Children as Artists: A New Perspective on Upper Paleolithic Cave Art
How Play and Creativity Shaped Upper Paleolithic Art
Deep within Cantabria, Spain, the Las Monedas cave offers a stunning glimpse into the lives of our Upper Paleolithic ancestors. While much of the art attributed to this era has been studied through the lens of adult craftsmanship, a recent study shifts the focus to children. By integrating insights from developmental psychology, researchers have identified playful and imaginative marks made by young artists, fundamentally rethinking prehistoric creativity. The article is titled, “Children as playful artists: Integrating developmental psychology to identify children’s art in the Upper Palaeolithic.1”
Rewriting Prehistory: Were Children Active Creators?
Traditionally, children’s roles in prehistoric societies have been relegated to the background, often seen as passive participants or imitators of adult behavior. This new research confronts that narrative, positioning children as active creators whose unique contributions have long been overlooked. The study critiques earlier methodologies, such as relying on anatomical measurements like hand sizes, which often limited the identification of children’s art. Instead, the researchers employ a developmental psychology framework, focusing on how gestures, motor skills, and cognitive development inform the artistic process.
“Children’s art needs to be perceived as neither an imitation of adults’ art nor a passive engagement. It is a playful yet deeply meaningful exploration of the material world,” the authors argue.
This fresh perspective acknowledges children’s agency and places their creative acts at the heart of Paleolithic art-making.
The Panel of the Masks: A Case Study
A Context for Creativity
The Panel of the Masks, located in Las Monedas cave, is an unusual assembly of marks distinct from the naturalistic animal depictions typically found at the site. The panel is situated in a secluded chamber, separated from adult-centric art, and placed at a height accessible to children. This spatial isolation hints at a child-specific activity zone, possibly a place where children could engage in artistic experimentation.
Radiocarbon dating confirms that the panel dates back to the Magdalenian period, around 14,000 years ago. This temporal anchor, combined with the panel’s physical context, sets the stage for a deeper investigation into its origins.
A Palette of Playful Marks
The researchers identified several types of marks on the panel, consistent with those made by modern children during early stages of artistic development. Vertical and horizontal arcs suggest repetitive hand motions, while push-pull marks reflect rhythmic forward and backward gestures. The most striking features, however, are the circular rotation marks—superimposed loops that resemble modern children’s so-called “scribbles.” These marks are far from random; they reveal deliberate actions and playful intent.
“The gestures associated with these marks suggest children used the act of drawing to enact imaginative narratives, integrating play and creation,” the researchers note.
One intriguing element of the panel is a mask-like motif. The “eyes” and “nose” of this figure appear to have emerged organically from circular and U-shaped marks. This suggests that children may have recognized and elaborated upon the figurative potential of their own creations, blending play and representation in a uniquely human way.
Children and Their Social Contexts
Children’s artistic endeavors were not isolated acts but deeply embedded within their social and physical environments. Drawing often served as a form of play, where children used marks to express imaginative stories or shared experiences. In modern hunter-gatherer societies, children’s activities frequently occur in spaces adjacent to adult activity zones, providing supervised autonomy. The spatial positioning of the Panel of the Masks reflects this dynamic, with the secluded area possibly acting as a creative playground for children.
Beyond its social dimensions, the panel underscores how drawing intertwined with play to form a foundational aspect of childhood experience. Researchers highlight how marks were likely created to represent imagined trajectories or sensorial experiences, turning drawing into a narrative and sensory act.
A New Perspective on Upper Paleolithic Life
The findings from Las Monedas cave fundamentally alter our understanding of Upper Paleolithic art. By reframing prehistoric creativity as an inter-generational endeavor, this study reveals that children were not just observers but active participants in shaping their cultural landscapes. Their playful marks remind us that creativity and imagination transcend time, offering a glimpse into the developmental and social dynamics of ancient societies.
This research also challenges traditional views that associate prehistoric art solely with adults. By acknowledging children’s contributions, it paints a richer, more inclusive picture of Paleolithic life, one where art served as a communal and transformative practice for all members of society.
