The World's Earliest Cave Art
The Ancients6 Nov 2022

The World's Earliest Cave Art

200,000 years ago in what is now Tibet, two children left a set of hand and foot prints on a travertine boulder, still identifiable today and is thought to be the earliest example of cave art.


In today’s episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Sally Reynolds from the University of Bournemouth, who describes the evidence that suggests this was a deliberate act of creativity, highlighting the human urge to make art goes back millennia.


We also learn that these feet and hands likely belong to Denisovans, predating Homo sapiens in Europe and Asia.

It’s a fascinating discussion around not just art, but also the earliest evidence of humans living high altitude anywhere in the world, and a glimpse into what human behaviour would have been like to allow for children to be this creative nearly a quarter of a million years ago.


For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here.


If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code ANCIENTS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription.


To download, go to Android > or Apple store >

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(607)

Artemis of Ephesus: The Great Mother Goddess

Artemis of Ephesus: The Great Mother Goddess

An incredibly popular goddess, characterised in statues of her by a vest of bee hives, or are they breasts … bull scrotums? In this episode Tristan speaks to Dr Carla Ionescu about the Ephesian Artemi...

23 Jun 202136min

Dirty Love: The Ancient Greek Novel

Dirty Love: The Ancient Greek Novel

The novel, and in particular the romance genre, is at the heart of a billion dollar industry, but when did they originate? In this episode, Professor Tim Whitmarsh from the University of Cambridge tak...

22 Jun 202149min

Ancient Brittany with Sir Barry Cunliffe

Ancient Brittany with Sir Barry Cunliffe

Stretching out from the north west of France, Brittany has long been as identifiable with the Atlantic Ocean as with its continental neighbours in Europe. Whilst Sir Barry Cunliffe’s research and arch...

20 Jun 202143min

Scotland's Earliest Animal Carvings: An Incredible New Discovery

Scotland's Earliest Animal Carvings: An Incredible New Discovery

Prehistoric animal carvings, thought to be up to 5,000 years old, have been discovered in Scotland for the very first time. The images, which include carvings of two red deer, were found by chance on ...

17 Jun 202129min

Berenike and the Red Sea Spice Route

Berenike and the Red Sea Spice Route

Situated on the western coast of the Red Sea in antiquity were a series of thriving seaports, bringing in trade from as far as way as Sir Lanka. Key mercantile centres, where goods made in Iberia coul...

13 Jun 202148min

Nero: Taking to the Stage

Nero: Taking to the Stage

In popular culture, Nero is thought of as the Emperor who played the fiddle as Rome burned to the ground. Whilst this might not be strictly factual, it does hint towards another side of this infamous ...

10 Jun 20211h 1min

Iron Age British and Roman Racing Chariots

Iron Age British and Roman Racing Chariots

How truthful are modern depictions of ancient chariots? In this second episode, Mike Loades explores the reality behind the scythed chariot shown in Boudica's Westminster statue. He then draws upon hi...

6 Jun 202154min

Polynesian Mythology

Polynesian Mythology

From creation stories to voyager journeys, mythology and oral history are often key to our identities. In this episode Christina Thompson shines a light on some fascinating tales from Polynesian mytho...

3 Jun 202129min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-katastrofe
henrettelsespodden
historier-som-endret-norge
rss-benadet
historier-som-endret-verden
aftenposten-historie
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
historiepodden
med-egne-oyne
rss-frontkjemperne
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
sektledere
rss-historiske-romanser-svik-drap-og-kjarlighet
liberal-halvtime
rss-gamle-greier
taakeprat
vare-historier
rss-politisk-preik
virkelig-grusomt