Reindeer Antler Figurine

Ritual or religious use

Upper Palaeolithic
Around 21 000 years

Commentary : 

The Mal’ta figurine is found with several others inside dwelling structures built in Siberia, some 21 000 years ago. This slender figurine maintains the form of the fragment of reindeer antler from which it was made. The breasts, stomach and buttocks have no volume, as if hidden under clothing. The hair, or perhaps hood, is emphasized by incisions.

These characteristics are uncommon since most of the other female statuettes found in Western Europe are represented nude with marked sexual attributes. The Malta figurine could therefore reflect different codes or motivations. Perhaps it is designed to bring to life the codified adventures of real individuals or mythological ancestors during initiation rites or for educational purposes.

This statuette, which fulfilled the need to transmit social knowledge, is evidence of the intense spirituality of Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers.