Counting the Children

The Role of Children in the Production of Finger Flutings in Four U pper P alaeolithic Caves

Bibliographic Data

ID11446554
AuthorsLeslie Van Gelder (Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership Walden University Minneapolis Minnesota USA, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume34
Issue2
Pages119-138
Publication date2015-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueOxford Journal of Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0262-5253 • E-ISSN: 1468-0092
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/ojoa.12052
OpenAlexW1870055606
LanguageEN
Citations received31
References cited14

Children and young adults are believed to have represented up to 40 per cent of U pper P alaeolithic populations, yet little is known of their engagement in deep caves besides evidence of their hand and footprints. In this study we examine finger flutings, lines drawn with fingers in soft surfaces, in 12 F ranco‐ C antabrian U pper P alaeolithic caves to look for forensic evidence of unique individuals. We find evidence of children as finger fluters in four caves ( El C astillo, L as C himeneas, R ouffignac and G argas). We discuss the types, locations and frequency of their flutings, as well as the relationship between their flutings and those made by non‐children in the same caves and chambers. The small number of participants calls into question past theories of children's engagement in ritual and initiation in these particular caves

Archaeology · Cave · Sociology · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · Demography · History · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Psychology

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub