PREHISTORIC ART – PALEOLITHIC PERIOD

Paleolithic period, also known as the Stone Age, is the time when stone tools began to develop. This period began at about 2.5 million years ago but ended at different times in different parts of the world, generally around 10,000 years ago. Discoveries of arts from this period, however, dated only up to around 40,000 years ago. Most of the arts found are from the Upper Paleolithic period. The ones responsible for the artworks of this period are the European early modern humans. Thus, Upper Paleolithic period can be simply as the time where Homo sapiens were rising along with their mastery of tools and weapons creations.  



Hall of Bulls
Lascaux Cave, France
16,000 – 14,000 BCE

        Lascaux is located in Southern France and was discovered in 1940. The above picture, the Hall of Bulls, is only one part of the wall in the Lascaux Cave. The Hall of Bulls is a painting dated up to 16,000 BCE, the Late Upper Paleolithic period. Researchers believe that at least two kinds of prehistoric people are involved during the painting process, which is the ‘master’ artist and their assistant. While the ‘master’ artist was the one to plot a particular form, complete the outline and add colors, the assistant was the one who mixed pigments to produce different colors and held lamps made of animal fat to light up space. Most cave paintings from the Upper Paleolithic period show pictures of animals and the Hall of Bulls indeed is a painting of animals; black bulls or aurochs, stags, and horses. One of the theories regarding the Hall of Bulls was suggested by a French archaeologist Henri Breuil. He believed that the paintings played a role in “hunting magic.” Breuil’s theory suggests that the cave people believed paintings of their prey, specially created during rituals, would enable them to gain control over the prey and would ensure fruitful hunting. This seems to be a reasonable interpretation of the painting as animal hunting was their way to survive. However, it is only a mere theory that tries to understand life back then and further research is needed to have more accurate interpretations. 

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