in other prehistoric societies. This context of human dissection, combined with curiosity about reproductive processes, provided the conditions for metaphorical depictions of female anatomy. Why, then, were such representations metaphorical rather than literal? The answer lies in the cultural context of Cucuteni-Trypillia, where abstraction and symbolism dominated artistic expression. Animals, for instance, were stylized, with exaggerated features, emphasizing transfiguration over realism. But lets see, related to the first picture of this article, the one painted by Daniela Bulgarelli, the real artifact , found at "Poduri" site, and having the Fallopian tube painted on each thigh Photo source: One of the 'Council of the Goddesses' by Cristian Chirita - Wikipedia Gallery

At its height (circa 4000–3500 BCE), the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture boasted the largest settlements in Eurasia, some housing thousands of structures and populations exceeding 20,000 individuals. Spanning present-day Romania, Ukraine, and Moldova, this agrarian society, organized along proto-democratic lines, eschewed monumental architecture in favor of a fertility-focused spirituality. Evidence includes The Assembly of the Goddesses from "Isaiia" Cucuteni site with the 21 stylized objects in the form of phalluses, the initiation vessel in the erotic act and with a pregnant woman from Ghelaesti site and numerous statuettes emphasizing female fecundity. Regarding the first two images of this article, near the possible fallopian tube, we observe another symbol in the stylized image that closely resembles the vulva symbol found in the Aurignacian sculpture from "La Ferrassie" (the original is displayed at the Musée National de Préhistoire, Les Eyzies, France). This suggests that the genital organs were likely depicted on each thigh. Both symbols appear in the image of the same goddess, but from behind, which is posted at the following address or it can be searched by 'Pinterest Cucuteni "Council of Goddesses." c.4200 BE, Romania' https://www.pinterest.com/pin/cucuteni-council-of-goddesses-c4200-be-romania--355221489330736935/ Unique among ancient cultures, some Cucuteni-Trypillia artifacts depict female figures with "pelvic tentacles", absent in other civilizations. These features, plausibly symbolic of Fallopian tubes, align with the anatomical hyperbole observed in Michelangelo's work. It is also worth noting the association between the pelvic tentacles and those on the fingers, leading us to the following clue found at the Trușești site in Botoșani County. Multiple females presented in the artifact have more than six fingers, as it can be found at the public picture posted by Muzeul Judetean Botosani ("Museum Botosani County") on Facebook, 4 April 2024. Additionally, an artifact presenting a pregnant woman with six fingers on each hand, it was found at "Ghelaesti" site. This amazing artifact can be found at the address https://monitorulneamt.ro/cultura-cucuteni-hoisesti-vizita-site-arheologic/ Another artifact of a female having the hands quite similar with the pelvic tentacles can be found in an article posted at the address: voloshin.md/en/cucuten-trypillia/ Interesting is that hundreds of small statues from the Trypillia-Cucuteni culture have been discovered, all of them lacking hands. This absence highlights that when hands are depicted, they likely serve as a form of allegory. A well known such a statue without hands is called "Venus of Draguseni" and it can be easily found by searching it on the Google images. But let's see an artifact with pelvic "tentacles" which is considered important by multiple museums,

Anthropophagy at the Cucuteni Culture could lead to the human dissection and to the acknowledge of the internal anatomy. A beautiful artifact with four females having pelvic "tentacles" is called "Pot with a mermaid" and it can be seen in rotating mode, at the address https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/cucuteni-tripolye-culture-pot-with-a-mermaid-c837c447a3794eebbd6c9365fc574406 The image of this section is with this "mermaid". Anthropophagy has been documented across prehistoric Europe, including Cucuteni sites. The oldest archaeological evidence of anthropophagy comes from Gran Dolina Cave and Castell de Castells (both in Spain), Goyet Caves (Belgium), Gough's Cave and Gloucestershire (both in England), Herxheim (Germany), Fontbrégoua Cave and Moula-Guercy (both in France) and Krapina (Croatia). One of the first archaeologists to identify anthropophagy in the "Cucuteni" culture was Alexandra Bolomey (1932–1993). In her study "New Discoveries of Human Bones in a Cucuteni Settlement" (Vol. 06, pp. 159-173, 1983), Alexandra Bolomey refers to a human bone: "The incisions on the femoral shaft (perhaps also gnawing marks?) can only be linked to anthropophagy practices, regardless of whether they had a ritual character or not". In the same study, Bolomey also notes: "I have reserved a special section for the four burials 'in circular pits' from the Cucuteni A-B settlement at Traian-Dealul Fintinilor, which archaeologist Hortensia Dumitrescu categorized as belonging to the category of human sacrifice rituals." Another study, "The Human Bone with Possible Marks of Human Teeth Found at Liveni Site (Cucuteni Culture)" by Sergiu Haimovici, was published in Studia Antiqua et Archaeologica, IX (Iași, 2003). In this work, Haimovici writes: "If indeed the marks on the femur are from human teeth, as they appear, we must conclude that we are dealing with a phenomenon of anthropophagy. However, if this practice did exist—similar to some cultures in more recent times, where it was practiced even into the 19th century—it was likely limited to a cultic, ritualistic