Paleolithic/Neolithic Art

Paleolithic Period

Period: 40,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE

Paleolithic art was created between 40,000 and 10,000 BCE. Materials used were stone, bone, and ivory, they painted and carved animals, people, and symbols on cave walls and in rock shelters. Many of these images may have helped tell stories, mark seasons, or express spiritual beliefs connected to survival and nature. Overall, this art reflects a very human desire to communicate, believe, and express creativity long before written language existed.

Lion-Man

30,000 BCE

Upper Paleolithic, Aurignacian Culture, Lion-Man, 35,000-30,000 BCE, Mammoth Ivory, 12.2" ht, Meesum Ulm Ulm, Germany The Lion-Man sculpture shows Upper Paleolithic spent their lives hunting and trying to survive, used art to imagine worlds beyond their everyday struggles. By combining a human body with a lion, which can mean strength, courage, and spiritual protection in a single figure. Carved from mammoth ivory, it reflects their stories, rituals, and deep connection to the natural world.

Woman of Willendorf

28,000 BCE

Upper Paleolithic, Gravettian Culture, Woman of Willendorf, c. 28,000-25,000 BCE, Limestone, 4.4" Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria The Woman of Willendorf shows how Upper Paleolithic thought about survival, fertility, and community. Her rounded belly and full breasts likely symbolized health, nourishment, and the ability to bring life into the world. Carved from limestone, she reflects early humans’ care for family, well-being, and their close connection to nature.

Neolithic Period

Period: 10,000 BCE to 3000 BCE

Neolithic art started around 10,000 BCE. Instead of focusing only on survival, artists created pottery, textiles, carvings, and large stone monuments that reflected daily life, shared beliefs, and community identity. Using materials like clay and stone, they decorated useful objects and built structures that supported rituals, fertility beliefs, and social traditions.

Stonehenge

4000

Stonehenge, Neolithic, Salisbury Plain, Southern England, c. 4000–2000 BCE, sarsen and bluestone megaliths, 30 ft tall, 100 ft diameter, open-air monument. Stonehenge shows how Neolithic farming communities came together, working as a team to build a monument that connects them to nature and the seasons. The massive stones reflect their curiosity about the world and their spiritual beliefs. It’s a monument about community, rituals, and maybe a place of worship.

Seated Woman

6000

Neolithic Period, Natufian Culture, Seated Woman of Catalhoyuk, c. 6000 BCE, 8.25" ht, Baked clay, The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara, Turkey The Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük shows how Neolithic farmers, who worked hard to grow food and care for their communities, valued fertility and abundance. Sitting confidently, she likely represented a goddess bringing health, prosperity, and protection, reflecting their beliefs and connection to life’s forces.