40,000-Year-Old Miniature Bird Carvings Found in Hohle Fels Cave

Archaeologists have uncovered two tiny ivory bird figurines dating back 40,000 years in Germany's Hohle Fels cave, the smallest of their kind found there, offering new insights into early human artistry.

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Two miniature bird figurines carved from mammoth ivory have been unearthed at the Hohle Fels cave in Germany, shedding light on the artistic capabilities of early humans. The figurines, dating to the Aurignacian period approximately 40,000 years ago, were discovered in 2025 in the same layer, about 1.5 meters (5 feet) apart. They are the smallest figurines found at the site to date, measuring roughly 2 x 1 x 0.5 centimeters (about 0.8 x 0.4 x 0.2 inches) and weighing 1.3 grams and 0.7 grams, respectively, according to Nicholas Conard, the excavation director.

One figurine is complete and depicts a bird lying down, possibly brooding, with prominent eyes. The other is incomplete, showing a bird with wings outstretched, a posture that could represent flight, landing, or courtship. The winged bird features a distinctive beak and feather markings. The researchers suggest the brooding bird may be a ptarmigan, while the winged bird could be a ptarmigan, grouse, or bird of prey.

These new finds bring the total number of bird figurines from Hohle Fels to three, with a previous small water bird discovered in 2001. Notably, no other site in the region has yielded a bird figurine, underscoring the site's unique significance. Hohle Fels, located in the Swabian Jura, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Jura," inscribed in 2017.

The excavation is led by the University of Tübingen, with Conard as director. The figurines are now on display at the Museum of Prehistory and Ice Age Art (urmu) in Blaubeuren, Germany, in a special exhibition titled "Feather light, research heavy: Discover the miniature birds in Ice Age Art," running through April 4, 2027.

Conard remarked, "The figurines demonstrate that the earliest artists were skilled ivory-carvers, who could depict delicate motifs in miniature form." He added, "The carvings are not highly stylized but instead include many specific and unique features." Stefanie Kölbl, associated with the museum, noted, "Our region and landscape have always been the home of a vast range of birds."

The discovery adds to the rich prehistoric heritage of Hohle Fels, which also yielded the famous Venus of Hohle Fels in 2008, a 41,000-year-old statuette generally considered the oldest figurative sculpture in Europe. The new findings are detailed in a research paper by Conard and colleagues, published in Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg 2025, released in July 2026, on pages 46-52.