Cave art in Britain

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	Until recently it was believed that people visiting and using caves in Britian during the Ice Age were not decorating the caves with pictures of animals and other markings. This was despite having all the necessary tools and materials, ochre, manganese and charcoal. However, a team of archaeologists made a remarkable discovery at Creswell Crags in April 2003. They found the first and only example of rock art from the Ice Age. All of the pictures found were engraved into the rock and as far as is known colour was not applied to the figures. The pictures range from complete figures of animals to geometric shapes and individual vertical lines.




	Close to the entrance in Church Hole, on a flat surface of rock, is this engraving of an ibex, a goat-like animal. Beneath the figure Ice Age hunters have engraved a series of vertical lines.
		Deeper within Church Hole these engraved figures were found and are believed to be birds with long necks.




		Engravings of triangle shapes were also discovered close to the entrance in Church Hole.

	This engraving of a bison lies on the same rock surface as the ibex. The artist appears to have used the natural shape of the rock to emphasise the head.

	As well as engraving pictures onto the rock surfaces within the caves the hunters also created other forms of artwork. Next

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