nature." Archaeologist Senica Turcanu also explained: "The existence of ritualistic anthropophagy and partial burials is assumed" in the document prepared for the first edition of the 'CUCUTENI–5000 Redivivus' conference, held in Chișinău in 2006. Not at the last, the archaeologists Maria Diaconescu and Aurel Melniciuc, both from the Museum Botosani County, declared to the media that anthropophagy was highly likely in the Cucuteni culture. The study "Funeral Meal and Anthropophagy in Gumelniţa Chalcolithic Civilization in the North-western Black Sea", by Anne Dambricourt Malassé, Pavel Dolukhanov, Michel Louis Séfériadès, Leonid Subbotin has the in the Abstract: "The discovery in 1999 of a parietal bone in a domestic pit in Bolgrad, archaeological site, situated on the border of Yalpug lake in Ukraine, allows us to confirm the hypothesis. Tracks of preparation with the usage of an awl, allow reconstituting the first stages of the rite, that of an anthropophagic funeral meal probably organized around the members of a family. The anatomical knowledge revealed by tracks also allows envisaging the existence of a social caste characterized by a double function of therapist and priest in relation with magic-religious practices." The Gumelnita Civilization was located right on the border with the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture and existed at the same time, so it is reasonable to assume that they influenced each other. Conclusion This study reinforces the anatomical interpretations of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescoes, while also gaining reciprocal support from his work. And since 2016, other studies have emerged regarding the likely anatomical aspects in Michelangelo's artwork. In 2022 was published the study "Intertwining art, religion and anatomy: did Michelangelo Buonarroti influence Berengario da Carpi's representation of a maternal death ?", by Donatella Lippi, Tommaso Susini, Simon Donell, Raffaella Bianucci with the abstract: "Aim: To confirm that the sixteenth century surgeon-anatomist, Jacopo Berengario da Carpi, used a woman who died of a ruptured uterus as a model for a woodcut of female genital anatomy, and that the presentation was based on the cloak in Michelangelo's Creation of Adam after visiting the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican whilst he was in Rome." Also, in 2024 has appeared the study "Did Michelangelo paint a young adult woman with breast cancer in 'The Flood' (Sistine Chapel, Rome)?", by Andreas G. Nerlich, Johann C. Dewaal, Antonio Perciaccante, Serena Di Cosimo, Laura Cortesi, Judith Wimmer, Simon T. Donell, Raffaella Bianucci. The study coordinated by Andreas G. Nerlich - forensic pathologist at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, was published in the "Breast" Journal. Conclusion By drawing parallels between Neolithic symbolism and Renaissance art, we highlight the universality of human curiosity and creativity across millennia. Why do I suggest that the study on Michelangelo and the Fallopian tubes in the Sistine Chapel indirectly supports a similar hypothesis for the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture? Genius did not emerge in the 15th century alone, but has existed throughout history. Consider, for instance, the contemplative image of "The Thinker from Hamangia" (5000 BC), which was discovered near the Cucuteni culture and it can be found by this name on the Internet. Figures like the gorgeous Thinker of Hamangia demonstrate that genius transcends time, challenging the assumption of modern superiority over our ancient ancestors. We often tend to believe that they were primitive and that we are absolutely superior. However, many of them were just as curious about the origins of the soul. Do we now have a clear answer to this question? Do we truly know something fundamentally new about the moment when the soul or consciousness first emerges or materializes? Hopefully, glimpses into the past will guide us toward deeper answers. The Cucuteni-Trypillia culture, with its symbolic artistry and advanced societal structures, provides compelling evidence that early humans possessed both the inquisitiveness and capacity for metaphorical representations of anatomy. These findings not only bolster interpretations of Michelangelo’s work but also underscore the continuity of genius and innovation across human history. References - Alexandra Bolomey, "New Discoveries of Human Bones in a Cucuteni Settlement", Archaeological Research, 1983 - Andreas G. Nerlich, Johann C. Dewaal, Antonio Perciaccante, Serena Di Cosimo, Laura Cortesi, Judith Wimmer, Simon T. Donell, Raffaella Bianucci. "Did Michelangelo paint a young adult woman with breast cancer in 'The Flood' (Sistine Chapel, Rome)?", Breast, 2024 - Anne Dambricourt Malassé, Pavel Dolukhanov, Michel Louis Séfériadès, Leonid Subbotin. Funeral Meal and Anthropophagy in Gumelniţa Chalcolithic Civilization in the North-western Black Sea area. 2008. ffhalshs-00343023ff - Deivis de Campos, Tais Malysz, João Antonio Bonatto-Costa, Geraldo Pereira Jotz, Lino Pinto de Oliveira Junior, Jéssica Francine Wichmann, Guilherme Reghelin Goulart, Marco Antonio Stefani, Andrea Oxley da Rocha "The hidden symbols of the female anatomy in Michelangelo Buonarroti's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel", Clinical Anatomy, 2016 - Donatella Lippi, Tommaso Susini, Simon Donell, Raffaella Bianucci "Intertwining art, religion and anatomy: did Michelangelo Buonarroti influence Berengario da Carpi's representation of a maternal death ?", Matern Fetal Neonatal Medicine, 2022 - Sergiu Haimovici, "The Human Bone with Possible Marks of Human Teeth Found at Liveni Site (Cucuteni Culture)", Studia Antiqua et Archaeologica, IX, 2003