Overview
- The palm-sized clay piece, published in PNAS by a team led by Laurent Davin, was found at Nahal Ein Gev II, a Late Natufian site overlooking the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel.
- The sculpture shows a crouching woman with a goose on her back and is also the oldest naturalistic portrayal of a woman documented in Southwest Asia.
- Microscopic and chemical tests identified local clay fired to roughly 400°C, residues of red ocher and a preserved fingerprint likely left by the artisan.
- Recovered from the fill of a semicircular stone structure with burials and ceremonial deposits, the object was modeled to be viewed under directional light to emphasize depth and interaction.
- Researchers interpret the scene as a mythological, animistic encounter, while outside experts note alternatives such as an attack or transport of prey, underscoring that the exact meaning remains uncertain.