The very term, 'prehistoric art,'

is difficult to define. Technically

speaking, it refers to the 'art'
made by prehistoric peoples; that
is, by people in those societies
without, and usually before the
development of, written texts. The characteristics of

prehistoric art would vary
according to culture, beliefs,
and the individual artist. The
characteristics would be in the
materials used, it being
charcoal, ash, pigment, or
carvings in stone or wood.
different timelines of the
The longest phase of Stone Age
prehistoric culture culture - known as the
Paleolithic period - is a hunter-
gatherer culture that is usually
divided into three parts:
Paleolithic (2,500,000-200,000
BCE)

Neolithic (200,000-40,000 BCE) Bronze and Iron age (40,000-

10,000 BCE)
 Upper Paleolithic (40,000-
8,000 BCE)
Aurignacian culture (40,000 -
26,000 BCE)
Lower Paleolithic (2,500,000 - Perigordian (Chatelperronian)
200,000 BCE) culture (35,000-27,000 BCE)
Gravettian culture (26,000 -
Olduwan culture (2,500,000 -
20,000 BCE)
1,500,000 BCE)
Solutrean culture (19,000 –
Acheulean culture (1,650,000 -
15,000 BCE)
100,000 BCE) Magdalenian culture (16,000 -
Clactonian culture (c.400,000 8,000 BCE)
– 300,000 BCE)

Middle Paleolithic (200,000 - 40,000 BCE)

Mousterian culture (300,000 - 30,000 BCE)
Levallois Flake Tool culture (dominant
c.100,000 - 30,000 BCE)
 This era is characterized

by farming, domestication

of animals, settled

communities and the

emergence of important

ancient civilizations (eg.

(F
ro
Sumerian, Egyptian). m
B 8,
CE 00
) 0-
Portable art and 4,
00
0
monumental architecture B
CE
to
Era dominate 20
hic 00
olit
Ne

 Bronze Age

(3000 BCE- 1200 BCE)

The time where the development of bronze has emerged

and has been used as a tool for art. The birth of

metallurgy which involves the beginning of mining, tin-

mining, and smelting. Also in this era in Egypt,

metallurgy, architecture, encaustic painting and stone

sculpturing are now being publicized.

Beautiful prehistoric art wall cave paintings dating from

the late Neolithic, Epipaleolithic and early Bronze Age with

hunters, warriors and animals. The Magura cave in

Bulgaria.
 ram in a thicket

A sculpture made from the early era of

Dynastic at Mesopotamia features a ram

standing on its own legs with a face

that focuses on a forlorn look, added

with a thicket. An 18-inch sculpture that

shows a great artistic sensibility. This

is why it is considered a masterpiece of

the time. Made and utilized from gold-

leaf, copper, lapis lazuli, and red

limestone.
 MAIKOP GOLD BULL

Another example from the bronze age, it

was made in Russia and this sculpture was

made in gold in the Maikop culture.

The Maykop culture (also spelled Maikop), c. 3700

to 3000 BC, was a major Bronze Age

archaeological culture in the Western Caucasus

region of Southern Russia. It is contemporaneous

with the late Uruk period in Mesopotamia.

In the early 20th century, researchers established

the existence of a local Maykop animal style in the

artifacts found. This style was seen as the prototype

for animal styles of later archaeological cultures:

the Maykop animal style is more than a thousand

years older than the Scythian, Sarmatian and Celtic

animal styles.

The culture takes its name from a royal burial found in Maykop

in the Kuban River valley.

 iron age ( 1500 BCE -

200 BCE)

When the Bronze Age came to an end,

the development and processing of

Iron became common hence the birth

of more durable materials and the

production of iron tools and

weapons.

In northern Europe, Hallstatt and

La Tene styles of Celtic

craftsmanship prospered, while

around the Mediterranean the

schools of Greek and Persian art

emerged as well as the culture and

architecture of Minoan, Mycenean,

and Etruscan civilization.

broighter collar

The Broigt collar is a piece of luxurious ornamented

jewelry that is believed to be worn by someone in the

higher class. The Broighter collar is a delicate tube of

gold decorated in the La Tene style of Celtic art.

