Ancestory – The mystery and majesty of ancient cave art – is a wonderfully illustrated non-fiction book that brings to life the history of ancient civilisations and cultures through rock art. Not only do the drawings (or time capsules as they are referred to by the author Hannah Salyer) depict how life could have been many, many years ago, Salyer also explores with the reader whether the drawings could have been used for other reasons – for example, to map the stars, tell ancient stories, share important information or show drawings of animals now long extinct.

There are many interesting facts to discover, including the materials that would have been used to create ancient drawings and also the differing locations (for example within caves) these have been found in. In particular, the reference to drawings like these being prominent today in some cultures still or disappearing due to climate change or vandalism are pivotal and tell the ultimate message by the author: we must work together to protect these important pieces of early history and knowledge. To quote the author, “we have roughly only 3% of modern human history recorded in writing.”

This book also offers some additional extras that are both informative and enjoyable: a map of rock art sites located around the world; a glossary of key vocabulary to support the reader’s understanding; a timeline; resources for further investigation as well as shares the story of the Lascaux caves in southern France. These pages, amongst others in the book, could be used to inspire some fantastic writing and discussion. This book is a must when launching into the theme of prehistory, with links to the Stone Age and Iron Age topics, or used as the beginning of an experiment linking to rocks in science. Furthermore, it could be used within art for pupils to replicate their own rock art drawings.