Layered Presence

What would it have felt like to step inside a cave 40,000 years ago? What would you have seen, heard or smelled, and who might have been there before you?

At Creswell Crags, near Sheffield, archaeologists are uncovering clues about how Neanderthals and early modern humans survived during the Ice Age. From ancient stone tools and animal bones to some of Britain's earliest cave art, these discoveries help us understand how our ancestors lived and interacted with the natural world.

In this podcast, University of Sheffield paleoanthropologist Dr Kevin Kuykendall joins visual artist Vanesa van Vlerken to discuss Layered Presence, a multisensory art installation at Festival of the Mind 2026 inspired by the prehistoric caves of Creswell Crags.

Together, they explore how archaeology helps us understand human evolution and prehistoric life, while also asking questions that science alone can't always answer. What did our ancestors feel when they entered a cave? How did they understand the marks left behind by others thousands of years earlier?

They also share how their creative collaboration brought the installation to life. Through large abstract paintings, sounds recorded in the caves, lighting and smells, Layered Presence invites visitors to imagine what life might have been like thousands of years ago.

Listen to discover how art and archaeology can help us connect with our prehistoric past, understand our relationship with nature and see the world through the eyes of those who came before us.