logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
28m 9s

Palaeolithic Cave Art (Radio Edit)

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Greg Jenner is joined in the Palaeolithic era by Dr Isobel Wisher and comedian Seán Burke to learn about cave art.

Tens of thousands of years ago, human ancestors all over the world began drawing and painting on cave walls, carving figurines, and even decorating their own bodies. Although archaeologists have known about Palaeolithic art since the late 19th century, cutting-edge scientific techniques are only now helping to uncover the secrets of these paintings and the artists who created them.

From a warty pig painted on a cave wall in Indonesia, to a comic strip-like depiction of lions chasing bison in France, this episode explores the global phenomenon of cave art, and asks why humans have always felt the need to express their creative side.

This is a radio edit of the original podcast episode. For the full-length version, please look further back in the feed.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Jon Norman Mason Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: James Cook

Up next
Yesterday
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain introduce Curious Cases
Hello, You’re Dead to me listener. Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain here, we thought you might like to know we have a brand-new series of Curious Cases. To start things off we look into the world of crabs and look into the possibility of us all eventually turning into crab like being ... Show More
31m 23s
Oct 3
Marie Antoinette: last French queen before the Revolution
Greg Jenner is joined in the eighteenth century by historian Professor Katherine Astbury and comedian Jen Brister to learn about French queen Marie Antoinette. Born an Austrian princess, Marie Antoinette went on to be the last queen of France before the Revolution and the aboliti ... Show More
57m 43s
Sep 26
Hannibal of Carthage: fearsome enemy of ancient Rome
Greg Jenner is joined in ancient North Africa by classicist Professor Josephine Quinn and comedian Darren Harriott to learn about Hannibal of Carthage and his war with Rome. Located in modern-day Tunisia, Carthage was once a Mediterranean superpower that rivalled Rome. In 218 BCE ... Show More
55m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2024
The Famous Painting Ape
Rerun: Congo, pet chimp of science writer and TV personality Desmond Morris, was considered a novelty in the art world when his paintings were displayed in the 1950’s. But, on 20th June, 2005, three of his works went under the hammer at prestigious London auction house Bonham’s - ... Show More
11m 48s
Nov 2024
Ronny Quevedo, Imagination in the Age of Reason
Episode No. 680 features artist Ronny Quevedo and curator Jillian Kruse. The Menil Drawing Institute is presenting "Wall Drawing Series: Ronny Quevedo" through August 2025. The work on view, titled C A R A A C A R A, is a site-specific drawing that explores the relationship betwe ... Show More
1h 4m
Jul 2024
The Lion's Mane - Part Two
DEMON OF THE SEA - the iconography was everywhere we stepped on the island. Etchings of her on walls, murals in the pub, poems and songs depicting her beauty but also her brutality. Had Harris Stackhurst really fallen victim to an attack from a fantastical demon of the deep?  For ... Show More
37m 11s
Nov 2024
The Story of "The Work of Art" — Adam Moss
Earlier this year, celebrated magazine editor Adam Moss authored his first book, The Work Of Art: How Something Comes From Nothing. Inspired by his experience as a painter, Adam interviewed dozens of the best creatives of our time, from Stephen Sondheim to Sofia Coppola to Ira Gl ... Show More
34m 49s
Sep 2024
Modern Toichographology (MURALS & STREET ART) with Conrad Benner
Murals! Frescos! Graffiti! Street art! Philadelphia is the birthplace of graffiti and the mural capital of the world so we sit down with city historian, journalist, curator, and Toichographologist Conrad Benner to chat about public vs. private art, cultural movements, commissione ... Show More
1h 19m
Mar 2025
Field Trip: Activism Art Panel Recorded at WonderCon
Exactly the inspiration you need. Exactly the perfect time. Pass it on to anyone who loves art and/or speaking up. I went to Comic-Con’s little sister, WonderCon, to moderate a panel on protest art with expert Carol Wells, the founder of the Center for the Study of Political Grap ... Show More
35m 6s
Jun 2025
Alan Michelson Talks Dinosaurs, Murderous US Presidents, and Platinum-Gilded Native “Knowledge Keepers”
As a child, Alan Michelson often rode the T past sculptor Cyrus Edward Dallin’s “Appeal to the Great Spirit” (1908) outside the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA). He was riveted by the statue’s grand horse and the powerful yet melancholy figure wearing a striking Plains Indian wa ... Show More
52m 19s
Jun 2024
Space, Part 1: Giving Form to a Feeling
How does an artist give presence to absence? Bronze, wood, paint, and stone—classic materials for art making. But what if you're trying and struggling to convey a vast expanse, a terrible loss or a haunting presence? In this episode we'll look at two artists who turned to the mat ... Show More
32m 56s
Aug 2024
Trash: The Archaeology of Rubbish
An archaeologist and an artist walk into a dump… For most of us, we throw our garbage to the curb, and it disappears from our lives. But to some, that’s just the beginning of trash’s story. In this episode, we follow two people who seek the truth in trash—an archaeologist who exc ... Show More
34m 58s
Mar 2025
The Norwood Builder - Part One
THE KILLER IN THE KITCHEN - Hector McFarlane bounded through our door somewhat unexpectedly. He was agitated, unnerved and pulsing with fury. He wanted our help and we DID NOT want to give it... at first. Episode description: Part 1 of 4 This episode contains swearing, depictions ... Show More
37m 15s