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READING 4 B2 INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED Little artists 2
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Lecture1.1
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Quiz1.1
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READING 4 B2 INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED Little artists
Little artists
Research from a cave in France shows that prehistoric children created cave art
The 5-year-old began her artwork at the back of the cave. She raised her hand to the wall, pressing her index, middle and ring fingers into the caveĀ“s soft side. As she dragged her hand along, a design emerged.
Now and then, she broke up the pattern by creating zigzags, squiggles and circles. When she finished, she might have taken a look back at her work and then run to find her father. Did he compliment her latest masterpiece?
Researchers say that 13,000 years ago, children created striking images on the walls of Rouffignac Cave, in France. The cave is also famous for its many prehistoric drawings of bison, horses and woolly mammoths.
The kids made their art by “finger fluting”, or tracing one or more of their fingers along the side or ceiling of the cave. The walls of Rouffignac Cave were covered with a soft, clay-like substance called moonmilk.
Scientists say the marks were made by children ages 2, 5, 6 and 7. They know this because they measured the widths of the flutings and compared them to the widths of modern-day childrenĀ“s fingers.
Researchers say the art tells us about the prehistoric life. “The development of “us” involved everyone”, they say. “It is during childhood that you really learn what it means to be human, to survive and to thrive”.