At 17 feet tall, Shigir Idol: The World’s Oldest Wood Sculpture Features Mysterious Carved Faces

The Shigir Idol is the world’s oldest known wooden sculpture, discovered at the bottom of a peat bog in Russia’s Ural Mountains in 1894. The towering sculpture was carved 12,100 years ago from the trunk of a larch (Larix) tree, making it more than twice as old as the Egyptian pyramids. This wood carving stands at 17.4 feet (5.3 meters) tall and depicts a human figure along with an array of geometric motifs etched into the statue, including zigzag patterns, human faces, and hands. The artifact was created by hunter-gatherers during the Pleistocene epoch, according to a recent study.

Many of the markings on the Shigir Idol are similar to those found at Göbekli Tepe, a Neolithic archaeological site in Turkey. While the purpose of the sculpture remains a mystery, some researchers speculate that it may have been used in ancient rituals or that the carved faces represent encoded mythologies. The placement of the faces could potentially signify a hierarchy or sequence of events.

In contrast to other ancient wooden structures, such as a 476,000-year-old wooden construction found in Zambia, the Shigir Idol is clearly a carved monument rather than tree trunks with notches. The discovery of this intricate wooden sculpture provides valuable insights into the art and culture of ancient hunter-gatherer societies.