Two bird figurines found in World Heritage Site of Hohle Fels are declared „Find of the Year” | University of Tübingen

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Uni-Tübingen

29.07.2026

Two bird figurines found in World Heritage Site of Hohle Fels are declared „Find of the Year”

Archaeologists from the University of Tübingen identify a unique signature in miniature works of Ice Age art

Two bird figurines carved from ivory found at the site of Hohle Fels Cave, approximately 40,000 years old.

Excavations at Hohle Fels Cave in the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Swabian Jura of southwestern Germany have again yielded two, spectacular 40,000-year-old depictions of birds carved from mammoth ivory. The two figurines are the smallest discovered so far and are the size of a thumbnail, while still including many details. These remarkable finds come from the rich Aurignacian layers at Hohle Fels, which have produced some of the oldest figurative art known, and date to the time of the initial arrival of modern humans in the Upper Danube region. One find is complete and perhaps depicts a brooding bird, while the other incomplete bird has outstretched wings and may be in flight or landing.

In 2025, archaeologists from the University of Tübingen, Germany, recovered the birds in the same layer lying about 1.5 meters away from each other. They are of similar age and may perhaps have been carved by the same person. “The figurines demonstrate that the earliest artists were skilled ivory-carvers, who could depict delicate motifs in miniature form. Additionally, it seems that specific depictions are associated with specific sites,” says the director of excavations from the University of Tübingen, Professor Nicholas Conard.

Depiction of a lying bird from the Ice Age site of Hohle Fels, approximately 40,000 years old.

The newly discovered birds are extremely small with dimensions of approximately 2 x 1 x 0.5 cm. Most of the other figurines from this period have dimensions in the range of 3 to 9 cm. The resting bird is depicted in great detail with prominent eyes, while the bird with outstretched wings has a distinctive beak and clear markings representing feathers. “The carvings are not highly stylized but instead include many specific and unique features,” says Conard. “Here the artist has recorded detailed observations that allow us to consider which kind of bird is represented and what the bird could be doing.”

Although many of the early ivory carvings from the caves of the Swabian Jura depict animals in a static manner with considerable tension, the two birds are shown in specific postures. One of the birds appears to be lying on the ground and could well be brooding over its eggs. The bird with spread wings may be flying, landing, or perhaps posturing in courtship. Ice Age art often leaves multiple avenues of interpretation open, and the same applies for the specific kind of bird depicted. The brooding bird appears to be a ptarmigan, a species that is well-represented in the rich faunal material recovered from Hohle Fels. The bird with spread wings could be a ptarmigan but could also be a bird in the grouse family or a bird of prey.

Depiction of a bird with outstretched wings<br>from the site Hohle Fels Cave, approximately<br>40,000 years old.

Feather light

“The figurines in their present state weigh only 1.3 and 0.7 grams and are the smallest and finest depictions from this period 40,00-years-ago,” notes Conard, the scientific director of the Museum of Prehistory and Ice Age Art (urmu), “but despite their size, they raise many new questions.” Among the open questions are what meaning they could have had for the residents of Hohle Fels Cave. They could have served as personal talismans or as symbols for the identity of the person who carved or carried the diminutive sculptures. Hohle Fels has now yielded a total of three carefully made carvings, while no other site in the region has produced a single bird figurine. At the same time, depictions of other animals are numerous, with mammoths and lions being the most frequently presented, followed by smaller numbers of bears, horses, fish, and bison. Conard argues that “Each of the four World Heritage sites that have yielded figurative art is unique and documents a link between the site, its specific geographic and social context.”

Excavations at the UNESCO World Heritage<br>Site Hohle Fels in 2025

The figurines will be on display at the Museum of Prehistory and Ice Age Art in Blaubeuren (urmu) in a special exhibit that runs until April 4, 2027 entitled: Feather light, research heavy: Discover the miniature birds in Ice Age Art. “Our region and landscape have always been the home of a...