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A 23,000-year-old limestone statue of a woman with large breasts and buttocks has been discovered hidden in a small pile of rocks by archaeologists in northern France.

The Ice Age figure was unearthed during the second day of an archaeological dig at a Paleolithic site in Renancourt, west of Amiens.

The team conducting the excavation found a broken pile of limestone that included fragments which appeared to have been worked by human hands.

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The Venus of Renancourt is said to depict a woman's shapely body with large breasts and buttocks but does not have any hands or feet while the head is virtually featureless, much like other similar Venus statues

They then began piecing the fragments together to reveal a statuette of a shapely woman that matches the characteristics of so called 'Venus' figurines.

Experts have described the statue, named the Venus of Renancourt, as 'exceptional'. It is one of only 15 similar figures to be found in France and the first in around 50 years.

'We were expecting to find classical vestiges such as tooled flint or bones,' said archaeologist Clement Paris, who led the excavation at Renancourt.

'That same night we carefully pieced together the 20-odd fragments and realised it was a female statuette.

 'The fact that the sculpture is not totally realistic shows the intent was to produce a symbolic image of a woman linked to fecundity.' 

Carbon dating of organic material found at the site alongside the broken statue showed it to be around 23,000 years old.

Once pieced together, the Venusmeasured around 4.7 inches (12cm), depicting a woman with a large chest and behind. The head and limbs are less detailed, however.

Around 100 such figures have been found in Europe, mostly in Russia and central Europe. 

Venus figurines are usually carved from bone, ivory or soft stone such as limestone. Some examples have also been shaped from clay.

They all depict curvaceous women with large breasts, bottoms, abdomens, hips and thighs while their heads are often small and usually faceless. 

The Venus statue was found at a paleolithic site in the suburbs of Renancourt , just to the west of the town of Amiens. It is one of the few Venus figurines to be found in the north of France

There have been many attempts to explain what their importance was to the prehistoric cultures who made them. Some experts speculate that they are emblems of security or were fertility icons and some figures appear to represent pregnant women.

Most have been discovered in settlements in caves or open air sites around Europe.

The statue was painstakingly pieced together through the night by archaeologists after they discovered a pile of limestone that did not seem natural at an old Paleolithic settlement in Renancourt, near Amiens

The exact purpose of the statue, which was carved from a piece of limestone, is still unknown but Venus figurines were believed to be fertility icons or used as symbols of status or power

The statue is just 4.7 inches long is thought to have been created around 23,000 years ago. Only 15 other venus statues have been found in France and it is likely to be prized among the country's most precious relics

The oldest Venus statue was uncovered in 2008 in Germany. Known as the "Venus of Hohle Fels" it was carved from a mammoth's tusk and is thought to be at least 35,000 years old.

However, the discovery of a Venus in northern France is seen as being particularly unusual as most of the Venus figures found in the country so far have been in the south west.

Nicole Phoyu-Yedid, the head of cultural affairs in Picardy, said: 'The discovery of this masterpiece is exceptional and internationally significant.'