Cave Paintings:

Abstract

Cave paintings are paintings on the walls and ceilings of very old caves. Cave paintings were done about 40,000 years ago in both Asia and Europe. No one knows exactly why prehistoric people painted on the inside of their caves. There is no evidence that they actually lived inside the caves where the paintings have been found, and often the caves are difficult to access. Some of the most famous cave paintings are in France. They are estimated to be about 17,300 years old. The subjects of these painting are mainly animals that are known from fossil evidence to have lived in the area at the time. Some scientists believe that the paintings were a form of communication; others think that they had a religious or ceremonial purpose. Cave painting around the world are surprisingly similar. Animals are the most common subjects. Humans appear as images of hands made stencil‐style, by blowing pigment against a hand held to the wall.