The art of the Upper Paleolithic is the oldest undisputed prehistoric art, originating in the Aurignacian archaeological culture of Europe and the Levant some 40,000 years ago, and continues to the Mesolithic (the beginning Holocene) about 12,000 years ago. As this corresponds to the final phase of the last glacial period, Upper Paleolithic art is also summarized under the term "Ice Age art".
As a notable aspect of the "Upper Paleolithic Revolution" and evidence for behavioral modernity, its appearance is in part defining of the term Upper Paleolithic itself. Paleolithic art includes cave painting, sculpture such as the Venus figurines, carvings and engravings of bone and ivory, and musical instruments such as flutes. The most common subject matter is large animals that were hunted by the people of the time.
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The oldest undisputed works of prehistoric art were found in the Schwäbische Alb, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The oldest, a so-called Venus figurine known as the Venus of Hohle Fels, dates to some 40,000 years ago.[1] Further depictional art is from the Upper Palaeolithic period (broadly 40,000 to 10,000 years ago) and includes both cave painting (such as the famous paintings at Chauvet, Lascaux, Altamira, Cosquer, and Pech Merle), portable art (such as animal carvings and Venus figurines like the Venus of Willendorf), and open air art (such as the monumental Côa Valley and Mazouco in Portugal, Domingo García and Siega Verde, both in Spain, Fornols-Haut in France). There are a number of carved or engraved pieces of bone and ivory, such as the Swimming Reindeer found in France together with a spear thrower shaped like a mammoth.
Later findings from the Mizyn archeological site in the Ukraine dated from Mousterian epoch are mammoth ivory bracelets with carved meander ornaments.[2]
A cave at Turobong in South Korea containing human remains has been found to contain carved deer bones and depictions of deer that may be as much as 40,000 years old.[3] Petroglyphs of deer or reindeer found at Sokchang-ri may also date to the Upper Paleolithic. Potsherds in a style reminiscent of early Japanese work have been found at Kosan-ri on Jeju island, which, due to lower sea levels at the time, would have been accessible from Japan.[4]
The oldest African petroglyphs are dated to approximately the Mesolithic and late Upper Paleolithic boundary, about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Zimbabwe's oldest art finds date to at least 10,000 years (dated to sediment layers containing painted rock fragments).[5]
The earliest undisputed African rock art dates back about 10,000 years, apparently originating in the Nile River valley and spread as far west as Mali.
From the Apollo 11 Cave complex in Namibia, seven stone plaquettes painted with figures of animals painted have been recovered from a horizon dated to between 22,500 and 27,500 years ago.[5][6]
The Blombos cave in South Africa yielded hatched patterns incised on pieces of ochre dated to as early as 70,000 years ago, which has been classified as "art" in some publications.[7]
The Bradshaws are a unique form of rock art found in Western Australia. They are predominantly human figures drawn in fine detail with accurate anatomical proportioning. They have been dated at over 17,000 years old.
Peru, including an area of the central Andes stretching from Ecuador to northern Chile, shows evidence of human habitation dating to roughly 10,000 BCE.[8]
Early art from the area includes rock paintings that may controversially date as far back as 9500 BCE in the Toquepala Caves.[9] Burial sites in Peru like one at Telarmachay as old as 8600-7200 BCE contained evidence of ritual burial, with red ocher and bead necklaces.[10]