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If you happened to come across this 3.7 centimeter (1.5 inch) tall ancient sculpture, you might assume that it was just an old rock or hardened clay. Fortunately, however, when it was found at Nahal Ein Gev II, which is an archaeological site that is located in what is today known as northern Israel, it was seen as something special.
Over the centuries, it has eroded and chipped away, which makes it really hard to tell what it once was. Thanks to 3D imaging and analysis by leading historical experts, however, it is now believed to be the earliest known piece of art that depicts human interaction with animals, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
It is also the first artistic depiction of a woman from that region.
This pushes the idea that this type of artistic expression existed back generations in history, as it was previously thought to have only developed in the Neolithic period.
The study describes the sculpture as being the shape of a goose wrapping its head and wings around the figure of a woman.
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It was molded from clay that came from the same region and then heated to 400°c (752°F), which indicates that the culture that made it had already mastered fire and pyrotechnology. In a statement on the study, the lead author, Dr. Laurent Davin, said:
“This discovery is extraordinary on multiple levels. The NEG II figurine captures a transformative moment. It bridges the world of mobile hunter-gatherers and that of the first settled communities, showing how imagination and symbolic thinking began to shape human culture.”
Art is widely understood to have changed and advanced significantly after humans began settling down into permanent communities rather than being nomadic hunter-gatherers. This makes sense, especially for things like sculptures that require extra time and effort to create.
While worn and almost unrecognizable now, this tiny sculpture is seen by some as one of the most important pieces of artwork ever found.
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