TÜBINGEN, GERMANY—Two tiny bird figurines carved from mammoth ivory have been discovered in southwestern Germany’s Hohle Fels Cave, according to a SciNews report. The two artifacts were uncovered in the same layer of the cave, about five feet apart from each other. Each 40,000-year-old bird sculpture is less than one inch long. The first shows a grouse-like bird in a crouched position, perhaps sitting on eggs. The other, a grouse or perhaps a bird of prey, had outstretched wings and may depict flight, landing, or a display of courtship behavior. Nicholas Conard of the University of Tübingen thinks that the two sculptures may have been carved by the same person. “The figurines demonstrate that the earliest artists were skilled ivory-carvers, who could depict delicate motifs in miniature form. Additionally, it seems that specific depictions are associated with specific sites,” he said. To read about another figurine fragment found in the cave, go to "A Horse Is a Horse?"
