Making Art in the Ice Age: the story of how our ancestors made images

This article is from Current Archaeology issue 434

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Ice Age art engages something within us that feels deeply and inherently human. Most of us feel it immediately: awe, curiosity, and perhaps even sometimes a feeling that borders on spiritual. Yet, while this response is nearly universal, the opportunity to study and understand these images is far less widely shared. Ice Age art is rarely taught in schools, and much of the scholarship surrounding the topic can be dense and methodologically complex. Making Art in the Ice Age offers a refreshing alternative.

Written by Paul Bahn and Elle Clifford, this colourful and accessible book provides a broad overview of European Ice Age art, from its creation and discovery to the debates that continue to shape interpretation. The book opens with a simplified timeline to help situate readers, before moving into the discovery of the art and the early controversies surrounding its authenticity. It then explores the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of Ice Age art, covering cave paintings, portable objects, and depictions of humans and animals.

The approach is firmly evidence-based, supported by numerous sites, dates, and high-quality images throughout. The section on techniques and methods offers a clear and comprehensive overview without overwhelming readers with technical detail. The final chapters address age, authenticity, and interpretation in a particularly thoughtful way. Where discussions of interpretation elsewhere often swing between sweeping and largely unevidenced claims or the unsatisfying ‘we simply don’t know’, Bahn and Clifford strike a careful balance.

The book succeeds in reaching its intended audience of younger readers through accessible language, an image-led layout, a detailed glossary, and thoughtful concluding discussion questions. It would work equally well in classrooms or for independent learning. In particular, the strong visual emphasis not only helps to sustain engagement but also encourages young readers to develop skills in interpreting visual material.

Yet this is not a book only for younger audiences. For any newcomer, it offers an engaging and confidence-building introduction to Palaeolithic art, one that professionals could proudly share with friends and family of any age or background and say: ‘This is what I do’.

REVIEW BY HANNA McNULTY

Making Art in the Ice Age: the story of how our ancestors made images
Paul Bahn and Elle Clifford
Archaeopress, £14.99
ISBN 978-1805830887