Art Throughout The Ages Final

Paleolithic Era

Period: 30,000 BCE to 9000 BCE

The first sculptures and paintings in the Paleolithic era precede the invention of writing by thousands of years. Humans began to paint and carve images in stone and caves. Women were more common than men, but animals dominated paleolithic art. They often were painted for the purpose of hunting. Artists always depicted animals in profile so that the image was complete, including head, body, tail, and all four legs. This format persisted for millenia.

Apollo 11 Stones

24,000 BCE

Location: Namibia

Era: Paleolithic, 25000-23000 B.C.E
Artist: None
Material: Charcoal, Sandstone

Great Hall of the Bulls

14,000 BCE

Location: France (Lascaux cave)
Era: Paleolithic, 15,000-13,000 B.C.E.
Artist: None
Material: Cave Painting

Neolithic Era

Period: 8000 BCE to 2300 BCE

Around 9000 BC, the ice that had covered much of northern Europe for millennia receded. This marked the beginning of the Neolithic era. The Neolithic era revolutionized human life with the beginning of agriculture and the formation of the first settled communities. The Neolithic era saw the birth of monumental sculpture and monumental stone architecture. In painting, coherent narratives became common and artists began to represent human figures as composites of frontal and profile views.

Stonehenge

2100 BCE

StoneHenge
Location: Wiltshire, U.K.
Era: Neolithic Europe. c. 2500-1600 B.C.E.
Artist: None
Material: Sandstone

Tlatilco female figurine

1100 BCE

Location: Central Mexico, site of Tlatilco.

Era: Neolithic, 1200-900 B.C.E.
Artist: None
Material: Ceramic