It’s hard to imagine, but thousands of years ago man had the same inexplicable desire to create that artists do today. Prehistoric art is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of our early ancestors, who painted with surprising detail and artistic talent. The oldest known murals and carvings are found in the Lascaux caves in France and date back to 17,000 years ago.

The fifth graders learned about Lascaux and viewed some of the rare and inaccessible images inside the cave. We then worked on a project replicating the painting (pictographs) and carving (petroglyphs) techniques. The students etched images telling a story of their imagined ancestors including where they lived, what they ate, and how they dressed. We learned about simple ways to express forms and shapes. Students then carved a rubber stamp and printed a repeating symbol around the outside of their “rock wall,” which was dirtied up with chalk to give the impression of age.