Learning from what others leave behind

In this book, Genevieve von Petzinger delves into the little-known geometric images that accompany most cave art from the European Ice Age. She examines these symbols, such as dots, x's, triangles, parallel lines, and spirals, to understand their significance and the cognitive development of our ancestors. The book is part travel journal, part popular science, and part personal narrative, offering a glimpse into the minds of our Ice Age ancestors and the origins of graphic communication. Von Petzinger's research spans 400 sites across Europe, covering a period from 48,000 to 10,000 years ago, and her findings suggest a consistent system of symbolic expression that may have laid the groundwork for modern writing systems.