As mentioned in previous blog posts, the possible specification that will emerge is likely to include some reference to early artworks which represent nature. The earliest of these that survive are rock carvings and cave paintings.
One proposed theme in the first iteration of the new specification is 'Life in the Early World'
This would include students exploring early representations of the natural world.
Cave paintings are the first examples of this.
The hand silhouettes in Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands) in Santa Cruz, Argentina, form part of an exceptional assemblage of cave art executed between 13,000 and 9,500 years ago. The site was granted @UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999 https://t.co/NEipFKHIRm ✋🖐🏾✋🏽🖐🏻✋🏿🤚🏼🤚✋🏽 pic.twitter.com/JpcEJlJvkA
— Prof Jamie Woodward (@Jamie_Woodward_) January 1, 2022
There are quite a few theories as to why people decided to decorate the walls of caves.
It's worth having a look at Jamie's book in the Very Short Introduction series: 'The Ice Age'.
Another related book here is 'Transcendence' by Gaia Vince, which explores the significance of this period in the development of language, which in turn led to storytelling. This will be appearing in the library / reading list posts as well.
In some associated posts, I have started to explore some of the possible places that students could be introduced to, which are perhaps a little closer to home. For those in the East Midlands there is a suggestion here:
In the UK, there is Cresswell Crags.
The website has plenty of information on the site.
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