"The figurines demonstrate that the earliest artists were skilled ivory-carvers, who could depict delicate motifs in miniature form," Nicholas Conard, an archaeologist at the University of Tübingen in Germany and director of excavations at Hohle Fels, said in a July 29 statement.
Hohle Fels was occupied by early Homo sapiens during the Aurignacian period of prehistory (43,000 to 28,000 years ago), following the decline and disappearance of Neanderthals from Europe. At that time, humans launched a creative explosion, creating the world's first musical instruments, jewelry and small sculptures. The Venus of Hohle Fels, a 41,000-year-old statuette of a woman with exaggerated breasts and buttocks discovered in the cave in 2008, is generally considered the oldest figurative sculpture in Europe. Archaeologists have also found figurines of animals and an ivory rope-making tool at Hohle Fels, a German name that means "hollow rock" in English.
One bird appears to be lying on the ground, possibly brooding over its eggs. This position suggests the bird is a ptarmigan, a game bird that is related to chickens and grouse and whose bones have been discovered in the prehistoric layers at Hohle Fels. The second bird has spread wings that are suggestive of flight or posturing in courtship, according to the statement. This bird may also be a ptarmigan, or possibly a bird of prey.
RELATED STORIESThe two tiny ptarmigans raise many new questions about early humans in Europe, Conard said. They are among the earliest evidence of modern humans in Europe, suggesting art was a major feature of early human life. Archaeologists do not know what meaning the carvings held for the Aurignacian people who lived at Hohle Fels, but the objects may have been personal talismans or a symbol of a specific group of people.
"Our region and landscape have always been the home of a vast range of birds," Stefanie Kölbl, managing director of the Museum of Prehistory and Ice Age Art, said in the statement. "Their calls signaled warnings, and the residents of the region often used their hollow bones and even mammoth ivory to make flutes that produced magical sounds."
What do you know about the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic eras? Find out with our Stone Age quiz!
Hence then, the article about 40 000 year old bird figurines the size of a thumbnail discovered in german cave was published today ( ) and is available on Live Science ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 40,000-year-old bird figurines the size of a thumbnail discovered in German cave )
Also on site :
- Netflix sued for $105M by billionaire movie producer after his unreleased Nicolas Cage thriller goes missing
- We Asked 4 Psychologists What Usually Causes Adult Siblings To Drift Apart—They All Said the Same Thing
- ‘The Walking Dead’ Franchise to Stream on Both Netflix and AMC+ Beginning in 2027 Under New $500 Million Deal