A postage‑stamp‑sized clay figurine from Nahal Ein Gev II in northern Israel appears to show a goose in close contact with a nude woman, and has been dated to about 12,000 years ago in the Natufian period. The carving includes detailed anatomical features, prompting debate among scholars over whether it represents a sexual encounter, a symbolic scene, or a more prosaic activity such as handling a bird. Laboratory analysis suggests the piece was made from local clay and fired at around 400°C. The discovery joins other recent regional finds that underscore the archaeological richness of the southern Levant.
12,000‑Year‑Old Israeli Figurine Depicts Unusual Goose–Woman Scene — Archaeologists Debate Meaning
A postage‑stamp‑sized clay figurine from Nahal Ein Gev II in northern Israel appears to show a goose in close contact with a nude woman, and has been dated to about 12,000 years ago in the Natufian period. The carving includes detailed anatomical features, prompting debate among scholars over whether it represents a sexual encounter, a symbolic scene, or a more prosaic activity such as handling a bird. Laboratory analysis suggests the piece was made from local clay and fired at around 400°C. The discovery joins other recent regional finds that underscore the archaeological richness of the southern Levant.
09:21 AM, 11/19/2025Culture
Tiny Natufian figurine sparks debate over its meaning
Archaeologists working at the Nahal Ein Gev II site in northern Israel have recovered a tiny clay figurine, scarcely larger than a postage stamp, that appears to show a goose in close contact with a nude female figure. If that reading is correct, the carving — shaped from local clay and fired at roughly 400°C — would be one of the oldest known depictions of an intimate human–animal encounter, dating to about 12,000 years ago and placing it in the Natufian period.
Excavation team members prepared a detailed line drawing to clarify the figurine’s minute features. The carving includes clearly modeled breasts and a triangular indication of pubic hair; the bird is shown behind the woman with its beak near her head. These details have prompted lively discussion among specialists about how to interpret the scene.
"Encounters between animals and humans are common themes in animistic belief systems, typically appearing in dreams, visions or mythic narratives," said Laurent Davin of Hebrew University, who has commented on symbolic animal–human motifs in prehistoric art.
Not all researchers accept a sexual interpretation. Some suggest the woman might be handling or carrying a bird — possibly a hunted or butchered animal. Excavators counter that the bird’s posture and the composition of the scene make a passive or dead animal less likely, but they acknowledge alternative readings cannot be ruled out.
Laboratory analyses indicate the object was formed from local clay and fired at a relatively low temperature (around 400°C). Dating relies on contextual evidence from the site and associated materials, which place the figurine within the Natufian horizon — a period when communities in the southern Levant were becoming more sedentary and producing increasingly sophisticated symbolic objects.
Regional context and other recent discoveries
The find comes amid other notable excavations in Israel. Recent work near Tel Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley uncovered Canaanite ritual objects and a rock‑cut winepress dated to about 5,000 years ago, with material spanning the Early to Late Bronze Ages. Together, these discoveries highlight the long and varied cultural history of the region and the diverse symbolic practices of its ancient inhabitants.
Whether interpreted as mythic symbolism, ritual imagery, explicit sexual representation, or something else entirely, the tiny goose‑and‑woman figurine adds an unusual and thought‑provoking detail to our understanding of prehistoric Levantine life. Further study of the object and its archaeological context will be needed to refine interpretations and assess its place in the broader corpus of prehistoric art.