cave art from the stone age

Cave paintings, also known as rock art, are illustrations created on cave walls during the Stone Age (Paleolithic Era), often depicting animals and using natural materials like charcoal and ochre. Here’s a more detailed look:Key Features of Stone Age Cave Paintings:Themes:Common subjects include animals, particularly those hunted by early humans, like bison, horses, and deer. Materials:Artists used natural pigments like red and yellow ochre, manganese or carbon for black, and sometimes china clay for white. Techniques:Paintings were created by brushing, dabbing, stamping, smearing, spraying, or engraving/carving. Tools:Simple tools like fingers, chewed sticks, or fur were used as brushes. Examples:Altamira (Spain): Known for its anatomically accurate bison depictions. Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc (France): Features a rich variety of animal and geometric images. Lascaux (France): Famous for its massive murals depicting animal movement and characteristics. Bhimbetka (India): A collection of rock shelters with over 600 paintings spanning the prehistoric paleolithic and mesolithic periods. Cueva de las Manos (Argentina): Exhibits hundreds of outlines of human hands, hunting scenes, and animals. Toquepala Caves (Peru): Contain at least 50 noted pieces, with artists using paint made from hematite. Significance:Cave paintings provide insights into the lives, beliefs, and art forms of early humans. Dating:The oldest known cave art, including non-figurative art, dates back to around 63,000 BCE, created by Neanderthals. Modern Human Art:Famous examples of cave art by Homo sapiens (modern humans) date back to at least 40,000 BCE.