Robert G. Bednarik argued that the object’s general human-like shape, including suggestive features resembling arms and legs, may have been recognized by early humans and accentuated manually. He suggests that horizontal grooves on both sides were intentionally accentuated with stone tools to emphasize its anthropomorphic qualities, and that traces of red pigment - possibly iron or manganese oxides - may have been applied for further visual effect.
However, these claims have not been independently verified, and no re-analysis has been conducted by other specialists. The figurine’s attribution to symbolic or artistic behaviour remains disputed.
cover image source
Museum of Human Evolution, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons