World's Oldest "Artist Studio" Discovered in South Africa
An exciting find in Blombos Cave east of Cape Town, South Africa, is believed to be the world's oldest art studio.
According to Discover News, an exciting find in Blombos Cave east of Cape Town, South Africa, is believed to be the world’s oldest art studio. First discovered in 2008, the objects that are 100,000 years old are believed to have been used in a processing workshop where a liquefied ochre-rich mixture was produced. Researchers believe that the ochre were rubbed on quartzite slabs to create a fine red powder, which was used for decoration, painting and skin protection. The mixture was stored in two abalone shells and “tools such as bones, charcoal, grindstones and hammerstones” were also discovered at the site. It is believed the bone was probably used to stir the mixture like a painter’s spalula.
The following video from Public Radio International gives more information on the find.
