Unique examples of Paleolithic art and an extremely rich collection of stone and bone implements make the site of Avdeevo one of the most interesting and important of the Upper Paleolithic on the Russian plain. These assemblages point to clear connections with sites such as Willendorf and Dolni Vestonice in central Europe as well as with the similar Russian site at Kostenki. The worked bone and art objects include bone awls and decorated points, burnishers, diadems, trinkets and beads. There are fragments of bone with engraved ornament; there are utilitarian objects with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic decoration; there are figurines of mammoth and horse; and there are fourteen female figures with distinctive artistic characteristics that distinguish them from similar material from other sites. The descriptions and illustrations of all these objects have been prepared by Mariana Gvozdover who began excavating at Avdeevo in 1972; they are here edited for publication by Paul Bahn.

Photographs of amazing 11,000 year-old carved and pigmented rocks created by a group of First People. Much of the art shows a surprising degree of sophistication. The images sometimes offer instructions in hunting a mammoth. They show different shoe and boot designs, some of which are for Sasquatch who appears to have some sort of relationship with the people. A large number of the rocks have mammoth profiles on the edges. A few thousand rocks from a gravel and rock company were delivered to a landscaping project around my patio. Several hundred had carvings and/or paintings on them. I found two sculptures in my yard, each about a foot wide and tall of mammoths. One was extremely weathered, and the other was not. The less weathered one has many miniature figures and scenes on it which required a magnifying lens to see. Apparently, the ancients had magnifying glasses, as can be seen by a person on the cover. Sometimes the artist shows himself wearing glasses in a scene. There are many more revelations in the rocks. You will not be disappointed.

Publisher Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this, the extraordinary conclusion of the ice-age epic series, Earth’s Children®, Ayla, Jondalar, and their infant daughter, Jonayla, are living with the Zelandonii in the Ninth Cave. Ayla has been chosen as an acolyte to a spiritual leader and begins arduous training tasks. Whatever obstacles she faces, Ayla finds inventive ways to lessen the difficulties of daily life, searching for wild edibles to make meals and experimenting with techniques to ease the long journeys the Zelandonii must take while honing her skills as a healer and a leader. And there are the Sacred Caves that Ayla’s mentor takes her to see. They are filled with remarkable paintings of mammoths, lions, and bears, and their mystical aura at times overwhelms Ayla. But all the time Ayla has spent in training rituals has caused Jondalar to drift away from her. The rituals themselves bring her close to death, but through them Ayla gains A Gift of Knowledge so important that it will change her world. BONUS: This edition contains a reading guide and an interview with Jean M. Auel. Sixth in the acclaimed Earth’s Children® series.

Bookwise is a carefully graded reading scheme organized into five cross-curricular strands, encouraging links to other subjects. Comprising 16 fiction and ten non-fiction titles, the 25 books at each level span a two-year reading age and the three-tier levelling system within each level facilitates an accurate match of reading ability and text. The full-colour readers are accompanied by teacher's guides and resource sheets to help teachers get the most out of their guided reading and writing sessions.

Ayla, the heroine first introduced in The Clan of the Cave Bear, is known and loved by millions of readers. Now, in The Plains of Passage, Ayla’s story continues. Ayla and Jondalar set out on horseback across the windswept grasslands of Ice Age Europe. To the hunter-gatherers of their world--who have never seen tame animals--Ayla and Jondalar appear enigmatic and frightening. The mystery surrounding the woman, who speaks with a strange accent and talks to animals with their own sounds, is heightened by her uncanny control of a large, powerful wolf. The tall, yellow-haired man who rides by her side is also held in awe, not only for the magnificent stallion he commands, but also for his skill as a crafter of stone tools, and for the new weapon he devises, the spear-thrower. In the course of their cross-continental odyssey, Ayla and Jondalar encounter both savage enemies and brave friends. Together they learn that the vast and unknown world can be difficult and treacherous, but breathtakingly beautiful and enlightening as well. All the pain and pleasure bring them closer to their ultimate destination, for the orphaned Ayla and the wandering Jondalar must reach that place on earth they can call home. As sweeping and spectacular as the land she creates, Jean M. Auel’s The Plains of Passage is an astonishing novel of discovery, danger, and love, a triumph for one of the world’s most original and popular authors. This eBook includes the full text of the novel plus the following additional content: • An Earth’s Children® series sampler including free chapters from the other books in Jean M. Auel’s bestselling series • A Q&A with the author about the Earth’s Children® series