The first traces of humans have been preserved for us from early human history in all parts of the world. The three hundred prehistoric caves and sites that have been discovered so far are up to 130,000 years old. Some drawings and paintings on cave walls and rock ledges look so fresh that it seems as if they were just created there. The image below shows the silhouette of a hand. It was pressed against the rock wall like a stencil and highlighted with red earth.
Prehistoric and early historical painters often used special blowpipes to spray colors with their mouths: red, iron-rich earth or ochre, but also animal substances such as blood or black soot. Anything that people could find that left lasting traces was tried out as a coloring material.
When we look at the finds from prehistory and early history, we can still feel a connection to the people who lived back then. There are signs of life from early human history, such as children's footprints imprinted in the damp clay of the cave floor. Rock debris, bones, deer antlers, tusks, wood, and shells were available to humans as materials for crafting hundreds of thousands of years ago. With a deep understanding of the characteristics and advantages of each raw material, they created paints for their paintings and knew how to use the finds from nature for their tools, weapons, clothing, and everyday objects. Researchers have discovered, for example, eagle claws decorated with notches, which were probably worn as necklaces.
Humans have retained their love of collecting from the hunter-gatherer era to the present day. Just think of all the things children and adults collect: stuffed animals and soccer cards, beautiful stones, cars, or clothes.

The term prehistoric art describes a comprehensive set of artistic expressions from non-literate cultures, including some of the oldest artifacts created by humans.
Although some evidence of artistic activity dates back 500,000 years, the most familiar forms of prehistoric art were produced between approximately 50,000 and 3,000 BC. Although it varies by period and continent, prehistoric art often represents beliefs and social systems. One of the most famous archaeological sites is the Paleolithic cave complex at Lascaux, France, filled with paintings of large animals, estimated to be around 17,000 years old. The Great Hall of the Bulls features hundreds of painted animals, some with sophisticated effects of tone and texture, thanks to the use of pigments derived from minerals and plants. Many theories have been put forward about the purpose of this art, the most widely accepted being that it was part of religious rituals, possibly to bring about successful hunting. In different parts of the world, small prehistoric sculptures called “Venus figurines” were produced, with exaggerated breasts and bellies, possibly symbols of fertility. The most famous is the "Venus of Willendorf", from Austria, produced around 28,000-25,000 BC.

These cave paintings were created in France and Spain during the Ice Age, while the oldest known examples of cave art, dating back 28,000 years, are found in Australia's Northern Territory. Cave paintings dating from around 4,000 BC in Algeria show hunters pursuing animals that are now extinct, and the oldest known pottery vessels were produced around 11,000 BC in eastern Siberia and Japan.