Paleolithic

Art and Language

There were two kinds of art in the Paleolithic era, the portable art and the stationary.

Portable art consisted of either figurines or decorated objects.

These things were carved from stone, bone or antler or modelled with clay. Portable art from this time
was figurative, meaning it actually depicted something recognizable, whether animal or human in
form. The figurines are often referred to by the collective name of "Venus," as they are unmistakably
females of child-bearing build.

There were also jewelry made from snail shells that are strung and covered with red ochre. The beads
and ochre were often etched with simple geometric patterns.

Stationary art mainly consisted of cave paintings. Paints were made from combinations of minerals,
ochres, burnt bone meal and charcoal mixed into mediums of water, blood, animal fats and tree saps.
The paintings may have served some form of ritualistic purpose, as they are located far from the
mouths of caves where everyday life took place. Cave paintings contain far more non-figurative art,
meaning many elements are symbolic rather than realistic. The clear exception is in the depiction of
animals, which are vividly realistic. Humans, on the other hand, are either completely absent or stick
figures.

Language was one of the most important innovation of the Paleolithic era. Without the aid of language
it would have been impossible for the early humans to traverse large swaths of land, to establish
settlements, to create tools, and to institute social hierarchies and cultures.

Examinations of the craniums of archaic Homo sapiens suggest large brains with indentations that
imply the development of brain areas associated with speech