Key Points
The Panel of the Masks demonstrates that children were active creators in Upper Paleolithic art. Their playful marks, including arcs, push-pull lines, and circular rotations, reflect both developmental stages and imaginative engagement. Drawing often served as a form of play, allowing children to explore their world creatively and socially. By adopting a developmental psychology framework, this study moves beyond anatomical evidence to provide a nuanced understanding of children’s roles in prehistoric art-making.
Related Studies
These articles provide diverse perspectives on children’s roles in prehistoric art, integrating developmental psychology, cognitive science, and archaeology.
Children, Metaphorical Thinking, and Upper Paleolithic Visual Cultures
Author: Nowell, A.
Journal: Childhood in the Past, 2015.
DOI: 10.1179/1758571615Z.00000000034
Summary: Explores metaphorical thinking in children and its influence on the evolution of artistic expression during the Upper Paleolithic.
Learning to See and Seeing to Learn: Children, Communities of Practice, and Pleistocene Visual Cultures
Author: Nowell, A.
Journal: Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 2015.
DOI: 10.1017/S0959774315000321
Summary: Discusses how children participated in the visual cultures of the Pleistocene and learned artistic skills within social groups.
Children at Play: The Role of Novices in the Production of Europe’s Earliest Upper Paleolithic Ceramics
Authors: Farbstein, R., & Nowell, A.
Journal: PLoS ONE, 2024.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309107
Summary: Investigates the role of children in creating ceramic objects and other forms of art during the early Upper Paleolithic.
Oral Storytelling and Knowledge Transmission in Upper Paleolithic Children and Adolescents
Author: Nowell, A.
Journal: Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 2023.
DOI: 10.1007/s10816-022-09591-5
Summary: Explores storytelling as a key mode of cultural and artistic knowledge transmission among Upper Paleolithic societies.
Adolescence and Innovation in the European Upper Palaeolithic
Authors: Nowell, A., & French, J. C.
Journal: Evolutionary Human Sciences, 2020.
DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2020.37
Summary: Discusses how adolescents contributed to innovations, including artistic practices, in Upper Paleolithic societies.
A Cognitive Approach to the Earliest Art
Authors: De Smedt, J., & De Cruz, H.
Journal: The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 2011.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6245.2011.01496.x
Summary: Analyzes the cognitive processes underlying early artistic expression, focusing on the development of aesthetic appreciation.
Comparative Developmental and Social Perspectives on the Mystery of Upper Paleolithic Art
Author: Milbrath, C.
Book Chapter: Art and Human Development, 2013.
Link: Taylor & Francis
Summary: Integrates developmental psychology and social anthropology to decode artistic remains from the Upper Paleolithic.
The Visual Dynamics of Upper Paleolithic Cave Art
Author: Hodgson, D.
Journal: Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 2008.
DOI: 10.1017/S0959774308000413
Summary: Investigates the psychological states and cultural motivations behind the creation of Upper Paleolithic cave art.
The Development of Human Creativity: Cognitive Substrates of the Upper Paleolithic Archaeological Record
Author: Abdi, K.
Journal: International Journal of the Society of Archaeological Science, 2015.
Link: Full text
Summary: Explores the cognitive foundations that enabled artistic creation in the Upper Paleolithic.
Bringing Science to the Study of Ancient Senses: Archaeology and Visual Psychology
Authors: Pettitt, P., Kentridge, R., & Meyering, L.
Journal: World Archaeology, 2020.
DOI: 10.1080/00438243.2020.1909932
Summary: Discusses how psychological approaches can enrich the study of ancient artistic practices.
Wisher, I., Riede, F., Matthews, J., Pagnotta, M., & Tylén, K. (2024). Children as playful artists: Integrating developmental psychology to identify children’s art in the Upper Palaeolithic. Before Farming, 1–39. https://doi.org/10.3828/hgr.2024.38