Prehistoric Puppet from the Czech Republic, c.24,000 BCE: this figurine was carved from mammoth ivory, and it was equipped with articulated limbs, making this the oldest known puppet in the world
This artifact is often described as the Brno puppet or the Brno marionette, because it was discovered in a prehistoric grave that was accidentally unearthed by construction workers in Brno, Czechia (the Czech Republic) back in 1891. The figurine is more than 26,000 years old, and it was crafted from the tusk of a woolly mammoth.
Above: a close-up of the puppet's face
The holes and notches that were carved into the puppet's neck, shoulders, hips, and arm suggest that it was designed with articulated arms and legs. The limbs were likely fastened to the body with strings and small wooden pegs, allowing the figurine to be moved and posed; a rod was also used to connect the head and torso. Researchers estimate that the full-length puppet originally measured about 40cm (almost 16 inches) tall.
Above: the Brno marionette
As this author describes:
Incomplete and badly worn, the puppet survives as just three pieces of mammoth ivory. It has a body on which a belly button, a pelvic bump indicating maleness (not quite a penis) and one nipple are clearly visible, and a head with a distinct face drilled up into where it was originally attached, probably with a rod, to the torso. The left arm survives, as do articulation points for the legs, which, like the right arm, are missing. This is the earliest known puppet from anywhere in the world.
Above: this illustration shows how the figurine's head, arms, and torso may have been articulated
The figurine was buried with the body of a 50-year-old man. The grave also contained a single mammoth tusk, a dozen polished discs made of stone, bone, and ivory, several horse teeth, bones from a woolly rhinoceros, a reindeer antler that was extensively polished at each end, and more than 600 fossilized seashells that were carefully cut and pierced. The shells were found scattered around the man's head, suggesting that they may have been part of an elaborate headdress. An entire mammoth scapula (shoulder-blade) was also positioned on top of the man's body, and his remains were coated in a layer of red ochre.
Above: one of the stone discs from the Brno burial
There are several peculiarities in the burial site itself, including the fact that it appears to be an isolated grave that was positioned far away from any known settlements:
Unlike other known Pavlovian burials, it was not interred in or on the periphery of an occupation site but was apparently positioned alone on the floodplain of a river and away from the main concentration of Pavlovian settlement in Moravia.
The grave did not contain any obvious tools or weapons, which also sets it apart from the other prehistoric burials that have been found throughout the region. An examination of the man's skeleton further suggests that he suffered from chronic periostitis, which is a medical condition that produces inflammation in the membranes around the skeleton, often causing severe pain and mobility issues.
Above: another view of the puppet
The purpose and significance of the Brno puppet remains unclear. This artifact may have been created as a prop, a toy, a ceremonial object, grave goods, or artwork; all of that context has simply been lost. Based on the location of the burial site and the other grave goods that were discovered there, however, many experts believe that this may have been the grave of a shaman or religious specialist:
It can never be proven that the man interred in the Brno burial was a prehistoric shaman, but all the archaeological attributes of his grave strongly suggest that this was his status in life. Firstly, there is the odd, isolated location of his burial, away from any settlement. In some non-Western "traditional" societies today, shamans are still buried far from settlements, because their spirits are believed to be dangerous to the living.
Secondly, and most telling of all, there is the unusual and non-utilitarian nature of the grave goods: the elaborate headdress or necklace, the stone rings, the roundels made from a variety of materials, and the polished piece of reindeer antler. Finally, and perhaps speaking most strongly of shamanism, is the mammoth ivory marionette, which remains one of the most curious artifacts ever discovered from Upper Paleolithic Europe.
Those generalizations about shamanism are kind of problematic, especially when comparing modern and prehistoric cultures, but the archaeological context is still intriguing. Of course, all we can do is speculate — we will never really know the identity of the man who was buried at this site, and the purpose of the puppet will probably remain a mystery.
World Archaeology: Ice Age Art
How Technology Changed the Course of Human Evolution: The Grave at Brno
Hunters of the Golden Age: The Brno II Upper Paleolithic Burial
The Moravian Museum of Brno: The Paleolithic and Mesolithic Periods of Czech Lands
Prehistoric Art: the Symbolic Journey of Humankind: The Brno II Burial
50 Great Discoveries from Prehistoric Europe: The Brno II Burial: A Shaman's Grave?
Mammoths: The Brno Marionette
The Paleolithic Origins of Human Burial: The First Homo sapiens in Europe
Anthropologie: Human Remains from Brno II
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