A clay figurine unveils a storytelling shift from 12,000 years ago

It’s the oldest known sculpture depicting an encounter between a human and nonhuman animal

A tiny clay figure is shown on a black background. It is said to depict a goose embracing a woman.

This newly discovered clay figurine shows a goose interacting with a woman. It points to a shift in spiritually inspired artwork and storytelling around 12,000 years ago in the Middle East.

© Laurent Davin

This is a human-written story voiced by AI.