Letter: Art first

From Anthony O

In an otherwise fascinating exploration of civilisation’s true beginning (5 October, p 32), David Robson states that art has its roots 8300 years ago.

However, there are earlier examples as exemplified by the recent Ice Age Art exhibition at the British Museum in London. Then there is the incomparable art of the Chauvet cave in France, roughly 32,000 years old, the Coliboaia cave in Romania, which dates to roughly 30,000 BC, and the later, but still significantly early art of Altamira cave in Spain and Lascaux in France.

Not forgetting the extraordinary sculpture from the Dolní Vˇestonice archaeological site in the Czech Republic, which dates from roughly 25,000 BC.

So art seems to predate civilisation and agriculture by a substantial margin.
Louisburgh, County Mayo, Ireland

'Brien