Cavepainting

Prehistoric rock paintings are known all over the world today. The oldest rock paintings have so far been discovered in Europe, mainly in Spain and France. The rock painting dates from between 32,000 and 15,000 years ago. During this Palaeolithic period, Europeans lived as hunters and gatherers in an environment shaped by the Ice Age.

Because these known rock paintings represent only a small part of the original occurrence, it is difficult to say where Stone Age people placed their rock paintings and for what purpose they were primarily used.

Since the discovery of the first cave paintings, it has been assumed that they served ritual purposes and were not just decorative. This is indicated by the inaccessible location of many rock paintings.

The representations consist primarily of animal signs. This gave rise to the theory of a "hunting spell", which is now considered outdated and oversimplified. In addition to animals, there are also many mysterious signs and handprints. In a few cases, humans and mixed creatures of humans and animals are shown, which is one of the most dramatic and fascinating depictions.

For a long time, cave paintings were little known or probably went unnoticed. One reason was probably that the rock paintings had often only survived in very inaccessible caves. Only towards the turn of the last century, when interest in testimonies from the early history of mankind began to increase, did such works of art receive more attention.