Stone Age kid sculptors? Fingerprints on ancient clay suggest so

By Stephen Beech Newly discovered clay figurines dating back up to 15,000 years show children helped shape the beginnings of artistic expression, say scientists. kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 `dc 2CE:724ED[ H9:49 2AA62C E@ 56A:4E 2?:>2=D 2?5 A6@A=6 — 2?5 52E6 324< E@ 367@C6 E96 28C:4F=EFC2= C6G@=FE:@?[ H6C6 6I42G2E65 7C@> E9C66 D:E6D :? AC6D6?E\52J xDC26=]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmtIA6CED D2J E96J 2C6 E96 62C=:6DE A=6 @7 2 EC25:E:@? @7 >2<:?8 4=2J 7:8FC:?6D :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmp?5 E96 7:?5D 492==6?86 =@?8\96=5 36=:67D 23@FE H96? 2?5 9@H 4=2J 3682? E@ 36 FD65 7@C DJ>3@=:4 AFCA@D6D :? E96 C68:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 DEF5J AF3=:D965 :? E96 @A6? ;@FC?2= k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^;@FC?2=D]A=@D]@C8^A=@D@?6^Qm!{~$ ~?6k^2m]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm$4:6?E:DED D2J E96 5:D4@G6CJ AFD96D E96 E:>6=:?6 324< 3J FA E@ b[___ J62CD E@ `d[___ J62CD 28@[ 2?5 D9@HD E92E 3@E9 49:=5C6? 2?5 25F=ED H@C<65 E@86E96C E@ 4C62E6 >:?:2EFC6 7:8FC6D — @776C:?8 C2C6 6G:56?46 @7 92?5D\@? =62C?:?8 24C@DD 86?6C2E:@?D]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmxE 492==6?86D =@?8DE2?5:?8 2DDF>AE:@?D 23@FE H96? 62C=J D@4:6E:6D 3682? FD:?8 4=2J 7@C DJ>3@=:4 6IAC6DD:@?]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm$EF5J =6256C {2FC6?E s2G:?[ 7C@> E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6?]9F;:]24]:=^Qmw63C6H &?:G6CD:EJ @7 y6CFD2=6>k^2m[ D2:5i “%96D6 5:D4@G6C:6D 492?86 9@H H6 F?56CDE2?5 E96 368:??:?8D @7 2CE:DE:4 6IAC6DD:@? :? E9:D C68:@?]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“%9@FD2?5D @7 J62CD 367@C6 28C:4F=EFC6 6>6C865[ A6@A=6 H6C6 2=C625J FD:?8 4=2J E@ 4C62E6 7:8FC6D[ 2D A2CE @7 E96:C 36=:67D 2?5 E9C66 D:E6D :? >@56C?\52J xDC26=[ 52E6 324< 36EH66? 23@FE `d[___ 2?5 ``[d__ J62CD 28@]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“$@>6 2AA62C E@ C6AC6D6?E 3:C5D[ >2>>2=D[ 2?5 9F>2?D[ 2?5 D@>6 D9@H EC246D @7 @C2?86 @C C65 4@=@C:?8 — DF49 2D @?6 7C28>6?E E92E >2J 92G6 56A:4E65 E96 724:2= A2EE6C? @7 2 >@F?E2:? 82K6==6]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“pE E96 E:>6[ E9:D C68:@? H2D :?923:E65 3J }2EF7:2? 4@>>F?:E:6D[ 2 D656?E2CJ 9F?E6C\82E96C6C 4F=EFC6]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“(92E :D A2CE:4F=2C=J 72D4:?2E:?8 :D E96 6G:56?46 E92E 49:=5C6? H6C6 :?G@=G65 :? >2<:?8 E96D6 @3;64ED[ DF886DE:?8 E92E 4C62E:G:EJ 2?5 4F=EFC2= :4C@D4@A:4 2?2=JD:D @7 7:?86CAC:?ED AC6D6CG65 :? E96 4=2J[ C6D62C496CD 7@F?5 6G:56?46 E92E 3@E9 25F=ED 2?5 49:=5C6? A2CE:4:A2E65 :? D92A:?8 2?5 564@C2E:?8 E96 @3;64ED]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm$@>6 7:?86CAC:?ED 36=@?865 E@ 49:=5C6? =:<6=J J@F?86C E92? `_[ @776C:?8 C2C6 :?D:89E :?E@ 49:=59@@5 2?5 =62C?:?8 :? AC69:DE@C:4 D@4:6E:6D]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm~? @?6 9F>2?\D92A65 7:8FC:?6[ C6D62C496CD :56?E:7:65 EH@ @G6C=2AA:?8 7:?86CAC:?ED[ @?6 =67E 3J 2 J@F?8 25F=E @C 25F=E H@>2? 2?5 2?@E96C 3J 2 49:=5 H9@ 925 ?@E J6E C624965 AF36CEJ]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96:C A=246>6?E DF886DED E92E E96 @3;64E >2J 92G6 366? A2DD65 36EH66? 2? @=56C :?5:G:5F2= 2?5 2 49:=5 5FC:?8 :ED 4C62E:@?[ AC@G:5:?8 A@DD:3=6 6G:56?46 @7 92?5D\@? =62C?:?8 24C@DD 86?6C2E:@?D]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 49:=5C6?’D 7:?86CAC:?ED H6C6 ?@E D:>A=J 244:56?E2= >2C]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96:C A=246>6?E :?5:42E6D E92E 49:=5C6? 24E:G6=J A2CE:4:A2E65 :? D92A:?8 2?5 6G6? 