Although his story is a mystery, the Lion Man forever binds us to our prehistoric past

With its origins dating back some 40,000 years, the small ivory sculpture known as ‘The Lion Man’ for its melding of human and animal forms is the oldest known image of a creature sprung from human imagination. Created for the exhibition ‘Living With Gods’ (2017-18) at the British Museum in London, this animation traces the fascinating archeological history of the iconic object, as well as what its preternatural character tells us about our prehistoric ancestors – and, indeed, humanity itself.