Prehistoric men and facial hair

[Otzi]

I have always wondered why mock ups of "cavemen" always show the face as clean shaved, is this to show the detail of the face's features or did they actually lack facial hair?

There have been a few studies on the difference between head hair and body hair but I've never seen any info about men being able to shave/cut their hair.

[Pot-Kettle]

I have always wondered why mock ups of "cavemen" always show the face as clean shaved, is this to show the detail of the face's features or did they actually lack facial hair?

There have been a few studies on the difference between head hair and body hair but I've never seen any info about men being able to shave/cut their hair.

Yes, I've noticed this. I don't know why cavemen, especially in Europe, are depicted largely beardless. On the other hand, bearded people may have covered less of a range in prehistoric times. Some Europeans don't really grow beards either, so it's not inherently an innacurate depiction. Short answer....not sure :|

[Gungnir]

I thought they usually gave them those scraggly teenage beards.

[OldPretan]

I have always wondered why mock ups of "cavemen" always show the face as clean shaved, is this to show the detail of the face's features or did they actually lack facial hair?

There have been a few studies on the difference between head hair and body hair but I've never seen any info about men being able to shave/cut their hair.

I'm sure it could be done with the right shaped flint.

[Hue-man]

I believe there's evidence which shows that some prehistoric men used stone tools to shave. It shouldn't be that difficult to make a stone shaving blade.

[Otzi]

Yeah but there is no motive, unless for comfort, I doubt there were many job interviews 10,000 years ago.

[Hue-man]

Yeah but there is no motive, unless for comfort, I doubt there were many job interviews 10,000 years ago.

They did it for the ladies man. :lol:

[Dave]

they obviously had facial hair

http://aka.media.entertainment.sky.com/image/unscaled/2011/09/16/An-Idiot-Abroad-2-Episode-1-Desert-Island.jpg

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrz2jqfNlP1qkt8mco1_250.png


http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2010/06/29/karl-pilkingtons-seven-wond.jpg

http://www.tv3.co.nz/Portals/0/AM/2011/1/14/68335/Karl-Pilkington-Egypt.jpg?crop=auto&maxwidth=600&maxheight=400

http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01374/SNN12TV02F-_1374272a.jpg

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ls056rbrpt1r3pcbso7_250.gif

[Heladageniskogen]

Doubt people shaved until the copper/bronze age (for technical reasons) and back then it was most likely as foreign for normal people as the wigs and powder of the 18th century was for everyday people at the time.

Shaving might have been a status symbol with some ritual meaning. "I am powerful, I can control my body, I can control my manhood, I can control nature".

[Bauer]

a realistic construction means a lot of work, especially adding facial hair, so maybe that the reason.

[annihilus]

It sucks for male's to have pubic hair on their face:(

[Particula]

If prehistoric men had our intelligence they probably knew how to make tools to shave their faces
I don't think prehistoric homo sapiens sapiens were much different from us

[Kwestos]

I find it interesting, I doubt intelligence grew that much, but we dont know how were standards and fashion. They could have had eg long mustaches or only beards or sidebeards, who knows.