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Paleolithic, 40,000 - 30,000 BCE. Charcoal and polychrome. Santillana del Mar, Spain.
The cave paintings of Altamira include over 18 caves. The subject matter ranges from animals to figures to the abstract. To create the art, they used chisels, charcoal, and even "blow pipes" made out of the bones of birds(UNESCO). Image credit: Fruneau, Yvon. Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain, whc.unesco.org/en/list/310/gallery/. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026. -
The Paleolithic Era goes as far back as 40,000 BCE. We have limited clues on how they lived since these people were hunter gatherers (Jones). Objects that were created included nonobjective patterns and abstracted portrayals of animals and humans. These could have been used for rituals, personal expression, and/or other communications. At this point, we know that these weren't decorations since they are very far removed location and there are no signs of domestic life nearby.
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Paleolithic Period, Woman of Willendorf. c. 28,000–25,000 BCE. limestone. 4.4 in. Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna.
This might have been used as a ritual item. Her large breasts, detailed genitals, and lack of attention to the face, limbs, might point to fertility. It's small size suggest it was portable (Zygmont). Photo credit: Dr. Bryan Zygmont, "Venus of Willendorf," in Smarthistory, November 21, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/venus-of-willendorf/. Accessed January 26, 2026. -
Paleolithic Period, Apollo 11 Cave, c. 25,500–25,300 B.C.E., stone Windhoek, Namibia. Discovered in 1969 and named after the current space efforts at the time, the Apollo 11 Stones were found along with various tools like scrapers and blades. They even used egg shells and red pigment. These could be some of the tools used to decorate (Hager). Image credit: State Museum of Namibia. cdn.kastatic.org/ka-content-images/cddcceac1f863ff6f78b997bfcae276bbbed3cab.jpg. Accessed 27 Jan, 2026. -
Paleolithic Period, Lingjing Bird, 15500 BCE. 0.75 x 0.5". Bone. Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Zhengzhou,
China.
This small, black bird was found on the site of Lingjing. This is one of the earliest found carvings of a bird in China and that researchers have determined that 4 techniques and multiple tools were used to create it (Saraceni).
Image credit: d’Errico, Francesco, and Luc Doyon. news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2020/06/Bird.jpg. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026. -
The Neolithic Period occurred between 10,000 - 3,000 BCE. Neolithic meaning "New Stone Age". This period marks a shift from nomadic life to a more agricultural life. People were domesticating animals and staying put, allowing for more objects to be made and accumulated (Jones).
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Neolithic Period, The Jericho Skull, Bone, Plaster, Shells. 6.7 in x 5.5 in Jericho, Israel. British Museum, London, England. Jericho is the longest continuously occupied site in the world, for more than 10,000 years. The Jericho Skull's usage is unknown, but scientists think that it was for a mourning ritual. It is covered in plaster with shells over the eyes. (The British Museum) Image Credit: The British Museum. www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/141308001. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026. -
Neolithic Period, Çatalhöyük Landscape Mural, 7500 - 5700 BCE, stone and pigments. Çatalhöyük, Turkey. This wall painting is thought to be one of the first landscape paintings and includes a volcano erupting. The red squares are thought to represent the homes of the residents of Çatalhöyük, which are densely situated together. (The Archaeologist). Image credit: Clarke, Keith. media.npr.org/assets/img/2014/01/08/dsc_0035-2-_wide-360f1a9bbb4fc13c3a1637cac413f1a2735d42a5.jpg. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026. -
Neolithic Period, Bull bucrania, c. 7400–5200 B.C.E., Rock and bone. Çatalhöyük, Turkey
The homes in here were found to have deceased beneath floors. The bull is a heavily featured animal in homes on murals. Also incorporated are bucranias. Some are plastered, painted, incorporated in walls and floors. A theory is that it was for protection (German).
Image credit: Çatalhöyük. 7 Nov. 2008, smarthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3009683233_20943246fb_o-2048x1357.jpg. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026. -
German, Senta. “Çatalhöyük – Smarthistory.” Smarthistory.org, 8 Aug. 2015, smarthistory.org/catalhoyuk/. Hager, Natalie. “Apollo 11 Stones (Article).” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/global-prehistory-ap/paleolithic-mesolithic-neolithic-apah/a/apollo-11-stones-2. Haughton, Brian. “Stonehenge.” World History Encyclopedia, 14 Dec. 2010, www.worldhistory.org/stonehenge/#ci_author_and_copyright. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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Jones, Muffet. Introduction to Art. boisestate.pressbooks.pub/arthistory/. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026. Saraceni, Jessica Esther. “News - Paleolithic Bird Figurine Identified in China - Archaeology Magazine.” Archaeology Magazine, 11 June 2020, archaeology.org/news/2020/06/11/200612-china-paleolithic-bird/. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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The British Museum. “The Jericho Skull” Smarthistory.org, smarthistory.org/jericho-skull/. The Archaeologist, 31 Aug. 2024, www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/the-atalhyks-volcano-mural-the-worlds-earliest-depiction-of-a-volcanic-eruption. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. “Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain.” Unesco.org, 2013, whc.unesco.org/en/list/310/. Zygmont, Bryan. “Venus of Willendorf.” Smarthistory.org, 21 Nov. 2015, smarthistory.org/venus-of-willendorf/.