Bird figure, Arkfeld site, #44FK734, Clear Brook, Virginia
Russian Siberia Paleolithic bird figure from Early Art of the Northern Far East: The Stone Age, M.A. Kiriyak,
Bird shapes identified by Adam Arkfeld
Bird form given an "eye"
Flying water bird form
Bird given eye and beak detail
"Sleeping duck," or duck with its head turned toward its back
The mouth of the human may be interpreted here as being wide open. The duck/human combination is a portable rock art motif in North America already described on this blog.
This human head sculpture described already on this blog becomes a sleeping duck figure when rotated 90 degrees to the right.
Arkfeld site sleeping duck sculpture
photo of a sleeping duck for comparison
Precedent for duck/human combinations: Flint Ridge, Ohio, Vanport chert duck head figure identified by Ken Johnston was featured earlier on this blog. It was found in the context of other bird and bird head figures. The reverse side depicts a human head profile facing left with its mouth wide open.
Amazing! this is what I am finding here too. Medium size and small birds with different forms. There are no cookie cutter shapes but the bird image is recognizable with the beak, the eye, the rounded head often.
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