“The research study of Upper Paleolithic figurines in Europe has actually served to specify 2 essential limits in human history: the development of metaphorical representation and the shift to abstract and schematized creative styles,”stated University of Stavanger archaeologist Simon Radchenko and coworkers.

“Unfolding over more than 30 centuries, the character and chronology of these advancements stay uncertain.”

In their research study, the archaeologists examined an assemblage of 18 anthropomorphic massive ivory figurines from Mizyn, a website in Ukraine understood for circular structures constructed of massive bones.

Eleven of the figures were discovered in 1908-1909 excavations and 7 about 4 years later on.

In 2022, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine approved minimal gain access to so the pieces might be digitally maintained, part of an effort to safeguard cultural heritage threatened by Russia’s intrusion.

Dr. Radchenko and co-authors utilized photogrammetry to construct high-resolution 3D designs and a digital microscopic lense to study tool marks.

They likewise determined 97 inscriptions, whose cross-sections recommend flint blades were switched out often and utilized in a different way on various parts of the style.

“Projects like this not just deepen our understanding of the past however likewise produce brand-new chances for research study,” stated Dr. Oleksandr Naumenko, a scientist at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine.

“At a time when war continues to threaten Ukraine’s cultural heritage, producing top quality digital records of artifacts is an essential action in maintaining them.”

Dated to in between 18,800 and 17,400 years earlier, the Mizyn figurines line up with the earliest existence of the Epigravettian culture in the area.

“The special structure of the product indicates that we can determine the particular part of the ivory from which a figurine kind was sourced and the most likely technique utilized to extract it,” the scientists stated.

“The morphometric axis of all 18 anthropomorphic figurines from Mizyn lines up with the longitudinal axis of the massive ivory core.”

“All the figurines were made from the main part of the ivory, as shown by the Schreger pattern (natural cross hatchings noticeable in the transverse break of the proboscidean dentine of the tusk) and Owen’s lines (a system of concentric dentine development lines on the cross-section of the figurines.”

According to the group, zigzag accessories on numerous figurines look like Schreger lines, while meanders and parallel lines on others echo Owen’s lines.

On one figurine, the personalized meander almost lines up with the ivory’s own development rings.

The researchers argue that these themes were positioned where the natural patterns would be most noticeable, which the accessory shows an active engagement with the product instead of passive replica.

“This discovery provides an amazing window into how Paleolithic individuals viewed and engaged with their material world,” stated University of York archaeologist Aimée Little.

“Identifying visual proof of how mammoths were incorporated into creative customs, both through using their ivory and the purposeful engraving of its natural patterns, represents an authentic development in our understanding of ancient art and product culture.”

“Our findings challenge the long-held presumption that ancient art merely progressed in a straight line from fundamental to intricate kinds,” stated Dr. Dmytro Kiosak, an archaeologist at the Leibniz Centre for Archaeology.

“We are positive that our future digital research study will shed more light on the development and advancement of creative expression in Europe, revealing a lot more intricate, and interesting image than we have now,” Dr. Radchenko concluded.

The group’s outcomes were released this month in the journal npj Heritage Science

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S. Radchenko et alInternal structure of Mammoth ivory influenced the style of Mizyn (Ukraine) Upper Palaeolithic figurines. npj Herit. Scireleased online September 11, 2026; doi: 10.1038/ s40494-026-02988-5