National Archaeological Discoveries

The mouth of the Pärnu River is also known for its numerous Stone Age finds. The oldest settlement sites in Estonia are located along the Pärnu River, and the river has carried many bone and antler objects to the estuary. This female figure made of moose antler, was found while gravel was being dug from the Pärnu River around 1910 and is probably from around 6000 BC. It is hard to say why it is depicted in such a "minimalist" way – it could depict a goddess or nature spirit, or perhaps an ancestor wrapped in animal skins as if in a burial shroud.