And what do the engravings mean? Svetlana Savchenko, the curator of the artifact and an author of the study, speculates that the eight faces may contain encrypted information about ancestral spirits, the boundary between earth and sky, or a creation myth. Although the monument is unique, Dr. Savchenko sees a resemblance to the stone statues of what has long been considered the world’s oldest temple, Göbekli Tepe, whose ruins in present-day Turkey are about 1,550 kilometers away. The stones of the temple were carved about 11,000 years ago, making them 1,500 years younger than the Shigir Idol.
Marcel Niekus, an archaeologist from the Foundation for Stone Age Research in the Netherlands, said that the updated, older age of the Shigir Idol confirms that it is’ a unique and unparalleled find in Europe. ‘One can wonder how many similar pieces have been lost over time due to poor preservation conditions.’
The similarity of the geometric motifs with others in Europe in that era, he added, ‘is a testament to long-distance contacts and a shared sign language across vast areas. The sheer size of the idol also indicates that it was intended as a marker in the landscape to be seen by other hunter-gatherer groups – perhaps the boundary of an area, a warning or a sign of welcome. ‘
Dr. Zhilin has spent the past twelve years researching other peat bogs in the Urals. At one point, he discovered ample evidence of prehistoric carpentry – woodworking tools and a massive pine plank, about 11,300 years old, which he said was ironed. “There are many more unexplored swamps in the mountains,” said Dr. Zhilin said. Unfortunately, there are no ongoing excavations.
During a recent video call from his home in Moscow, dr. Zhilin asked his interviewer in the United States, “What do you think is the most difficult thing to find in the Stone Age archeology of the Urals?”
A break: sites?
“No,” he said, sighing softly. “Funding.”