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Early humans were bad at drawing

Drawing - Level 0

Humans from 35,000 years ago could not draw so well. The humans became extinct. They had large brains and made tools, but found it difficult to draw. Later humans drew animals on rocks and cave walls. A professor studied drawings of animals made 30,000 years ago in the south of France.

The professor said hunting skills affected drawing skill. Later humans hunted dangerous animals. This needed good hand-eye movement. Humans who lived over 35,000 years ago could not use their hand-eye movement to draw. Later humans used drawings to plan hunting and to discuss which part of an animal's body to hit.

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Drawing - Level 1

Humans who lived 35,000 years ago were not so good at drawing. The humans, called Neanderthal man, became extinct. They had large brains and made tools to hunt. They found it difficult to draw things. Later humans could draw animals on rocks and cave walls. An expert on pre-historic drawings studied photos and videos of early art. He studied drawings of animals made 30,000 years ago in the south of France.

The professor said hunting skills affected drawing ability. Neanderthal man hunted animals that were easy to kill. Later humans hunted dangerous animals. This needed better hand-eye movement. Neanderthal man could not use their hand-eye coordination to draw. The professor said later humans used drawings to plan hunting. They also used the drawings to discuss which parts of an animal's body to hit.

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Drawing - Level 2

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Neanderthal man, who lived over 35,000 years ago, was not as good at drawing as later humans. Neanderthal man became extinct tens of thousands of years ago. They had large brains and made tools to hunt, but they found it difficult to draw things. Later humans could draw animals and other figures on rocks and cave walls. Professor Richard Coss, an expert on pre-historic drawings, studied photos and videos of early art. He studied drawings of animals made by human artists from 28,000 to 32,000 years ago in the south of France.

The difference in drawing ability could be because of hunting skills. Neanderthal man hunted animals that were easier to kill. Later humans hunted dangerous animals. This needed better hand-eye coordination. Professor Coss said Neanderthal man could remember what animals looked like, but they could not use these mental images with the hand-eye coordination that is necessary for drawing. Professor Coss said later humans used drawings to plan their hunting. They used the drawings to discuss which parts of an animal's body to target.

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Drawing - Level 3

An early species of humans who lived between 120,000 and 35,000 years ago were not as good at drawing as early modern humans. The species is called Neanderthal man. They became extinct tens of thousands of years ago. They had large brains and made complex tools to hunt, but they never showed the ability to draw recognizable images. This is unlike early modern humans who drew animals and other figures on rocks and cave walls. Professor Richard Coss, an expert on pre-historic drawings, studied ancient photos and video film of early art. He studied charcoal drawings and engravings of animals made by human artists from 28,000 to 32,000 years ago in southern France.

A professor said the difference in artistic skills could be because of the way they hunted. Neanderthal man hunted tamer animals that were easier to kill. However, early modern humans hunted more dangerous animals. This needed better hand-eye coordination. Professor Coss said: "Neanderthals could mentally visualize previously seen animals from working memory, but they were unable to translate those mental images effectively into the coordinated hand-movement patterns required for drawing." Professor Coss said early modern humans used drawings to plan hunts and to focus on and discuss which parts of an animal's body to target.

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