Huge Prehistoric Cave Bear Skeleton

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Huge Prehistoric Cave Bear Skeleton

About the Item

An enormous, fully articulated skeleton of a Prehistoric male Cave Bear, Ursus Spelaeus. Dating to the Middle to Late Pleistocene, 550,000-20,000 BC. The long-extinct creature stands over 6 foot 9 inches tall, with weight on his hind-legs, and in a position of attack. His front legs swipe forwards as he opens his wide jaw to reveal massive canines. The anatomy is fully consistent with Ursus Spelaeus, including steep frontal brow, saggital ridge, prominent zygoma and appropriate dental structure. Genuine, complete Cave Bear skeletons are very rare and must be distinguished from misidentified, relatively recent, Russian Sub-species, which display incorrect anatomy and are commonly offered for sale. As their name suggests, Cave Bears spent much of their life in the caves of early Europe. Undoubtedly awe inspiring to early humans, these giant creatures are believed to have been worshipped by Neanderthal man and are depicted on Prehistoric cave paintings from France. What is speculated to be the earliest known musical instrument, a bone "flute", was actually made from a cave bear bone by a Neanderthal individual 55,000 years ago. Genuine Cave Bear skeletons such as this can be found in major national museums around the world. This specimen stands hunched over at approximately 82 inches, his full standing height would exceed 8 foot, making him one of the largest examples known. Provenance: Excavated 1970s, Bihor Mountains, Transylvania, Romania. All the bones found in the same cave and presumably from the same cave bear. The skeleton was restored and articulated in Holland by a professional palaeontologist. The piece subsequently entered a Dutch private collection.

Dimensions:
Height: 82 in (208.28 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 47.5 in (120.65 cm)
Place of Origin:
Romania
Period:
15th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
550,000-20,000 BC
Condition:
Rib cage and inter-vertebral discs have been professionally reconstructed. Skull intact with minor restoration to the left cheekbone and left-posterior occiput. Restoration to the scapula on both sides and minor restoration to the ilium.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU105221264056