A 12,000-year-old clay figurine found in a prehistoric village overlooking the Sea of Galilee is changing the way researchers think about early art, according to a study published in the journal Industries. PNAS. The artifact, a tiny sculpture of a squatting woman with a goose on her back, is now the earliest known depiction of human-animal interaction.
This work, found at the late Natufian site of Nahal Ein Gev II, predates the Neolithic era by more than a millennium and marks an important moment in early symbolic expression.
“This discovery is extraordinary on several levels,” said Dr. Laurent Davin, lead author, in the paper. press release. “This is not only the world's earliest figurine depicting human-animal interaction, but also the earliest naturalistic depiction of a woman found in Southwest Asia.”
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Life in a Natufian community
Researchers discovered the figurine during excavations inside the mound of a curved stone structure at Nahal Ein Gev II, a building that also contained burials and ceremonial deposits. Archaeologists discovered the sculpture in the form of three separate clay fragments, which were later collected during analysis. According to the researchers, the arrangement of objects within the ritual structure strongly suggests that the figurine had symbolic meaning for the community.
The Natufian culture, which existed approximately 15,000–11,500 years ago, marks a key transition as groups moved from mobile foraging to a more sedentary village life. Art from this period is rare, and detailed human figures are especially rare, making this find noteworthy both for its realism and the interactions it depicts.
Geese were part of the diet and material culture of the Natufians, but the figurine does not resemble a hunting scene. Instead, the goose appears balanced and alive on the woman's back, indicating that the sculptor likely intended a symbolic moment rather than a depiction of everyday tasks.
Figurine analysis
The figurine, just 3.7 centimeters (~1.5 in) tall, was made from local materials. clay and deliberately heated to approximately 400°C (~750 degrees F), marking the beginning of pyrotechnological control long before ceramics were widely used. Microscopic and chemical analysis revealed traces of red ocher pigment on both figures, as well as a preserved fingerprint likely left by the artist.
The study notes that the sculptor emphasized the left profile of the figurine. The proportions and carved lines suggest that it should have been viewed in directional lighting, such as sunlight or firelight, so that the shadows emphasized depth and emphasized the interaction between the woman and the goose. These design choices indicate conscious aesthetic decision-making during a period when such techniques were still in their infancy.
Why this figurine changes our understanding of early symbolism
The authors interpret the composition “Woman and Goose” as a conscious example of symbolic innovation of the end of the Epipaleolithic. Rather than depicting everyday activities, the figurine reflects early narrative thinking, perhaps related to animistic beliefs in which humans and animals were seen as interrelated.
Its ritual context and careful construction indicate that early sedentary communities were already engaged in symbolic expression long before such traditions became commonplace in Neolithic.
“The NEG II statuette reflects a moment of transformation,” said co-author Leor Grosman in a press release. “It bridges the world of mobile hunter-gatherers and the world of early sedentary societies, showing how imagination and symbolic thought began to shape human culture.”
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