Oldest Star Map

A tiny section of mammoth tusk found in a cave in the Ach Valley, Germany, in 1979, is believed to be between 32,500 and 38,000 years old. It features a carving of a figure whose limbs are positioned in the same shape as the stars in the constellation of Orion. The ivory tablet measures just 38 x 14 x 4 mm (1.5 x 0.5 x 0.1 in). However, archaeologists believe that notches carved into the edges of the tablets suggest that it was originally intended to be this size, rather than part of a greater section. The tablet was created by the Aurignacian people, of whom little is known. It is also one of the oldest known representations of a human. Further info: See weblink: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2679675.stm