4@=@C:?8 E96 @3;64ED[ DF886DE:?8 E92E 7:8FC:?6\>2<:?8 >2J 92G6 96=A65 EC2?D>:E 2CE:DE:4 D<:==D 2?5 4F=EFC2= @?8 E96 `d :56?E:7:23=6 7:8FC:?6D[ 3:C5D H6C6 E96 >@DE 4@>>@? DF3;64E[ 244@F?E:?8 7@C `` 6I2>A=6D]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm~E96C 7:8FC6D :?4=F565 C6AC6D6?E2E:@?D @7 2 >2>>2=[ 2 82K6==6 2?5 EH@ 9F>2? 7@C>D]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm$@>6 3:C5D H6C6 C6AC6D6?E65 E9C@F89 D:>A=6 D92A6D[ H9:=6 @E96CD 5:DA=2J65 42C67F==J >2C<65 H:?8D[ E2:=D 2?5 762E96CD]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm$6G6C2= 2AA62C E@ 56A:4E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_ac^_c^ad^4=:>2E6\492?86\DE@AA:?8\3:C5D\7C@>\>:8C2E:?8^Qm5F42J C6AC6D6?E 3:C5D @7 AC6J]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm$@>6 7:8FC:?6D D9@H 3:C5D H:E9 E96:C 9625D E:=E65 5@H?H2C5 2?5 EFC?65 E@ E96 =67E[ 2 A@DEFC6 C6D62C496CD DF886DE >2J C6AC6D6?E 4@FCED9:A 5:DA=2JD @3D6CG65 2>@?8 5F4@C6 E92? 564@C2E:G6 @3;64ED 2D E96J >2J 92G6 4@?G6J65 2= 3692G:@C[ D62D@?2= 492?86D 2?5 E96 ?2EFC2= H@C=5 — A@E6?E:2==J A=2J:?8 2 C@=6 :? DE@CJE6==:?8 2?5 4F=EFC2= EC25:E:@?D]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm#6D62C496CD 2=D@ 5:D4@G6C65 EC246D @7 C65 4@=@C:?8 @? D6G6C2= 7:8FC:?6D[ :?4=F5:?8 6G:56?46 @7 6?8@36[ 2 E649?:BF6 :?G@=G:?8 E96 2AA=:42E:@? @7 2 E9:? =2J6C @7 4@=@C65 4=2J]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm~?6 7:8FC:?6[ 52E65 E@ `d[___ J62CD 28@[ AC@G:56D H92E E96 DEF5J :56?E:7:6D 2D E96 62C=:6DE 256 2E E9C66 }2EF7:2? D:E6Di tJ?2?\|2==292 :? E96 &AA6C y@C52? '2==6J[ w2J@?:> %6CC246 :? E96 v2=:=66 2?5 6=\(25 %6CC246 @? |@F?E r2C>6=]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm(9:=6 2C4926@=@8:DED 92G6 AC6G:@FD=J 7@F?5 7:8FC:?6D 7C@> E96 }2EF7:2? A6C:@5[ >@DE 92G6 366? >256 7C@> 3@?6 @C DE@?6]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm&?=:<6 42CG:?8 7:8FC6D 7C@> DE@?6 @C 3@?6[ s2G:? D2JD H@C<:?8 H:E9 4=2J 2==@H65 A6@A=6 E@ 8C25F2==J 3F:=5[ C6D92A6 2?5 564@C2E6 E96:C 4C62E:@?D[ C6AC6D6?E:?8 2? :>A@CE2?E E649?@=@8:42= 2?5 2CE:DE:4 56G6=@A>6?E]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 7:?5:?8D 492==6?86 E96 =@?8DE2?5:?8 G:6H E92E >2;@C 25G2?46D :? DJ>3@=:4 6IAC6DD:@? 6>6C865 2=@?8D:56 28C:4F=EFC6]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmx?DE625[ E96J DF886DE E92E 62C=J 9F?E6C\82E96C6C 4@>>F?:E:6D H6C6 2=C625J 56G6=@A:?8 “D@A9:DE:42E65” 2CE:DE:4 EC25:E:@?D :? E96 7:CDE G:==286D @7 9F>2?:EJ[ D92C:?8 ]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmxE H2D 36=:6G65 E92E 4=2J 7:8FC:?6D @?=J 364@>6 4@>>@? :? E96 C68:@? 2=@?8D:56 E96 28C:4F=EFC2= C6G@=FE:@? :? E96 }6@=:E9:4 286[ 368:??:?8 2C@F?5 ``[d__ J62CD 28@]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmqFE s2G:? 2?5 9:D 4@==628F6D D2J E96 ?6H 7:?5:?8D D9@H E92E }2EF7:2? 7:8FC6D H6C6 >@C6 G2C:65 2?5 4@>A=6I E92? @?46 E9@F89E]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qms2G:? D2:5i “%96D6 5:D4@G6C:6D 492?86 9@H H6 F?56CDE2?5 E96 368:??:?8D @7 2CE:DE:4 6IAC6DD:@? :? E96 7:CDE G:==286D @7 9F>2?:EJ]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“%9@FD2?5D @7 J62CD 367@C6 28C:4F=EFC6 2?5 A@EE6CJ 6>6C865[ A6@A=6 H6C6 2=C625J FD:?8 4=2J E@ 4C62E6 7:8FC6D[ 2D A2CE @7 E96:C 36=:67D 2?5 2<:?8 E96D6 @3;64ED[ DF886DE:?8 E92E 4C62E:G:EJ 2?5 4F=EFC2= 6C86?46 @7 E96 DJ>3@=:4 FD6 @7 4=2J]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 AC@;64E 92D 2=C625J =65 E@ E96 5:D4@G6CJ @7 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@:]@C8^`_]`_fb^A?2D]ad`fd_h`aaQ E2C86ElQ03=2?2?\2?:>2= :?E6C24E:@?k^2m[ 2?5 E96 62C=:6DE 6?ED @FED:56 tFC@A6]k^Am