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A bird in miniature carved bone burnt in China a few to 13,500 years is the most known ancient east Asia, according to researchers who have discovered in a heap of garbage near an archaeological site.

This representation of a singing bird on a pedestal , more small an almond , was found among the remains of burned animals and fragments of pottery in Lingjing, in the north of the central province of Henan , an area that is believed to have been the home of some of the early civilizations of China .

The figure is the “size oldest known in eastern Asia” , ” said Francesco D’errico, University of Bordeaux, who was a co-author of the study published in the journal PLOS One.

The finding “shows that in this region the sculpture begins at least 13,500 years ago , and this fact fills a gap in our knowledge about the origin of the art in this vast region,” he pointed out the expert.

the author of The discovery was Zhanyang Li, University of Shandong, who has been digging in different areas of this archaeological site since 2005. In the work, they had found up to eleven different layers, ranging from 120,000 years ago until the Bronze Age.

most of the fifth layer had been deleted during a excavation of wells in 1958 , his remains were taken up to a lot of garbage near . Since then, she had remained almost intact and, upon review, the researchers found several artifacts, including pottery fragments, animal remains burned and the figure of a bird .

The size it has only 19,2 mm long, 5.1 mm of width and 12.5 mm high. The researchers were not able to use radiocarbon dating on it because the process would have been damaged. But dated some bones similar to that found next to the piece, including one carved with the same technique.

this is how have estimated the antiquity of the figure of the bird in almost 13,500 years old, while the oldest found to date in the area have with 8,500.

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The bird was exceptionally well-preserved , which allowed the researchers to observe the various methods of carving used to create the different parts of the figure, including cutting with a tool of stone, scraping and polishing.

“Our observations show that the artist knew well what technique was the most appropriate to carve the different parts of the animal,” said D’errico. The researcher has also pointed out that “it is remarkable is that the figure is not a representation completely realistic of a bird”.

Features a cola large size , which allows you to be balanced on its pedestal. “Without it, the bird fall head “, he has said this espcialista that you have added that that is precisely the test that the size is not just an “experiment” casual.

the authors of The study have indicated, also, that the craft points to an advanced stage of an artistic tradition , which was to begin much before.

In recent years, there have encontado cave paintings on the indonesian islands of Borneo and Sulawesi, dating back more than 40,000 years ago, suggesting that there were ancient societies with cultures advanced artistic in this region.

although the art portable three-dimensional has been documented in Europe from some 40,000 years ago, researchers have pointed out that the bird Lingjing was the most ancient example found in the east of Asia.

it Is known that the hunter-gatherer paleolithic in China manufactured bone tools such as spear tips and needles, as well as personal adornments made of shells, ostrich eggs and animal teeth. “The size of objects without a functional purpose apparent, that requires a learning dedicated, open a new window in these societies”, has tempered D’errico.

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