The Real History of Cave Paintings

Fifty thousand years ago, the world experienced its first artistic movement. The cave paintings of the Upper Paleolithic (that’s a technical term for the late Ice Age) continue to raise questions today: Were they religious? Erotic? Good luck symbols made by superstitious hunters? Do they show the evolution of the human brain? Why did no one make art before this? How were the paints and brushes made? And most of all, who created these works of art? (Was it… aliens?) This class requires no prior knowledge of history or art, but come prepared to explore the fundamental role of art in defining what it means to be human. Presented by Public Archaeologist Patty Hamrick.

Patty Hamrick is originally from Columbus, Ohio, where she attended the Ohio State University for her undergraduate degree in Archaeology. She went on to earn an M.A. in Anthropological Archaeology from New York University. She has worked on excavations across Europe, Asia, and North America, including India, Cyprus, and Syria. She loves bringing her passion for the past to new people.