Lion Man: oldest zoomorphic statue discovered in Germany. 35-40,000-year-old statue carved from mammoth ivory Stands 31.1 cm high, one of the oldest known statues in the world Depicts cave lion human hybrid with distinctive grin
The Lion Man stands ~31 cm tall and took ~320 hours to carve from mammoth ivory. This 40,000-year-old cave lion-human hybrid from Hohlenstein-Stadel has a distinctive grin. Reconstructed from hundreds of fragments.
Key Facts
- 35-40,000-year-old statue carved from mammoth ivory
- Stands 31.1 cm high, one of the oldest known statues in the world
- Depicts cave lion human hybrid with distinctive grin
- Found in Hohlenstein-Stadel in Swabian Jura mountains
- Required approximately 400 hours to carve
- Found in 1939, reconstructed from hundreds of pieces
- Part of Aurignacian culture (43,000-26,000 years ago)
Related site: Hohlenstein-Stadel — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: NEW | 40,000-Year-Old "Proto-Writing" Discovered on Ice Age Artefacts by Ancient Architects