Amber figurine of a bear from Słupsk

The amber bear was discovered in Słupsk during peat mining in 1887 and was handed over to the Gesellschaft für Pommersche Geschichte und Altertumskunde in Szczecin. The figurine is unique because of the raw material from which it was made and the figure of a bear. In Mesolithic and Proto-Neolithic art, depictions of animals are rare, while those made of amber are exceptional. In the light of the few discoveries from the northern territories of Europe, it is usually assumed that the figurines of animals hung around the neck served as amulets were connected to the concept of the totemic animal and the tutelary spirit. As the most powerful and dangerous animal inhabiting the forests of Pomerania in the early and middle Holocene, the bear may have been a personification of the forces of nature, which were feared but also respected by hunter-gatherer communities. Shortly after its discovery, the figure underwent conservation work to restore its original appearance, as it was covered with a layer of dull patina from the exposure to the minerals contained in the peat. Already at that time, at the end of the 19th century, it was assumed the restoration had gone too far. The figure was stripped entirely of patina, the anatomical features of the animal were emphasised, especially the eyes and nostrils were sharply drawn, and the amber was carefully polished. In the 1920s, a faithful copy of the relic was made and placed in the museum in Słupsk. The amber bear figurine, dated to the Mesolithic or Proto-Neolithic period (ca. 9600-4100 BC), invariably arouses interest and sympathy among visitors, especially the youngest ones. As part of a competition organised by the Education Department of the National Museum (Muzeum Narodowe) in Szczecin, children could choose a name for the bear. Among many interesting and sometimes amusing proposals, the final winner was "Słupcio".

Michał Adamczyk