Fingerprint Clues Emerge from 3000-Year-Old Clay Woman

An unfinished clay figurine, dating back to the 10th-9th centuries BC, has been unearthed from the volcanic Lake Bolsena in Italy. The rudimentary creation, more like a draft than a finished piece, remarkably still displays the fingerprints of its Iron Age craftsman. Its palm-sized form also retains an imprint of fabric beneath its chest, indicating it was likely once clothed.

Cultural heritage experts note that while such figurines are often found in funerary contexts, this particular piece was discovered in what was once a residential zone of Gran Carro di Bolsena. This placement suggests it may have served a domestic ritual purpose within a home or a communal ritual space within the settlement's core.

The discovery is part of ongoing efforts to understand the history of the Gran Carro di Bolsena, a site whose significance has grown since 1991. Previous finds of wooden poles and ceramic fragments tied the area to the early Iron Age, with later discoveries of coins and pots proving continuous habitation through the Roman Empire.