Most of us will have seen the many examples of Palaeolithic cave art, beautifully drawn and coloured and dominated by animal imagery. Ice Age humans were so much more than mere survival specialists; they were so much more than nomadic hunter gatherers.
Our ancient ancestors were not simple people. They could build intricate houses from the bones of mammoths, they created and perfected the art of stone tool making, they accurately shaped animals from stone, they had a culture, burial rites and belief systems and yes, from Europe to Siberia and beyond, they were able to survive the harsh conditions of the Ice Age.
Their paintings though are truly incredible and this stone canvas in the Lascaux Cave is arguably one of humanity’s greatest artistic achievements.
Having a personal interest in Ice Age cultures meant I was fascinated to read the news this week, that a furniture conservator, an amateur called Ben Bacon may have solved a truly ancient mystery – the meaning behind seemingly random, markings – lines, dots and shapes – that were painted next to or onto animals by Ice Age artists.
Mr Bacon suspected that these markings had a specific meaning, an idea shared by many archaeologists, but amazingly, it’s an amateur that may have solved it. They're charting the mating seasons of various animals according to an ancient lunar calendar!
Watch the video to learn more!