Prehistoric art

Apollo 11 stones. Namibia. c 25,500 – 25,300 B.C.E Charcoal on Stone The artist utilized the natural plants or minerals in their environment to create a stain and used natural rock as the canvas. ANIMISM: Paleolithic spiritual belief that people could manipulate animals by drawing them in various configurations. These stones were once part of a cave; they once fit together but have broken apart over time.

Ambum stone. Ambum Valley, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea. c. 1500 B Ambum stone. Ambum Valley, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea. c.1500 B.C.E. Greywacke. Found in Papua New Guinea, the carved stone represents an ancient echidna, or anteater. Greywacke is a variety of sandstone generally characterized by its hardness, dark color; New Zealand’s bedrock is made of greywacke. The significance and function of such stone images remain unknown, although present day people of the region consider them sacred.

Caves were very important to prehistoric man, providing both shelter and a place for spiritual and religious worship. These paintings depict a variety of animals, which were the ultimate center of man's world during prehistoric times, essential to survival. Caves with paintings such as these became a place in which early people spent more time on their migratory path. Great Hall Of the Bulls, Lascaux, France. Paleolithic Europe. 15,000 – 13,000 B.C.E. Rock Painting ANIMISM: Paleolithic spiritual belief that people could manipulate animals by drawing them in various configurations.