Art History Timeline / Prehistoric Cave Art
Prehistoric Cave Art for Kids: Art History, Artists and an Easy Art Activity
Long before writing, people painted animals on cave walls. They used red and yellow earth, charcoal and their own hands. Some of these paintings are older than any book in the world.
For teachers
Cave art appears on several continents. Paintings in Leang Karampuang cave on Sulawesi, Indonesia, have been dated to about 51,200 years ago, and the Lascaux paintings in France are about 17,000 years old. Artists worked with natural pigments and often used the bumps of the rock to give animals shape.
What to look for
Pull up an artwork from this time and go on a looking hunt. Here is what to spot.
- Animals like bison, horses, deer and pigs
- Earthy colours: red, yellow, brown and black
- Hand stencils and handprints
- Shapes that follow the bumps in the rock
Meet the artists
Leang Karampuang painters (Sulawesi, Indonesia)
about 51,200 years ago
They painted people and a pig on a cave wall. It may be one of the oldest picture stories ever found.
Chauvet Cave painters (France)
about 36,000 years ago
They drew lions, horses and rhinos in charcoal, sometimes overlapping them to show movement.
Lascaux Cave painters (France)
about 17,000 years ago
Their paintings were found in 1940 by four teenagers.
Try it
An easy art activity you can do with paper and whatever drawing tools you have.
Crumple a brown paper bag, smooth it flat and you have a rocky cave wall. Draw one animal in charcoal or black crayon, then rub in red, yellow or brown chalk with your finger. Finish with a hand stencil: trace around your hand and smudge colour around the outside.
Ms Artastic lessons
Ready-to-teach lessons that connect to this part of the timeline.
Watch with Ms Artastic
Videos from my YouTube channel that connect to this era.
Books for your art shelf
- The Secret Cave: Discovering Lascaux by Emily Arnold McCully
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Questions teachers and parents ask
What is prehistoric cave art?
Long before writing, people painted animals on cave walls. They used red and yellow earth, charcoal and their own hands. Some of these paintings are older than any book in the world.
What time period is prehistoric cave art from?
Time period: Over 50,000 years ago to about 12,000 years ago. Where: Indonesia, France, Spain, Australia and around the world.
Who are some famous artists of prehistoric cave art?
Leang Karampuang painters (Sulawesi, Indonesia) (about 51,200 years ago), Chauvet Cave painters (France) (about 36,000 years ago) and Lascaux Cave painters (France) (about 17,000 years ago).
What is an easy art project for kids about prehistoric cave art?
Crumple a brown paper bag, smooth it flat and you have a rocky cave wall. Draw one animal in charcoal or black crayon, then rub in red, yellow or brown chalk with your finger. Finish with a hand stencil: trace around your hand and smudge colour around the outside.
The Artastic Collective art curriculum
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More famous-artist video lessons
Press play and paint along with me. Each video lesson comes with a printable lesson plan and a QR code, so it is ready for the classroom or the kitchen table.
