What were the amber animals used for?

The small amber animals are beautiful and decorative, but what can they have been used for? Faint grooves, which were probably created by the rubbing of a string, can be seen around the necks of the amber bears. In this way they could be worn as pendants or amulets. The bear has always played an important role for hunters living in the northern hemisphere. Perhaps this is because of its human traits. In many hunting societies it is believed that there is a special kinship between people and various types of animals. This sort of kinship may have existed between the Stone Age hunters and the bear. It can be assumed that the bird figure and the elk would have had the same amulet function.