Ice Age carvers used mammoth tusk patterns to create unique art, study finds

Written and edited by the WorldPing NewsdeskPublished Updated Original reporting: Phys.org
Ice Age carvers used mammoth tusk patterns to create unique art, study findsWorldPing
Image via Phys.org.

What happened

Intricate designs engraved across the surface of 18,000-year-old female figurines carved from mammoth ivory were inspired by the distinctive growth patterns visible in the tusks, a new study published in the journal npj Heritage Science has revealed.

Key facts

  • Intricate designs engraved across the surface of 18,000-year-old female figurines carved from mammoth ivory were inspired by the distinctive growth patterns visible in the tusks, a new study published in the journal npj Heritage Science has revealed.
  • Reported by Phys.org and published Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:40:02 UTC.

Why it matters

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Coverage timeline

When each newsroom published on this story, oldest first — all times UTC.

  1. Scientists recreated what mice saw from brain activity alone

  2. NASA Watches Earth’s Weight, Finds Center of Mass

  3. Ice Age carvers used mammoth tusk patterns to create unique art, study finds

  4. Tom Gauld excludes an outlier from the study

  5. Hedgehog coronaviruses may threaten cats more than humans, new study finds

  6. Bone strength study reveals new clues about human evolution

Sources

The original report was published by Phys.org. WorldPing does not claim that reporting — this page summarises and contextualises it.

Read the full report at Phys.org

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