cave-paintings
Ancient rock art
Cave paintings are images created on cave walls and ceilings by prehistoric peoples, typically depicting animals, human figures, and abstract symbols.
The most famous examples, like those at Lascaux and Altamira, date back tens of thousands of years.
The term often evokes primitive or crude artistry: His stick-figure drawings look like cave paintings.
Symbol drawn as image
- petroglyphCarved image on stone
- rock artImages on natural stone
- imageryVivid descriptive language
- silhouetteFilled-in outline shape
outline · polychrome · naturalistic · stylized · figurative · abstract · composition · technique
Paleolithic painted cavern
- AltamiraSpanish cave with paintings
- paleolithicEarliest tool-making period
- neolithicFinal Stone Age period
- Cro-MagnonEarly modern European human
Ice Age · megafauna · bison · aurochs · mammoth · handprints · ochre · charcoal
Act of unearthing
- datingPursuing romantic connections
- carbon-14Radioactive isotope for dating
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
discovery · expedition · documentation · interpretation · artifact · site · UNESCO · heritage
Ceremonial set of actions
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- shamanicOf spirit-world intermediaries
- tranceSemiconscious, unresponsive condition
- visionAbility to see
totem · animism · spirit · sacred · mythological · supernatural · symbolism · fertility
Small scenic cavern
- chamberEnclosed room or cavity
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
- stalactiteHanging cave mineral deposit
alcove · recess · shelter · overhang · gallery · passage · subterranean · darkness
pictograph
Symbol drawn as image
- petroglyphCarved image on stone
- rock artImages on natural stone
- imageryVivid descriptive language
silhouette · outline · polychrome · naturalistic · stylized · figurative · abstract · composition · technique · brushwork
Lascaux
Paleolithic painted cavern
- AltamiraSpanish cave with paintings
- paleolithicEarliest tool-making period
- neolithicFinal Stone Age period
Cro-Magnon · Ice Age · megafauna · bison · aurochs · mammoth · handprints · ochre · charcoal · pigment
excavation
Act of unearthing
- datingPursuing romantic connections
- carbon-14Radioactive isotope for dating
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
preservation · discovery · expedition · documentation · interpretation · artifact · site · UNESCO · heritage · conservation
ritual
Ceremonial set of actions
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- shamanicOf spirit-world intermediaries
- tranceSemiconscious, unresponsive condition
vision · totem · animism · spirit · sacred · mythological · supernatural · symbolism · fertility · invocation
grotto
Small scenic cavern
- chamberEnclosed room or cavity
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
stalactite · alcove · recess · shelter · overhang · gallery · passage · subterranean · darkness · firelight
cave-paintingsoil on canvas
Paint type on woven surface
digital art · frescoes · illuminated manuscripts · prints · sculptures
cave-paintingscontemporary art
Creative works from today
digital art · modern art · computer graphics · video art · conceptual art
cave, painting, caves, caved, caving, cavern, cavernous, cavity, cavities