name: Vogelherd horse
What is it: It is considered the oldest known horse Sculpture made by anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens), this horse-shaped statue is carved from mammoth ivory. The palm-sized artifact measures approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) high and 1.9 inches (4.8 cm) long, and includes details such as a carved mouth, nostrils, eyes, and mane. Although the horse's ivory head is complete, all four of its legs are broken. Archaeologists believe the statue depicts a stallion, according to archaeologists Bradshaw FoundationWhich asks: “Is this a stallion trying to impress a mare or a horse arching and kicking back against a predator?”
Where it was found: Vogelherde Cave in southern Germany
When it was made: Approximately 32,000 to 35,000 years ago, during the early Upper Paleolithic
What it tells us about the past: The cave in which the statue was discovered was a gathering place for the Aurinacians, an Upper Paleolithic group whose people lived between 43,000 and 35,000 years ago. Because their presence briefly overlaps with that of Neanderthal In this part of Europe, archaeologists believe it is likely that the two groups coexisted, according to… French Ministry of Culture.
Related: No two are alike: massive Olmec stone heads in Mexico
The Aurignacian people were probably known as skilled hunters and gatherers, as evidenced by their ability to make stone tools such as blades and heads. Hundreds of these items were found inside the cave, in addition to many animal bones and pieces of ivory, including… Red painted beads With ochre.
The group likely used the space to prepare meat, according to the report Paleontological Society. For example, researchers who analyzed approximately 32,000-year-old animal bones in Vogelherd Cave found primarily reindeer (Rangifer Tarandos) and the horse (Equus virus) indicates that the Aurignacian groups hunted and ate these animals, and also created works of art depicting them, which is a study in Journal of Human Evolution is found.
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