German Cave Yields 2 Ivory Bird Figurines From 40,000 Years Ago
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Jul 31
German Cave Yields 2 Ivory Bird Figurines From 40,000 Years Ago
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Jul 31
Summary
Two mammoth-ivory bird figurines from about 40,000 years ago were unearthed in Hohle Fels cave in Baden-Württemberg, including a 2-centimetre piece now identified as the smallest known Ice Age artwork in the UNESCO World Heritage region.
Researchers said the finds came from lower Aurignacian layers linked to early modern humans; one bird appears resting or brooding, while the other shows outstretched wings but has a broken left wing.
Nicholas Conard of the University of Tübingen and the Blaubeuren museum called the pair the "find of the year," and the figurines will go on display with other ivory discoveries until next April.
Hohle Fels has already produced the oldest known human figurine and oldest known musical instrument, but bird depictions remain unusually rare in the region, leaving their meaning to Ice Age people unclear.