On August 25 (local time), according to Xinhua news agency, archaeologists discovered a 11,000-year-old stone sculpture depicting a person sitting on a leopard's back, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said.
In a post on social networks, Mr. Ersoy said that the 70cm high statue was excavated in Karahantepe, southeastern Turkey.
Minister Ersoy called it a "unique sculpture", and said that the artistic style of the statue had never been determined in the prehistoric settlement of Karahantepe.
Karahantepe is part of an archaeological complex consisting of many Neolithic sites dating back over 10,000 years.
The new discovery provides an additional trace of human life and artistic activities in the early stages of history. According to researchers, in the Neolithic period, communities in this area were shifting from a nomadic hunting and gathering lifestyle to more stable forms of residence.
Excavations in the area have discovered many large-scale structures and exquisite artworks. These evidences show that the communities of that period formed complex social and ritual activities long before cities and writing systems appeared.
Minister Ersoy believes that the discovery at Karahantepe may open up new questions about the earliest periods in human history.
I believe that this discovery, opening the door to new questions about the early stages of human history, will create widespread resonance in the scientific community," Mr. Ersoy said.
The leopard-riding statue is considered a remarkable discovery at Karahantepe, where excavations continue to provide further evidence of prehistoric human life, art and ritual practices.
