15,000 Years Ago, A Woman and Child May Have Left Overlapping Fingerprints on an Ancient Clay Figurine
Learn how two prints pressed into the same figurine hint that hunter-gatherers taught children to shape clay thousands of years before farming began.
In the ancient land of Israel, approximately 15,000 years ago, a unique moment may have taken place. A female and a child, perhaps related, left their fingerprints on an ancient clay figurine, creating an impression that resembles a parent-child interaction. This figurine is one of 154 artifacts from three Natufian sites, pre-dating the advent of agriculture.
The Natufians were hunter-gatherers who lived in villages, and these clay figures mark a significant step in artistic expression, as they show creativity and cultural knowledge being shared across generations.
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