Although at first glance its appearance may remind us of a tasty gummy bear, the so-called Bear of Słupsk is actually an amulet that is about 3,000 years old. It was discovered in a peat bog near the town of Słupsk in Poland in 1887 and immediately attracted attention for its exceptional state of preservation.

It is estimated to date from between 1700 and 650 BC, although some specialists suggest it could be even older, as similar amber animal figurines have been found in Jutland, Denmark, dating from the Mesolithic period, between 12,000 and 3900 BC.

The small bear, which measures 10.2 centimeters long by 3.5 centimeters wide and 4.2 centimeters high, and weighs 85 grams, is believed to have been the amulet of a bear hunter from the Neolithic period, associated with the Ertebølle, Kongemose, or Maglemose cultures.

The amber bear is exhibited in the Szczecin museum
The amber bear is exhibited in the Szczecin museum. Credit: National Museum in Szczecin

Amber, known for its warm golden glow and its ability to encapsulate small air bubbles and fragments of plants or insects, has been valued since prehistoric times for both its beauty and its supposed magical and healing properties. The choice of this material for creating animal figures suggests an appreciation not only for its aesthetics but also for its symbolism. In many ancient cultures, animals were seen as possessing specific qualities, and wearing their representation could be a way to invoke those qualities in everyday life.

The bear is made of translucent, honey-yellow amber, with a smooth and shiny surface. It was created by carving and polishing a piece of Baltic amber, where the legs were worked as small lumps while the head shows clearly modeled ears, a snout with two nostrils, and eyes framed in a circular shape.

At the back of the figure, there is an opening through which it could be attached to the neck with a cord, and remnants of a dark substance were found on the head, suggesting it may have been partially painted. However, it seems strange that it would have had a purely decorative function as a necklace ornament since, when worn as a pendant, it would hang with its head down and backward.

It is also known as the Slupsk's amber bear of happiness.
It is also known as the Slupsk’s amber bear of happiness. Credit: Michał Słupczewski / Wikimedia Commons

Although there have been other attempts to interpret the figure, such as a seal or a pig, the identification of the amber sculpture as a bear quickly prevailed and has remained to this day. The original did not stay long in Słupsk, as it was the oldest object found in Pomerania, it was quickly placed under the protection of the Historical and Antiquities Society of the area.

Its collections were incorporated into the State Museum of Pomerania in Szczecin, founded in 1928. Meanwhile, the guild of amber manufacturers in Słupsk made a copy of the bear in 1924, which could be seen in the town until 1945 when it disappeared along with many other amber and gold jewels.

At the end of World War II, as a result of the dispersal of valuable collections, the original figure was found in East Germany, where it was exhibited at the Museum of Cultural History in Stralsund. Curiously, the copy also ended up there, which was displayed to the public in the summer of 2002, while the original remained in the safe.

But in 2009, the authorities of Szczecin managed to return the figurine to Poland, where it is now exhibited in the Szczecin museum. In Słupsk, copies of the bear are still made, which are displayed in a special showcase at the town hall. Once a year, the figurine is auctioned, and the funds raised are used for social causes.

This article was first published on our Spanish Edition on July 23, 2024: El oso de ámbar de Słupsk, un excepcional amuleto prehistórico

SOURCES

Thomas Terberger, Jörg Ansorge, Der Bernsteinbär von Stolp (Slupsk, Polen) – ein mesolithisches Amulett?

Pommerscher Greif e.V., Stolper Bernsteinbär auf Reisen

National Museum in Szczecin, Stone Age

DigVentures, Amazing Artefacts: The Amber Bear Of Slupsk

Wikipedia, Bursztynowy niedźwiadek ze Słupska

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