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A unique collection of prints depicting rock and cave art from up to 28,000 years ago have been preserved for display at the University of Bradford.

Some 29 silkscreen prints by the late British artist Douglas Mazonowicz were donated to the University by his brother, Denis Mason, in July last year.

Now, after a successful bid for funds from the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB), work to frame the prints is almost complete.

Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Anthropology Dr Randolph Donahue, who was awarded the £5,000 grant from AHRB, said: "This work really is superb and is one of the finest collections of its type anywhere in the world."

Mr Mazonowicz visited almost inaccessible ancient sites in Europe and Africa in the 1950s and 1960s when he produced the work.

The prints depict famous scenes of extinct animals, prehistoric hunting, and tribal warfare from sites in Spain, France and the Central Sahara region of Africa.

Some experts have suggested that some works now show more detail than the original cave paintings, due to the passing of time and impact of visitors to these ancient sites.

When the collection was donated, the prints arrived unframed in cardboard tubes and there were no means to display the collection.

Dr Donahue said he hoped that as well as the collection being available to the public, students would be able to use the collection to help with their studies. He added: "It is interesting to see how the prehistoric artists viewed their own culture and the environment around them.

"One of the beautiful things about the silk screen printing technique used to produce the collection is that it gives one a much better feel for the texture of the natural stone surfaces and its impact on the original paintings, something that is not easily achieved through photographs."

It is hoped the collection will be unveiled to students and the public in September in the Department of Archaeological Sciences' Phoenix Building.

Notes to Editors

• A photograph to accompany this press release is available from the Press Office.
• Caption: The Douglas Mazonowicz Silkscreen Collection of Prehistoric Art has been preserved for future display at the University.

Further information

For further information, please contact Rachael Ellis in Corporate Communications on (01274) 233084/9 or 07879 437986. Alternatively, e-mail press@bradford.ac.uk or fax on (01274) 236280.

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