Our ancestors have been producing sculptures of all sizes out of bone, antler, ivory, and stone for thousands of years as a means of exercising their creative faculties. The oldest sculptures in the world are frequently so little that they may fit in the palm of your hand, yet they are not without dispute.
Ancient flint tools that chipped away at the medium the ancient artists employed to produce these wonderful works of art were mostly responsible. They used gouging, drilling, and chiseling techniques, and metal abrasives to smooth down rough surfaces. It's interesting that some of the artworks were discovered hundreds of miles from where they were first located, suggesting that commerce may have taken place.
It is abundantly evident that continual work, technique, and attention were involved in its development, despite the fact that we will never fully comprehend its specific meaning, use, or history. These ancient pieces of art, which depict both actual and legendary animals and people, are a part of human history and belong to each and every one of us.
10 Venus of Brassempouy (23,000 BC)
The Venus of Brassempouy, a unique specimen of prehistoric art, is the last piece of an ivory sculpture that was broken off long ago and discovered in Brassempouy in southwest France in 1892. The head and neck of the original sculpture, known as The Venus of Brassempouy, were made of mammoth ivory. About 1.9 millimeters (0.75 inches) wide, 2.2 centimeters (0.86 inches), and 3.5 centimeters (1.4 inches) are its height, width, and depth, respectively.
This particular sculpture, which stands apart from all other venuses discovered in Europe to date, has a nose, eyes, browline, and forehead but no mouth. Images of braided hair or perhaps even a headpiece have been etched on the sculpture's top and sides. Even if it's possible that we'll never know how the rest of the body looked or what finally happened to it, the stunning face features make this a remarkable work of art. Only a few Stone Age sculptures have accurate depictions of the human face, and this one, which dates to around 23,000 BC, may be the oldest one yet discovered.
9 Moravia Lion Head (24,000 BC)
The significance of the Dolni Vestonice archaeological site in the Czech Republic was quickly realized when excavations there started in 1924. Numerous prehistoric burials as well as hundreds of burnt clay and pottery artifacts were discovered at the location. The 26,000-year-old Moravia Lion Head was one of these.
The Lion Head is made of baked clay and measures 4.5 cm (1.75 inches) in width by 2.8 cm (1.1 inches) in height by 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) in depth. Its ears, eyes, and snout were meticulously constructed. Since Ice Age lions lacked manes, it is impossible to tell if the animal is a lion or lioness. It may have wounds because it has holes above one ear and in one of its eyes.
The research revealed the significance of carnivores in the daily lives of the region's prehistoric inhabitants. They may have hunted carnivores mostly for the purpose of getting animal hides, but they also used other body parts, such bones, to make tools and weapons. Additionally, fox and wolf teeth were utilized to fashion a range of adornments for the individual, including jewelry.
8 Water Bird in Flight (28,000 BC)
The famed Hohle Fels Cave in southwest Germany is where the mammoth ivory sculpture known as The Water Bird in Flight was found. It is one of several stunningly beautiful depictions of animal designs. It is about 30,000 years old and has a length from the tip of its beak to its tailpiece of 4.7 cm (1.85 inches). Near the village of Schelklingen, an ancient site, the little artwork was uncovered in 2002 in two pieces. Animals may have been perceived by early humans as more than just sources of meat, leather, or horn, as evidenced by artifacts like this one, which also suggests that they could have served as promises or messengers.
It is difficult to say with certainty which particular hominid species made this particular sculpture, although it is generally accepted that the creators were modern humans (Homo sapiens).
7 The Vogelhead Horse (31,000 BC)
In southwest Germany, the Vogelherd Cave is situated on the Swabian Jura's eastern side. The Upper Paleolithic Vogelherd figurines, which have been linked to the Aurignacian culture, were found in 1931, and this amazing cave attracted a lot of scholarly and popular attention. One of the oldest continuously existing works of art in the world is a little sculpture made of mammoth ivory.
The oldest horse sculpture in the world, dating back 33,000 years, is among its most well-known pieces. It may have served as a totem or ornament. Although repeated human handling has worn down its characteristics, it is nevertheless unusually formed, exquisitely proportioned, and startlingly expressive. Due to its curved neck, it is usually thought to be a stallion with an authoritative or commanding posture.
Unfortunately, only the head was entirely intact. The sculpture's width was drastically reduced and its legs were eliminated since the external ivory layers have a propensity to flake. The significance of the sculpture's myriad symbols, which are carved on the left side of its chest, its back, and the nape of its head, may never be known or comprehended.
6 The Tolbaga Bear Head (33,000 BC)
The only region in Asia where Pleistocene art has traditionally attracted a sufficient degree of attention, however restricted, is Siberia, followed by Israel. Paleoartworks of outstanding quality have already been found at more than 20 different archaeological sites. While much of the artwork dates to the Pleistocene, the majority of it is from the Upper Paleolithic. Siberian archaeologist and historian Alexey Pavlovich Okladnikov made the discovery of the Tolbaga archaeological site in the 1970s. It is located close to the bank of the Khilok River.
One of the most significant finds at the site was the finely carved head of an animal, widely believed to be a bear, which was chiseled from the second vertebra of the now extinct woolly rhinoceros. The sculpture's tool markings, which were examined under a microscope, revealed that it had been carved and etched using a number of various stone tools. Even though the sculpture's creation on the artist's part required a lot of time and effort, it is nonetheless very detailed and has elements that seem remarkably real.
