Carved from mammoth ivory, this small sculpture measuring under 9cms in length is thought to represent a snow leopard or lion. Discovered in the Vogelherd Cave in Germany, the sculpture has fine details such as the pointed ears and markings. The markings include crossed lines and a pattern of dots arranged in horizontal lines along the back and thighs, and vertical lines on the front legs. These marks may indicate wounds, or perhaps targets for hunting as proposed in the sympathetic magic theory of Palaeolithic art.

Museum der Universität Tübingen.

The most ancient culture of the Upper Palaeolithic, between 35,000 and 28,000 years ago. The culture of the first modern humans in Europe was named after the Aurignac site in Haute-Garonne, France, where it was first identified by Édouard Lartet in 1860.

Source: Dr Jean Clottes

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