Discover how art shaped people and communities in the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras
Prehistoric art spans a long time, but one of the most important periods is the Paleolithic era, or Old Stone Age.
This video explores one of the most remarkable objects in human history: the Acheulean hand axe.
Could this camelid sacrum bone be one of the oldest artworks in North America, made 16,000 years ago?
The reduction firing process was one of the most innovative technological achievements in the history of ceramics.
What can a jade disk crafted in Neolithic China tell us about the cosmos? These circular disks may be connected to early Chinese views of the universe that consisted of a square Earth and a round (circular) canopy that represented Heaven.
Related Resources
An informational text/overview reading about the Paleolithic period. It focuses on early humans and tools like handaxes and Clovis points, as well as cave art and rock art, portable objects, and a case study about authenticity (about the Tequixquiac sacrum from Mexico). For ease of reading, the text is in one full-color PDF and is similar to a textbook chapter. It is beautifully illustrated with photographs, many taken on-site, to make the ancient Shang dynasty come alive.