Cave Painting

prehistoric art · archaeology · ancient humans

Art on stone. Cave paintings are pictures that ancient people made directly on the walls and ceilings of caves. These are some of the oldest artworks humans have ever created.

Super duper old. Scientists believe the oldest cave paintings were made tens of thousands of years ago, way before writing or even farming existed.

Multiple artists. Most cave paintings were made by Homo sapiens, which is us, but some were actually created by Neanderthals and Denisovans, who were our cousins that lived before modern humans.

Pictures of animals. Many cave paintings show large animals like horses, bison, and deer that the ancient artists saw around them or hunted for food.

Parietal art mystery. Parietal art is the fancy archaeology term for pictures on cave walls, and scientists are still trying to figure out exactly why ancient people made them.