A 12,000-year-old clay figurine found in a prehistoric village overlooking the Sea of Galilee reshapes what researchers know about ancient art, according to a study published in PNAS. The artifact, a tiny sculpture depicting a crouching woman with a goose perched on her back, is now the first known depiction of a human interacting with an animal.
The coin, found at the Late Natufian site of Nahal Ein Gev II, predates the Neolithic by more than a millennium and marks an important moment in early symbolic expression.
“This discovery is extraordinary on several levels,” said Dr. Laurent Davin, lead author, in a statement. “Not only is this the world’s first figurine depicting human-animal interaction, but it is also the first naturalistic depiction of a woman found in Southwest Asia.”
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Life in the Natufian community
Researchers discovered the figurine during excavations inside a curved stone structure at Nahal Ein Gev II – a building that also contained burials and ceremonial deposits. Archaeologists recovered the sculpture in three separate clay fragments, which were then reassembled during analysis. According to the researchers, the placement of the pieces within a ritual structure strongly suggests that the figurine had symbolic meaning for the community.
The Natufian culture, active around 15,000 to 11,500 years ago, marks a key transition as groups moved from mobile foraging to more sedentary village life. Art from this period is rare, and detailed human figures are particularly rare, making this discovery remarkable both for its realism and the interaction it depicts.
Geese were part of the Natufian diet and material culture, but the figurine does not resemble a hunting scene. Instead, the goose appears balanced and alive on the woman’s back, indicating that the sculptor likely intended a symbolic moment rather than a representation of everyday tasks.
Analyze the figure
Measuring just 3.7 centimeters (~1.5 inches) tall, the figurine was fashioned from local clay and intentionally heated to approximately 400°C (~750 degrees F), marking the beginnings of pyrotechnology control long before ceramics became widespread. Microscopic and chemical analyzes revealed traces of red ocher pigment on both figures, as well as a preserved fingerprint likely left by the artist.
The study notes that the sculptor emphasized the left profile of the figurine. The proportions and sculpted lines suggest that it was intended to be viewed in directional light, such as sunlight or firelight, so that the shadows would accentuate the depth and highlight the interaction between the woman and the goose. This design choice demonstrates deliberate aesthetic decision-making at a time when such techniques were still emerging.
Why this figurine changes our understanding of primitive symbolism
The authors interpret the composition of the woman and the goose as a deliberate example of symbolic innovation at the end of the Epipaleolithic. Rather than representing routine activity, the figurine reflects early narrative thoughts, perhaps linked to animist beliefs in which humans and animals were seen as interconnected.
Its ritual context and careful construction indicate that early sedentary communities were already engaged in symbolic expression long before such traditions became common in the Neolithic.
“The NEG II figure captures a transformative moment,” co-author Leore Grosman said in the press release. “It connects the world of mobile hunter-gatherers and that of early sedentary communities, showing how imagination and symbolic thinking began to shape human culture.”
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