Bison Licking Insect Bite: A 14,000-year-old lifelike figure carved from a

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The sculpting illustrates a bison licking its flank and was constructed out of a piece of deer antler.
(Image credit: The Print Collector through Alamy)

Call: Bison Licking Insect Bite

What it is: A figurine of a bison licking its flank

Where it is from: Abri de la Madeleine (Magdalene Shelter) in St Remèze, France

When it was made: Around 14,000 years ago

Related: Arthur’s Stone: A 5,700-year-old monolith in England connected to the legend of King Arthur

What it informs us about the past:

This ancient sculpting, found inside a collapse France, portrays a steppe wisent (Bison priscusa now-extinct types of bison. It was crafted from a piece of reindeer antler that was formerly utilized as a spear thrower for searching, according to the Bradshaw Foundation

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Regardless of its little size– approximately 4 inches (10.5 centimeters) broad– the figurine includes a wealth of precise information, consisting of carefully sculpted private hairs throughout the animal’s body and a set of horns sticking out from its head, providing the piece a realistic quality.

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Archaeologists associate the artifact to the Magdalenian, a Paleolithic culture that existed in Europe in between 23,000 and 14,000 years back, throughout the last glacial epochThese individuals were understood for their fancy art work, consisting of charcoal cavern paintings and inscriptions utilizing stone and bone tools, according to the Nature Museum in London.

Not just were they professional craftsmens, however individuals behind the Magdalenian culture were likewise skilled big-game hunters who concentrated on searching horses and bison. Scientists believe that due to the fact that food abounded, members of the culture had adequate free time to concentrate on other undertakings, consisting of art.

The artifact is presently housed at the National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies, France.

Jennifer Nalewicki is a Salt Lake City-based reporter whose work has actually been included in The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, Popular Mechanics and more. She covers a number of science subjects from world Earth to paleontology and archaeology to health and culture. Prior to freelancing, Jennifer held an Editor function sometimes Inc. Jennifer has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin.