How did cave women deal with periods?

[howmanyleftfeet]

How did our ancient ancestor women deal with periods before we wore clothes?

Periods must have been terribly inconvenient then - did they have periods the same as us?

Do the kind of apes we're close relatives of, have periods like us? Do other animals? Do they really just walk around bleeding?

I can't help wondering if maybe they didn't have periods as heavy / as long as ours. Am I right in thinking, sportswomen who are super fit often don't have regular periods? Presumably cave women would have been super fit and on the move a lot. (Or they wouldn't have survived). Did they perhaps menstruate less often?

Could it be that women didn't ovulate / menstruate except in quieter seasons when not on the move?

So I mentioned this thread on twitter to the wonderful Professor Alice Roberts.

She replied with this: www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/275062

I’m part way through reading that link from Alice Roberts, it’s very interesting, especially how the women know when their period is due.

Fascinating link Paperthin - many thanks.

Bettany Hughes has written about it in the past, well worth getting her opinion if shes active on twitter

Very late to contribute here, although I've been watching and following with interest.

Have always wondered about this - in terms of leaving a trail for the sabre tooths (or equivalent predators)

Yes, and I don't think this question's been answered on here, has it?

Dido, The Wise Wound sounds brilliant.