Global Prehistoric Art, 30,000–500 BCE

Accidentally by amateur spelunkers

By construction workers building new infrastructure

During archaeological excavations for the site's foundation

While searching for fossils by paleontologists

Bronze and iron metals

Silk screens with ink printing

Stone and earth pigments

Oil-based paints on canvas

They maintained the traditional style of muscular pharaohs to emphasize continuity in leadership.

Colossal statues were exclusively used for temple entrances, reflecting traditional architectural norms.

The statues were smaller than previous ones, symbolizing a reduction in royal authority.

They depicted a more naturalistic and less idealized form of the pharaoh, aligning with his religious reforms.

Emphasis on fertility and femininity representing life-giving qualities essential for survival.

Portraits commemorating individual women who held positions of power in society.

Toys designed for young females as part of their preparation for adulthood roles.

Idealized standards of beauty focusing on physical appearance customary at that time.

To create maps for navigation.

To communicate and record information.

To decorate living spaces.

As a form of currency exchange.

Gender equality was established early as both male and female forms received equal artistic attention during this period.

Women were primary hunters, evidenced by exaggerated physical features idealizing strength.

They may reflect a reverence for women’s roles, possibly linked to fertility and sustenance within these communities.

Male-dominated societies created female imagery solely for ritualistic purposes without social importance.

Megaliths' layouts were primarily defensive structures with no significant cosmological purpose.

Astronomical events likely influenced the alignment and positioning related to solstices and equinoxes.

Structures served mainly burial purposes, with their layout unrelated to astronomical observations.

They functioned as communal gathering sites where celestial bodies held little to no significance.

Stelae illustrated daily life, prioritizing realistic representation over mythological or ritual themes associated with authority.

Monuments showed detailed battle scenes celebrating victories over enemies, emphasizing military might over spiritual leadership.

The stelae portrayed rulers engaging with deities which legitimized their divine right to rule amongst subjects.

Stelae depicted common people, underscoring communal participation and egalitarianism within Maya society.

Stone.

Metal.

Wood.

Clay.

A close dependence on and respect for wildlife crucial to survival and spirituality.

Predominant leisure activities focusing largely on sport hunting practices.

The existence of pet-keeping traditions parallel to modern-day practices.

Early attempts at scientific classification based on observing animal behaviors.