Do you know what cave painting is? They are different creations from the prehistoric era, located almost anywhere in the world (especially Africa, South America and some European countries).

These paintings depicted mostly hunting scenes, animals, symbols… But how were they created? What meaning did they have, and with what colors and materials were they made? In this article we will answer these questions and many more (with some interesting facts).

What is cave painting?

What is a cave painting? It is a very old pictorial work, a kind of drawing, sketch or painting, that we find in some rocks or caves , especially from the prehistoric period. The cave paintings are an essentially prehistoric artistic expression and manifestation (although they go beyond a specific time or period), full of history and culture.

Specifically, the term “rupestrian” derives from the Latin “rupestris” (this, in turn, derives from “rupes”, meaning “rock”). So, technically, when we speak of “rupestrian” we are referring to a type of human activity carried out on the walls of caves, rocks, ravines, etc.

Thanks to the fact that cave painting is usually protected from erosion and weather conditions (due to its location), it has lasted for centuries.

Thus, cave painting is actually a very old artistic manifestation (even the oldest). In fact, there is evidence of them dating back more than 40,000 years (the time of the last glaciation).

However, some research (such as one carried out by the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa) reveals that paintings could exist further back in time, thanks to the discovery in 2018 of a stone with a rock painting (Palaeolithic drawings) more than 40,000 years old; specifically, it is estimated that this rock painting was engraved more than 73,000 years ago.

Fun facts

The cave painting has many years of history. Although it is more typical of prehistory, this type of painting can be found in all periods of human history.

As a curious fact: where can we find cave paintings? Well in all but one continent: Antarctica .

And where are the oldest and most famous cave paintings located? In two countries: Spain and France. Specifically, we find many of them in the transition period, from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic.

Which Spanish cave painting from the Palaeolithic period is the most famous? One of the most relevant is the painting located in the Altamira Cave, which is in Santillana del Mar (Cantabria, Spain).

Another curious fact about the cave paintings is that today we know that the great majority of them were made by women (about 75% of them, although in reality, the different human groups that hunted and collected fruits made this type of paintings, including men.

The value of painting: meanings

Both cave painting and other artistic manifestations have the same function: to represent art, to express and organize a system of artistic representation . Furthermore, cave painting is related (above all its origin) to practices of a religious, mystical and magical nature, which were intended to encourage hunting. These paintings have also been associated with places of sanctuary and prayer.

Where do you find these prehistoric art forms?

Cave painting mainly appears in the caves, although it can be located in other structures. This type of painting has been located in remote and isolated areas of the caves (places that are really not very accessible), but also in more visible areas, in clear areas, etc. However, as a general rule, this type of painting was located inside the grounds and caves, in areas where the darkness was complete or practically complete.

Apparently, the artists of such creations used small stone lamps to create their artistic drawings, which were nourished by marrow (the marrow they used was the marrow of an animal’s bones).

Thematic

What was drawn and what was symbolized by the cave paintings? Different themes. Thus, we find cave paintings of different types: in them we can appreciate animals, lines, symbols, human beings, hands, elements of the environment, nature, etc.

Paleolithic and Neolithic

If we divide history into the Paleolithic and the Neolithic periods, we find that in the first period (Paleolithic) the cave painting mainly symbolized animals and lines. In the second period, however, animals, environment, hands and human beings appear above all (that is, this type of painting is acquiring a certain complexity).

In the Neolithic period, the usual behaviour of communities was represented through cave painting. It also reflected the interaction of these groups with the creatures and living beings in the environment. In this specific period, cave painting was based on figures (animals) such as: horses, reindeer, deer, mammoths, bison… It is also common to find wounded animals, especially with arrows.

Materials and colors

As for the materials used to create this type of painting, we know today that were made with different paintings, very similar to each other in the different historical periods (and in the different areas of the world).

On the other hand, what (and how many) colours were used to create the cave paintings? Generally, for each cave painting, only one or two colors were used. The ones most used were black, ochre, yellow and red.

Other types of colours, those of vegetable origin (called colour pigments), were also used, and were made from fluids, charcoal, mineral compounds (clay, hematite, manganese oxide, resin, fat…) and body waste (faeces).

How did they paint and create?

The creators of the rock paintings used the colours described above, joining their fingers with them, and with the different materials available. Other options they had were to spit the paint on the rocks, or to use a hollow cane (blowing fine lines of paint to elaborate the cave painting).

On the other hand, could be that they rub the powdered pigments of the colors on the wall, directly . They may or may not mix these pigments with another substance (e.g. a binder), and use canes, rudimentary brushes or other tools.

They also used, on some occasions, pencils . To do this, they took burnt branches and balls of mineral dye, which they bound with another substance: resin. To give a sensation of volume and realism in their creations, they sometimes chose to take advantage of the unevenness of the wall, as well as its irregularities and cracks.

For example, in the paintings with animals, the artists scraped (i.e., marked) the silhouettes of the animals to create incisions, thus producing a perhaps more realistic and noticeable outline on the rock.

Bibliographic references:

  • Alonso T., Anna and Alexandre G. (2007). L’Art Rupestre del Cogul. Primeres Imatges Humanes a Catalunya, Pagès Editors, Lérida.
  • Díaz-Andreu, M. (2002). History of Archaeology. Studies. Madrid: Ediciones Clisicas.
  • Martínez C. and Diego and Botiva Contreras, A. (2004). Manual of Cundinamarca Cave Art. ICANH-Government of Cundinamarca. Second Edition.