Mysterious statue in human form is twice as old as the pyramids

A team of German scientists have discovered that a wooden sculpture that was once considered the oldest in the world is, in fact, even older than they imagined. It was found in the 19th century, to the east of Russia. In 1997 she passed a test that revealed her approximate age in 9,800 years.

Scientists recently ran a new test, using a more sensitive technique, and eventually dated the artifact about 11,000 years ago. It would have been carved during the early Holocene period, where mankind took control of the world. In this way, the statue would be twice as old as the Great Pyramids of Giza.

Discovery

It was found in pieces in 1984, and was buried about 4 meters in the Shigir swamp. The statue was given the name of Shigir's Idol and was only completely assembled in 1914, revealing an impressive 5.3 meters in height. However, currently the piece is only about 2.8 meters, due to some parts being lost.

The researchers believe that the "carpenter" who carved it used stones to draw seven faces in the wood and other various symbols and inscriptions. The designs and inscriptions on the Shigir Idol, according to the researchers, would have been bred in the wood by an ancient civilization for religious or spiritual purposes.

The style and the pictures on the piece of wood are very similar to other statues discovered in Turkey, and that would be from the end of the Ice Age. The only difference between them would be the material in which they were created. Thus, they suggest that the culture of producing these immense statues, presumably ritualistic, did not originate in a single place but in various places of that period.