Anthropology And Archaeology

China Archaeology - Sanxingdui
Sanxingdui (Three Star Mound) is a major Bronze Age culture (ca. 1700-1150 BC) in modern southwestern China. The archaeological site is located on the southern bank of the Yazi River near the Nanxing Township in Sichuan Province. A stamp issued in 2001 depicts a bronze head and mask. A stamp set issued in 2012 features a bronze mask with protruding pupils and trunk, a bronze kneeling human figure, and a 2012 minisheet shows grade bronze standing human figure.

Portugal 2020 Prehistoric Route
0.53€: biface stone tool (400000 - 10000 BC)
0.75€: decorated vase (5500 - 3000 BC)
0.86€: serrated-backed staff (3600 - 2000 BC)
2.00€: flint spearhead (3000 - 1800 BC)

Montenegro 2025 EUROPA – National Archaeological Discoveries
Crvena stijena (Red Rock) located near the village of Petrovici is a significant habitat of prehistoric humans in Europe. The site contains 20 meters of archaeological strata spanning from the Middle Paleolithic to the end of the Paleolithic period. Key findings include evidence of Neanderthal occupation, including faunal remains, lithic artifacts, and the use of fires.

Azerbaijan 2025 EUROPA - National Archaeological Discoveries
Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape covers three rocky highlands in the semi-desert region of central Azerbaijan. Rock carvings from this area are dated between 18000 and 3000 BC. The two stamps show examples of Upper Paleolithic rock carvings depicting animals and humans.

Georgia 2025 EUROPA – National Archaeological Discoveries
The stamp set features archaeological finds:
Belt fragment showing a hunting scene (from Mtskheta, 9th-8th century BC)
Deer figurines, bronze (from Chabarukhi, 7th-6th century BC)
Horseman figurine, bronze (from Racha Region, 7th-6th century BC)
Pottery fragment with volutes (from Kakheti region, Neolithic period)
Pottery fragment with a female image (from Khrami Didi Gora, Neolithic period)
Anthropomorphic figurines, clay, bone, and stone (from Khrami Didi Gora, Neolithic period)

Spain 2025 National Museum and Research Center of Altamira
National Museum and Research Center of Altamira is dedicated to the conservation of and research into the cave complex of Altamira in Santillana del Mar (Cantabria), a key Paleolithic and Mesolithic site in Europe. The stamp and two maximum cards depict a cave rock painting (the Magdalenian bison) and a group of pendants made from the hyoid bone of a horse.

Peru #912, Dr. Maria Reiche and the Nazca lines (geoglyphs) first day cover from 1987.

Laos #266E features a prehistoric human. The series celebrates the centenary of the UPU, and the stamp shows the first attempt to communicate via rock art, with the hominid's "brush" becoming a space craft (just like the scene in 2001 A Space Odyssey where a prehistoric human's bone tool becomes a space craft). An astronaut on the same stamp appears to be postmarking an envelope, apparently in the void of space since he's all suited up!

The stamp is one of a set of 11, and it appears on two different souvenir sheets which are not listed in Scott. I have the individual stamp and the first souvenir sheet in my FDC collection (shown here) but haven't found the second sheet used on cover (yet)... the last image is that second unlisted sheet.

Nils, thanks for sharing. Both perforate SS's are listed by Michel catalogue as Block 54A for the first one and Block 60A for the second one. Both were issued also as imperforate (54B, 60B).

I also don't have the second on FDC's, only the first SS and the set of stamps like your covers. I have the set on cover sent registered to Germany.

LaoPhil, thanks for the information! I don't have the Michel catalog for Laos, so that's very helpful. Nice cover!

(Incidentally, a bit of trivia... notice that the hominid's right hand (the one throwing the brush) has SIX fingers!)

Spain 2024 Archaeological Site of Casas del Turuñuelo
The Iron Age site of Casas del Turuñuelo is associated with the late Tartessian culture developed in the Middle Guadiana Valley in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula in the 8th to 5th century BC. The site is known for the discovery of stone reliefs depicting human faces, which may represent female deities and male warriors.