BEIJING: A miniature bird sculpted out of burnt bone in China around 13,500 years ago is the oldest known figurine from East Asia, according to researchers who discovered it in a refuse heap near an archaeological site. The figurine is the “oldest known carving from East Asia”, said Francesco D’Errico of the University of Bordeaux, who co-authored the research published in the journal PLOS One on Wednesday. The tiny carving was discovered by lead author Zhanyang Li of Shandong University, who has been excavating parts of the Lingjing site since 2005. That dumping area was still intact years later, and when the authors sifted through the soil they found several artefacts, including pottery shards, burned animal remains and the bird figurine. While three-dimensional portable art has been documented in Europe dating back some 40,000 years, the researchers said the Lingjing bird was the oldest such example found in East Asia.

Source: Manila Times June 11, 2020 16:29 UTC