Assignment 1 Paleolithic Artifacts

Suad Mohamed
Paleolithic artifacts are one of the main factors that give us insight into the origins, culture, and
advancements of our prehistoric ancestors. As the Paleolithic era evolves and develops many
transitions occur with the context of the time frame such as; climate, human interactions, lifestyles,
and the environment. As all of these factors evolve so do the artifacts. Many of the artifacts created
by the early humans were for ornamental, practical, and domestic reasons.
It is known that as the early homo sapiens spread and migrated to new lands they developed
complex and creative tools as well as art. Stone artifacts were one of the first and more prominent
paleolithic artifacts historians use to remodel the lives of the early humans. There have been various stone
artifacts found with different usages by early humans. Stone tools give us perspective of the lifestyles of
the early humans in reference to whether they hunted or foraged for food. Hunting tools must have been
created and used by the early humans in order to hunt their prey. Cave drawings and rock paintings were
not artworks made for only aesthetics. Though, some cave drawings maybe quite complex, they give us
entail on the culture of the homo sapiens residing in the land the drawings were located in. Cave paintings
may serve as the only documents left behind in civilizations.
The Apollo 11 Cave stones found in present day Namibia depict a four legged mammal. These
slabs were dated from about 25,000 years ago. The Apollo 11 slabs are one of the oldest known artifacts
to be found in Africa. These cave drawings shows us that not only did the inhabitants know how to form
symbols but they let us know that they co-existed with mammals. The figure looks a bit like a canine
which could mean that the homo sapiens that occupied the land could have lived with domestic dogs.
Cave paintings often uncover whether the residents of the prehistoric civilizations believed in a
higher power or a spiritual world. The ‘Australian Shamans in a Trance’ cave painting illustrates
four figures clothed in traditional garb. The figures in the painting are commonly thought to be in
communication with spirits. The ‘Hall of Bulls’ are famous cave paintings that span about 11
feet wide and are located in Lascaux, France. The paintings display multiple illustrations of
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different wildlife. The drawings look quite clear for the era that they were made. One could make
an inference that illustrations could portray a hunting scene or could be storytelling by the
residents of the region. The inspiration or purpose of most cave paintings may be inferred with
evidence found through historians and archeologists, though historians may not know the
original thought of the creators of artifacts.
The ornaments, figurines, and cave art of the Paleolithic era may differ depending on the
location. Prehistoric African artifacts were more oriental such as jewelry and figurines. This
reveals that though it was during a prehistoric time, the early humans created artifacts for
decorative and aesthetic reasons. The early humans also created portable figures. The ‘Venus
Figurine’, founded in Dolní Věstonice, Czech Republic portrays a female human figure. The
figure emphasizes the sexual organs of the figure. This may allude to the beauty standards of the
residents of this region.
Throughout the Paleolithic era, the early humans continued to progress and mature as did
the art and tools that belonged to them. The artifacts may have initially been created for solely
domestic and practical use. As the early humans physically and mentally developed, the art and
tools may have grown to be more complex. Artifacts of this time period provided great evidence
to historians in reference to what was happening in the surroundings of the early huma
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Work Cited
Hall of Bulls, Lascaux. (2015, November 19). Retrieved August 26, 2018, from
https://smarthistory.org/hall-of-bulls-lascaux/
Paleolithic technology, culture, and art. (2016). Retrieved August 26, 2018, from
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/world-history-beginnings/origin-
humans-early-societies/a/paleolithic-culture-and-technology
Sivers, P. V., Desnoyers, C., & Stow, G. B. (2018). Patterns of World History(3rd ed., Vol. 1). New
York: Oxford University Press.

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Suad Mohamed

may serve as the only documents left behind in civilizations.

original thought of the creators of artifacts.

residents of this region.

York: Oxford University Press.

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