World's oldest toy unearthed in Siberian grave of Bronze Age child buried 4,500 years ago

The child's doll comes from the Okunev culture, a group that settled in southern Siberia in the Bronze Age.
Roger Baird By Roger Baird
December 29, 2017 16:51 GMT



A prehistoric doll’s head, thought to be world’s oldest toy, was found at a Bronze Age grave in Siberia Archives of IIMK RAS


The world's oldest toy has been unearthed in a Bronze Age grave in Siberia. A tiny prehistoric doll's head was found at the burial site of a small child in a 4,500-year-old settlement in the region's remote Khakassia district.

The five-centimetre head is made of soapstone, and is believed to be the oldest doll designed for play ever found.

Archeologist Dr Andrey Polyakov, from the Institute of History of Material Culture in St Petersburg, said the figure had "carefully worked out facial features" including almond-shaped eyes and a pursed mouth.

The rest of the toy would have been made of organic material, which did not survive, reported The Siberian Times.

More:
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/worlds-oldest-toy-unearthed-siberian-grave-bronze-age-child-buried-4500-years-ago-1653109