Paleolithic Art (Old Stone Age)

30,000 BC - 10,000 BC

Otherwise known as Old Stone Age, the Paleolithic period marked the development of the human species - no really. These guys and girls were nomadic (meaning they moved around a lot) people who were hunters and gatherers. They hung out in caves with their stone tools and sometimes they even decorated their surroundings with cave paintings and rock carvings. Prehistoric paint was created by mixing dirt, ground up rocks and animal fat. Sometimes, bits of burnt wood were ground up, mixed with animal fat and used for painting as well. Cave paintings aside, one of the earliest examples of prehistoric art is the Venus of Willendorf - a limestone carving of a female with rather exaggerated bits. Generally speaking, prehistoric art had a great deal to do with magic, fertility and hunting.

Venus of Willendorf
24,000-22,000 BCE
Oolitic limestone
43/8 inches high
Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna

Book Recommendation:
The Cave Painters: Probing the Mysteries of the World's First Artists