5 Woolly Mammoth Figurine (33,000 BC)
Archaeologists from the University of Tübingen in Germany discovered the first complete woolly mammoth sculpture in the Swabian Jura in 2007. It is generally accepted that the discovery, which also featured a number of additional figurines, was made at least 35,000 years ago by the earliest known modern humans. The mammoth's complete condition made the discovery unusual, and it is thought to be the oldest ivory sculpture ever found.
Small in size, the woolly mammoth sculpture is only 3.7 centimeters (1.5 inches) long and weighs 7.5 grams (0.25 ounces). It also features exquisitely detailed engravings, a slender body, a sharp tail, strong legs, and a gorgeously arched trunk that truly distinguishes it from other animals. The miniature sculpture is embellished with small lacerations, and the soles of its feet display a crosshatch pattern.
The Vogelherd Cave archaeological site, made well-known by the Tübingen archaeologist Gustav Reik, saw the discovery of a total of five ivory mammoth sculptures from the Upper Paleolithic period during its initial excavation in 1931.
4 Venus of Hohle Fels (38,000 BC)
The tiny ivory sculpture of a female figure, known as the Venus of Hohle Fels, was discovered in 2008 during archaeological digs at the aforementioned Hohle Fels Cave in southwest Germany. It was created during the Aurignacian culture of the Stone Age. It is officially the oldest known Venus figure and the earliest undeniable instance of figurativism known to archaeology. It dates to between 38,000 and 33,000 BC.
When compared to later female figurines like the Venus of Willendorf, the Venus of Hohle Fels exhibits a variety of unique qualities that are commonplace. But because of its astonishing age, we can now better understand the development of Upper Paleolithic art and realize how much more advanced the Aurignacian civilisation was than previously assumed.
Near the Hohlenstein Mountain, there were also many additional, equally significant examples of portable art, but none of them received their own show. One of the attractions of the Ice Age Art and Culture exhibition, which took place in Stuttgart between 2009 and 2010, was the little figurine.
3 Lion Man of the Hohlenstein Stadel (38,000 BC)
The oldest anthropomorphic statue in existence is The Lion Man of Hohlenstein Stadel. The spectacular sculpture was uncovered in Germany's Hohlenstein Stadel in 1939 by archaeologist Robert Wetzel, whose system of caverns continues to provide significant archaeological and historical treasures. The sculpture, which was made 40,000 years ago using flint and stone-cutting tools, is also the first piece of art to be uncovered in Europe that features a masculine figure.
The Lion Man was not discovered in its entirety, and parts of the front of its body are still missing today. It is 31 centimeters (12.2 inches) in length. He appears to be standing on the tips of his toes with his arms at his sides based on his posture and physical make-up. Incisions that might be tattoo patterns or deformity are seen all over the upper left arm. Despite being unearthed alongside many other artifacts, The Lion Man continues to be a truly outstanding example of Stone Age prehistoric human creation.
2 Venus of Tan-Tan (200,000–500,000 BC)
State archaeologist Lutz Fiedler from Germany found the Tan-Tan Venus during an excavation on the northern bank of the Draa River. The sculpture was situated between two layers of undisturbed soil: the bottom layer, which contains artifacts and silt from the Early Acheulian era (about 500 000 BC), and the higher layer, which dates to the Middle Acheulian era (around 200,000 BC). The Venus of Tan-Tan is the oldest piece of art ever discovered in Africa, dating to between 200,000 and 500,000 BC, exactly in line with its excavation site. This puts it on the same timeline as the Golan Venus of Berekhat Ram.
Additionally, the dating effectively discredits Homo neanderthalensis as the group responsible for the artwork's creation and puts the more archaic Homo erectus in the lead. The figurine, which is made of metamorphosed quartzite and weighs around 10 grams (0.3 ounces), is about 6 centimeters (2.5 inches) long, 2.6 centimeters (1 inch) wide, and 1.2 centimeters (0.5 inches) deep. Twenty microscopic flecks of a bright red waxy substance, identified as iron and manganese, were found on its surface; the nature of these flecks is still up for controversy because it is not entirely obvious if they were ochre paint or not.
Similar to its similarly contentious Golan sister, the Venus of Berekhat Ram, the figurine's finely sculpted ridges suggest that it has an anthropomorphic form. While some of these markings have been proved to be the consequence of the artifact being struck, many of them have been attributed to the natural world.
1 The Venus of Berekhat Ram (233,000 and 800,000 BC)
Despite being very debatable, our last item on the list has managed to build a solid argument for its legitimacy. Israel's Golan Heights are where the Venus of Berekhat Ram was discovered. It is thought that the artefact, which was discovered in between two distinct strata of volcanic stone and sand, dates from between 233,000 and 800,000 years ago. Many scholars now consider the artifact to be a likely creation of Homo erectus from the early Middle Paleolithic period because it was altered to show a female human figure.
The majority of the controversy surrounding the discovery was put to rest after Alexander Marshack's microscopic examination made it abundantly evident that human intervention played a role in the object's form. It is generally accepted that the figurine was already somewhat resembling a human when it was found and that it was later sculpted and polished using techniques used by early humans. The sculpture's base shows that it was flattened to allow it to stand upright.
Comparable discoveries in the nearby areas, such the Tan Tan Venus of Morocco, further supported the evidence for the relic. The two figures may have been utilized for ritualistic or ceremonial purposes, and it has been determined for the time being that they could actually be real.
