Israeli scientists from Tel Aviv University have proposed an unusual hypothesis that Paleolithic children who created finger paintings in underground caves were mini-priests or spiritual mediators. The team argues that children were considered adept mediators between the world of the living and the world of spirits that could be encountered in the caves. Modern scholars believe that up to 40% of the general population of Upper Paleolithic humans were children or young adults. The researchers based their hypothesis on documented practices among contemporary indigenous tribes and ancient cultures that regarded caves as gateways to the underworld.