This gold collar is part of the Broighter Gold (also called

Broighter hoard) and dates back to the Iron Age. The hoard

was found near the ancient shore of Lough Foyle at

Broighter, Co. Derry, Ireland. 1st century BCE. (National

Museum of Ireland-Archaeology, Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

 vix krater

Vix Krater is an Ancient Greek and

Celtic bronze sculpture created in 530

BCE. The Vix Krater is 1.64 meters tall

and weighs 208 kilograms. It was also

considered the largest known metal

Krater in the world. The handles

represent figures of gorgons, and the

cast bronze figures on the neck are

Greek warriors, their horses, and

chariots. With a bronze lid. Lastly, in the

center stood a figure of a woman 19

centimeters tall.
cueva de los manos

Cueva de las Manos is located in Patagonia in the

southern part of Argentina and contains cave paintings

that were created between 13,000 and 9,000 years ago.

The cave’s name literally means ‘Cave of hands’ and was

presented that name because of the hundreds of stenciled

hands painted on the cave walls. The age of the paintings

was calculated from the remains of bone-made pipes used

for spraying the paint.

 Bhimbetka Rock Shelters

Bhimbetka is a collection of rock

shelters, located in central India and

contains over 600 paintings that span

the prehistoric paleolithic and mesolithic

periods, the oldest of which dates from

at least 12,000 years.

The paintings depict the lives of the people who resided in

the caves, as well as an array of animals that include

tigers, lions, and crocodiles.

Lascaux Paintings

Lascaux is the setting of a complex of caves near the

village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne in

southwestern France. Over 600 parietal wall paintings

cover the interior walls and ceilings of the cave.

The paintings represent primarily large animals, typical

local and contemporary fauna that correspond with the

fossil record of the Upper Paleolithic time. The drawings are

the combined effort of many generations, and with continued

debate, the age of the paintings is estimated at around

17,000 years (early Magdalenian).

 MAGURA CAVE

Magura Cave is located in the northwest

of Bulgaria and contains a collection of

cave paintings, painted with bat

excrement that dates from 8000-4000

years ago. An excess of 700 paintings has

been discovered in the large cave,

depicting people dancing and hunting as

well as a wide range of animals.

Prehistoric art in china

In China, the oldest artistic traditions were uncovered

are actually musical instruments. Chinese bone flutes

are found across the region and are so carefully

crafted that many were still playable when they were

excavated. The oldest of these may date as far back as

35,000 BCE. Most, however, date to around 8,000 BCE. In

terms of visual arts, two traditions emerged a little

later, mostly centered around the Yellow and Yangtze

river basins, the same locations that would later give

rise to China's first settled societies.

 Prehistoric japanese

art

The oldest examples of Jōmon pottery

have flat bottoms, though pointed

bottoms (meant to be held in small pits

in the earth) became common later. In the

Middle Jōmon period (3000-2000 BCE), simple

decorations on the pottery (created with

cord or through scratching) gave way to

highly elaborate designs. So-called flame

vessels, along with the closely related

crown-formed vessels, are among the

most distinctive forms from this period.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magura_Cave
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhimbetka_rock_shelters
https://www.worldhistory.org/image/4285/broighter-collar/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cueva_de_las_Manos
https://izi.travel/en/88e8-vix-krater/en
https://archaicwonder.tumblr.com/post/131182308059/the-sculptural-figure-
of-a-bull-with-a-hole-in-the
https://www.shutterstock.com/search/neolithic+art
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-prehistoric-art-wall-
cave-paintings-1636058485
MEMBERS
A
AVVE
ENND
DAAN
NOO V
VAAL
LMMO
ONNT
TEE

B
BAAR
RRRE
ETTE
E V
VEER
RGGA
ARRA
A

G
GAAM
MBBO
OAA V
VIIL
LAAR
R

G
GUUE
ERRR
RAA Y
YIIM
M

S
SAAT
TOO