Paleolithic & Neolithic Art

By Michelle Corona
  • Period: 30,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE

    Paleolithic Period

    The Paleolithic Period, or Old Stone Age, (30,000 BCE- 10,000 BCE) showcased the first phase of human life and creativity. During this period, humans relied on hunting and gathering using stone tools. Survival was a major skill and essential during this time. Later on, humans began to produce works of art such as cave paintings, rock art, and jewelry, and began to engage in religious behavior such as burial and rituals.
  • 18,000 BCE

    Paleolithic Art, Bison Cave Painting, 18,000 BCE, Mineral pigments, Cave of Altamira, Spain

    The cave painting of Bisons at the Altamira Cave in Spain (18,000 BCE) truly showcases the artistic expression of the Paleolithic era. It depicts early human connections to the animals during the time, perhaps for spiritual reasons. The painting has a natural and realistic style which provides an understanding of how life, nature, and sense of communication was captured through the movement and anatomical accuracy of the creatures that lived during the time.
  • 15,500 BCE

    Paleolithic Art, Lingjing Bird statuette, 15,500 BCE, Burnt Stone, 19.2 mm in length, 5.1 mm in width, 12.5 mm tall, , Lingjing China

    The Lingjing bird statuette (15,500 BCE) is an artifact that truly portrays the Paleolithic era because it shows how humans during the time expressed their connection to animals through art. The bird is showcased as an abstract form, has no carved features, just the general shape which could mean it may have had a spiritual or ritual significance. Rather than a form of decoration, to use this piece as a vessel or symbolic item shows how humans saw animals as part of their spiritual beliefs.
  • Period: 10,000 BCE to 3000 BCE

    Neolithic Age

    The Neolithic or New Stone Age (10,000 BCE- 3,000 BCE) showcased a phase of human development. This period was marked by a progression in behavioral and cultural characteristics including the domestication of animals and crops, and development of architecture. The creation of more advanced tools, pottery, and civilization came into play.
  • 7400 BCE

    Neolithic Art, Çatalhöyük Bull Bucrania, 7400 BCE, Plastered clay on bull horns, Konya in south-central Turkey

    The Çatalhöyük Bull Bucrania (7400 BCE) is significant to the Neolithic period because it shows how early humans had a sense of symbolic expression, through the importance of bulls, or bull horns in their spiritual life. Its characteristics of real animal skulls and horns are arranged in a surrounding way, perhaps to symbolize a sense of protection. This showcases how animals; specifically bulls, were symbolized a certain way and even considered a deity.
  • 7000 BCE

    Neolithic Art, Jericho Skull, 7000 BCE, Bone, shell and clay, 15.2 x 16.7 x 22 cm, The British Museum London

    The Jericho Skull (7000 BCE)portrays the Neolithic Era as being associated with the afterlife because it shows how early humans believed in honoring the dead and ancestors. The skull itself has realistic features plastered onto it, depicting a person to keep their presence alive in the Jericho community. This piece showcases how early humans started to take interest in death and connection to the afterlife through artistic expression in keeping the deceased alive in spirit.