Pre-Historic Art

The earliest figurine yet discovered come from between 500,000 and 300,000 BC, during the Middle Acheulean period. Discovered in Morocco, it is about 6 centimeters long. Evidence suggests that this Moroccan piece may have been created by natural geological processes with a minimum of human tool-work, but the piece bears evidence of having been painted; "a greasy substance" on the stone's surface has been shown to contain iron and manganese and indicates that it was decorated by someone and used as a figurine, regardless of how it may have been formed.

Discoveries in Blombos cave, situated in South Africa, have totally changed the history of art. Stones were discovered that were decorated with complex red arrays, showing that early Homo Sapiens Sapiens were capable of abstraction and production of art. These impressive works date back from 70,000 years ago i.e. more than 50,000 years compared to Lascaux in France.

Venus of WillendorfThe earliest known European art is from the upper palaeolithic period and includes both cave painting, such as the famous paintings at Lascaux, and portable art, such as animal carvings and so-called Venus figurines like the Venus of Willendorf.

There are some speculations that only Homo sapiens is capable of artistic expression. However, Homo erectus had long before produced seemingly aimless patterns on artifacts such as is those found at Bilzingsleben in Thuringia, and these might be understood as a precursor to art, as well as to reveal some intent of the artificer to decorate, to fashion beyond practical necessity.

The symmetry and attention given to the shape of a tool has led authors to see middle palaeolithic hand axes and especially laurel points as artistic expressions as well. The Venus of Berekhat Ram (Israel) and its counterpart in Morocco, the Venus of Tan-Tan, from 800,000 and 220,000 BC, may be the earliest attempts to recreate the human form. A recent find, the Mask of La Roche-Cotard in France, now suggests that Neanderthal humans may have developed a sophisticated and more complicated artistic tradition.

Drawing of bracelets from Mousterian period.Later findings from terrains of Ukraine (Mizyn archeological site) dated from Mousterian epoch of Paleolithic are Mammoth ivory bracelets with carved meander ornaments.

Mesolithic

The Mesolithic period has some examples of portable art, like painted pebbles (Azilien) from Birseck, Eremitage in Switzerland, and in some areas, like the Spanish Levant, stylized rock art. Patterns on utilitarian objects, like the paddles from Tybrind Vig, Denmark, are known as well.