Image Gallery: The Little Horny Man

When you purchase through links on our site , we may earn an affiliate charge . Here ’s how it works .

Cool Cave Discovery

Researchers have let out a stick figure man with a giant phallus in the Lapa do Santo cave in central - easterly Brazil . The realm is home to Luzia , the oldest human skeleton find to date in South America . Shown here , the exterior of the limestone formation where the cave tax shelter is located .

Lapa do Santo

A panoramic view of the central dig area of the Lapa do Santo sway shelter .

Excavation Work

Researchers turn on dig the central expanse of Lapa do Santo .

Deep Discovery

The excavation of this area took some nine long time and was supported by FAPESP . At the home of this archaeological deposit , at an approximate depth of 13 feet ( 4 meters ) below the surface , researchers discovered the anthropomorphic figure .

Cave Excavation

Partial aspect of the primal excavation domain of Lapa do Santo .

Human Burials

One of the most vulgar archaeological discoveries at Lapa do Santo was that of human burials . During the period of the undertaking call " Origins , " 26 human haggard stay on ( some of them reaching an ancientness around 9,000 eld before present ) were recover from this rock protection .

Phallic Find

– During the last leg of the dig of the so - called unit FG of Lapa do Santo , the archaeologists were surprised to discover a pecked petroglyph , a stick figure of a man with a comparatively oversized member .

Small Figure

The figure , which appear to be squat with his coat of arms outstretched , is about 12 inches ( 30 centimeters ) tall from caput to feet and about 8 inches ( 20 cm ) astray .

Little Horny Man

The researchers suspect the petroglyph of the man with the outsize phallus , which they have dubbed " the little horny man , " was belike used in natality rituals . [ take full story ]

Researchers have discovered a stick figure man with a giant phallus in the Lapa do Santo cave in central-eastern Brazil. The region is home to Luzia, the oldest human skeleton found to date in South America. Shown here, the outside of the limestone format

A panoramic view of the central excavation area of the Lapa do Santo rock shelter.

Researchers work on excavating the central area of Lapa do Santo.

The excavation of this area took some nine years and was supported by FAPESP. At the base of this archaeological deposit, at an approximate depth of 13 feet (4 meters) below the surface, researchers discovered the anthropomorphic figure.

Partial view of the central excavation area of Lapa do Santo.

One of the most common archaeological discoveries at Lapa do Santo was that of human burials. During the period of the project called “Origins,” 26 human skeletal remains (some of them reaching an antiquity around 9,000 years before present) were recovere

– During the last stage of the excavation of the so-called unit FG of Lapa do Santo, the archaeologists were surprised to discover a pecked petroglyph, a stick figure of a man with a relatively oversized phallus.

The figure, which appears to be squatting with his arms outstretched, is about 12 inches (30 centimeters) tall from head to feet and about 8 inches (20 cm) wide.

The researchers suspect the petroglyph of the man with the oversized phallus, which they have dubbed “the little horny man,” was likely used in fertility rituals.

Against the background of a greenish and red rock are two images: one of a human skeleton emerging from the dirt and one of archaeologists in hard hats excavating it

Small ivory diving bird sculpture pointed down at a 45-degree angle against a royal blue background

a series of five ceramic figurines in different sizes

Here we see a reconstruction of our human relative Homo naledi, which has a wider nose and larger brow than humans.

Fossil upper left jaw and cheekbone alongside a recreation of the right side from H. aff. erectus

Fragment of a fossil hip bone from a human relative showing edges that are scalloped indicating a leopard chewed them.

All About History 119 – Secrets of Stonehenge art

This squat lobster seems to be the star of the Endurance shipwreck.

The taffrail and ship’s wheel.

This skull from Peru has a metal implant. If it is authentic then it would be a potentially unique find from the ancient Andes.

Weapons found in two castles in Japan could be ninja weapons, with some of the weapons possibly being the forerunners to the throwing star. Here, a hand-colored illustration of mid-18th century Japan and two ninjas.

Archaeologists found more than 20 Terracotta Warriors in one of the pits around the tomb of the 1st emperor of China. One of those pits is shown here.