A joint expedition of Bulgarian and German archaeologists has discovered a 30,000-year-old Venus figurine inside a remote limestone cave in the Balkan Mountains. The small statuette, carved from mammoth ivory, represents one of the earliest known examples of Upper Paleolithic art found in the region, predating many similar finds in Western Europe.
The figurine was found alongside sophisticated flint tools and the remains of cave bears, suggesting the site was a location of repeated ritualistic significance for early hunter-gatherers. Researchers believe the discovery confirms that early modern humans were establishing complex symbolic and artistic traditions as they migrated through the Balkan corridor toward the heart of Europe.