In a monumental discovery within the Le Tuc d’Audoubert Cave in France, archaeologists have unearthed a stunning 14,000-year-old bison sculpture. The find, however, is not a recent event but one that has been celebrated for over a century, as the clay sculptures were first discovered in 1912. The cave, located in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, is part of a complex network of subterranean passages that holds some of the most important examples of Upper Paleolithic art in the world.

The true significance of the Tuc d’Audoubert bison lies in their unique nature. While other cave art of the era consists of paintings and engravings, these are three-dimensional, made from unbaked clay sourced from a nearby chamber. The artists used their fingers and simple stone tools to meticulously craft the animals, and the finger marks of the ancient sculptor are still visible on the surface of the clay.

The location of the sculptures adds to their mystique. They are situated deep within the cave, in a remote, difficult-to-access chamber nearly 600 meters from the entrance. The journey to the site requires a perilous crawl through narrow passages, suggesting the art was not created for public display but for a select few, possibly shamans or initiates.