ARTKids Prehistoric Art - Paleolithic Age

ARTAges- Prehistoric Art - Paleolithic

Paleolithic Age 30,000 - 10,000 BC (BCE)

Humankind's oldest known forms of art; Paleolithic Art. Paleolithic or "Old Stone Age" is a term used to define the oldest period in the history of humankind. The Paleolithic lasted for some 2.5 million years, from the first stone tools until the end of the last glacial period 10,000 years ago. The people who existed during this time are classified as hunter/gatherers, as it wasn't until 8,000 years ago that agricultural cultivation came about.

Cosquer Cave
Cap Morgiou, France
16,500 BC (BCE)
Charcoal and Maganese Dioxide

Paleolithic items are represented by artifacts from the Caucasus, Crimea, Russian steppes, Siberia and Altai. These are characteristic stone implements 500,000 to 350,000 years old excavated in Armenia, the Kuban and Altai regions, and in the vicinity of the River Dnestr.

Varied artistic objects from the Stone Age were found in the Malta (Siberia), Maininsk (Siberia) and Kostenky I (River Don) Settlements.

Female figurines from the Malta dwellings are worthy of particular attention; amongst them are exceptionally rare early Paleolith figurines wearing some form of garments. Plates made from a mammoth tusk with depiction of a mammoth and snakes, and figurines of flying birds were also discovered in this settlement.

13,000 BC (BCE)

Many objects are decorated with ornamental patterns: from Malta these tend to be depressions and notches forming spiral compositions; from Kostenky I come more geometrical patterns.

Kostenky I