"Since we have no evidence of the social structures of these people any suggestion of matriarchy seems to be at best speculative. Matriarchal cultures, as opposed to matrilinial ones, are rare as hens' teeth in the modern world."
Quite right. In fact to the best of my knowledge there is no evidence of a true matriarchy ever existing anywhere.
"The "Venus" figures cannot even, really, be said to be Goddesses - as far as I'm awaqre none have been found in a definite "ritual" settubg."
Trash heaps are about as far from 'ritual settings as you can get. However some - found in granary bins - probably were votive, like hanging a St. Christopher medal from your rearview mirror.
"That said I personally believe that they were votive. However, I also believe that many of the naimal carvings of the period are the same; they could be, as far as we know, god figures to go with the goddesses."
IMO it is a mistake to assume every piece of artwork from prehistoric times was of a religious nature but there certainly are 'god' figures or at least phallic ones. One of the more amusing sections of Cynthia Ellers' book is the chapter on 'representations of the Goddess' which includes 'ceremonial batons', 'breasts on rods' and 'the throat and breasts of the Goddess' which look like something quite *un* feminine to the unbiased observer ;-)
"I don't have the problem with Mother Goddesses and their apparently cross-cultural existance. What I have a problem with is the notion of a universal "Mother Goddess lunar Cult" that was displacd by a universal "Father God solar cult"."
Not to mention the fact that the moon is not always seen as female, nor even the earth as somebody pointed out above, nor the sun as male.