Discovered in 1956 near Cernavoda, Romania, at an ancient burial ground of the Hamangia culture, this statue is sometimes referred to as “The Thinker,” as his pose resembles the famous work by Rodin. Settling in the region of Dobruja (modern Romania and Bulgaria), the Hamangia people migrated from Anatolia sometime during the sixth millennium B.C.E. The Thinker dates to 5000–4600 B.C.E. and was found alongside a female statue known as the The Sitting Woman of Cernavoda. Sculpted from polished, dark gray clay, it stands 4.5 inches tall. Some believe it to be the oldest-known prehistoric statue representing human introspection. […]