Prehistoric Cave Drawings ‘Made by Children’
Prehistoric cave drawing (Photo: BBC)
Woolly mammoths show up in the Geo Quiz. Archaeologists have long been studying the paintings and drawings on the walls of a famous cave complex in France. The stone age art dates back to the Paleolithic Age. Many of the drawings represent woolly mammoths. In fact the place is nicknamed the “Cave of a Hundred Mammoths.”
Lately, researchers have been focusing on some finger drawings. They think children as young as three, four or five did some of the artwork. So, part of the cave complex may have served as a kind of prehistoric nursery where kids were encouraged to develop their creative skills in cave art — 13,000 years ago.
So, can you name the cave complex in western France where kids drew on the walls?
Answer: the Rouffignac Cave.
Anchor Marco Werman talks with Jessica Cooney at the University of Cambridge where a conference on the archaeology of childhood is taking place this weekend.
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.