Schigir idol turned out to be 7,000 years older than Stonehenge

Schigir idol found in a peat swamp Schigir in the Urals, again changed the age. Scientists held a new study and found out that the artifact is even older than the two previous analyzes showed, SCience Alert writes.

Idola found in 1890. After a century, in the 1990s, scientists first determined the age of finds – 9750 years. In 2018, researchers held one more radiocarbon dating and found out that an idol is about 11,600 years. The third study, published for the first time at the end of January 2021, was conducted by the same group of scientists. Results still a few of the find – 12,100 years. For comparison, Stonehenge has only 5000 years.

"Idol was carved in the era of strong climate change. Landscape has changed, and with him and art. Perhaps it was a way for people to adapt to new complex conditions, "said Thomas Terberger, one of the researchers.

Previously, many experts believed that the style in which the idol was completed is too complicated for the people of that time. However, the authors of the study note that people who created an idol were well owned by wood processing skills and thread. Most likely, this is not the only sculpture they created. In addition, hunters-gathers who lived in the Urals during the Mesolitis period, lived a rich spiritual life.