Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 11 hrs ago
Natufian Children and Adults Made Clay Figures 15,000 Years Ago
Natufian people made clay figures as far back as 15,000 years ago in what is now Israel.
They were hunter-gatherers, living before farming began in the region.
Researchers examined 154 clay pieces from three sites and identified 15 recognizable figures, mostly animals and birds.
Fingerprints suggest children and adults shaped some figures together, passing artistic skills and knowledge between generations.
The finding challenges the idea that clay figures appeared only after farming, and shows people used clay for creative expression much earlier.
Some figures have traces of red pigment, and their shapes may reflect observations of animals and seasonal behavior.
Researchers say the figures offer evidence of early symbolic art, though their exact purpose is unknown.
Researchers say Natufian hunter-gatherers made clay figures in the Middle East as long as 15,000 years ago, before agriculture emerged.
A study examined 154 clay pieces from archaeological sites in what is now Israel.
The pieces include figures of birds, other animals and people; researchers say fingerprints suggest adults and children both helped make them.
The findings suggest that clay figure-making and related knowledge were shared across generations.
The study was published in PLOS One on November 11, 2026.
- Who
- Natufian hunter-gatherers made the figures. Fingerprints suggest adults and children were among the makers.
- What
- Researchers examined ancient clay figures and fragments, including evidence of children’s involvement in making them.
- When
- The pieces date from about 11,500 to 15,000 years ago. The study was published on November 11, 2026.
- Where
- At archaeological sites in what is now Israel, including Eynan-Mallaha, Hayonim Terrace and el-Wad Terrace.
- Why
- The figures may have expressed beliefs and knowledge of the natural world, but their purpose is not known for certain.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Natufian people made clay figures, according to the study.
Some of the clay figures described in the Popular Science article were modeled.
The study was published in PLOS One.
- Clay pieces examined
- 154
- Recognizable figures
- 15
- Other pieces
- 139 cylinder-shaped fragments thought to belong to figures
- Sites named in Discover
- Eynan-Mallaha, Hayonim Terrace and el-Wad Terrace
- Age range reported by Popular Science
- 11,500 to 15,000 years ago
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What people are saying
These discoveries change how we understand the beginnings of artistic expression in this region. Thousands of years before agriculture emerged, people were already using clay to create figures…
Thousands of years before agriculture and pottery emerged, people were already using clay to create figures, as part of their beliefs and knowledge of the natural world,
This shift required diverse tools, skills, and knowledge, different from those needed for the manipulation of stone and bone,