Archaeologists in northern Israel have uncovered a 12,000-year-old clay figurine depicting a woman and a goose in an explicit scene, believed to be the earliest known representation of a human-animal interaction. The tiny sculpture, found at the prehistoric site of Nahal Ein Gev II, is thought to reflect the spiritual beliefs of the Natufian culture, which marked the transition from nomadic hunter-gatherers to settled communities in the region. Researchers interpret the figurine as a mythological or imagined encounter rooted in animistic traditions, where humans and animals are seen as spiritually interconnected. This rare artifact offers new insights into early symbolic thinking and the role of animals in ritual and myth during a transformative period in human history.