World’s Oldest Mammoth Sculpture – A Glimpse of the Extinct (ca. 33,000 BC)
In the southwest of Germany, archaeologists from the University of Tubingen discovered an intact, carved woolly mammoth figurine from a location known as the Swabian Jura. Carbon dating placed the tiny figurine at 35,000 years old, placing its date of creation to around the same time as the first modern humans arrived in Europe.
Made of ivory, the mammoth is only 3.7cm long and weighs 7.5 grams – an incredible piece of skilled carving for such a small item. The mammoth is rather thin, with a pointed tail, arching trunk and thick, powerful legs. Decoration consists of six small incisions, and the soles of the feet have a delicately carved crosshatch pattern. The feet are also joined together at the bottom, suggesting that the figurine could have been strung onto a piece or rope or leather and worn as a charm.
Since mammoths became extinct around 4,000 years ago, this figurine is an interesting piece of insight into how humans viewed mammoths during the Ice Age – apparently they were familiar enough with the anatomy and cared enough for the creatures to depict them in art. Interestingly enough, parts of a lion figurine were also identified from the same deposit as the mammoth, though it is not as complete.
The lion figurine is 5.6cm long, and is depicted with an outstretched neck and head. Although the belly and legs are missing, the back of the animal is decorated with a crosshatch design that seems to represent fur. The muscular structure of the lion also seems to have been attempted, with defined leg joints that may be representative of the detailed limbs that have been lost.
These figurines are some of the most impressive examples currently known of figurative art from the Ice Age, and certainly help to understand the balance of life that existed between animals and humankind 35,000 years ago – not to mention the advanced level of human artistic skill!
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