
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


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.
By History Hit4.3
1212 ratings
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.

5,511 Listeners

3,219 Listeners

1,872 Listeners

1,870 Listeners

4,809 Listeners

232 Listeners

904 Listeners

476 Listeners

3,352 Listeners

15,820 Listeners

1,913 Listeners

2,085 Listeners

265 Listeners

1,404 Listeners

1,145 Listeners