Traditionally considered as the first form of art achieved by humans, cave painting is one that was made in the prehistoric period on the walls of caves. These paintings are known in this way since the term rock in Latin means rock, the surface on which they were represented. Throughout the entire planet, incredible and magical cave paintings have been found that have belonged to different populations and that have some characteristics in common.
Cave paintings have long been considered primitive forms of art. Today, the primitive term is no longer applied to them since they represented the type of mentality of the individuals who made them. For many specialists, it is wrong to try to analyze cave paintings according to the parameters of Western art.
It is believed that the cave paintings were made by the men of Prehistory with a practical rather than artistic objective. In this sense, prehistoric man had a magical mentality that made him suppose that depicting animals on walls would ensure success in hunting activities. These animals (such as buffalo, mammoths, deer, wild boar and other wild animals) are usually accompanied by human beings who appear equipped with the tools and weapons necessary for hunting.
This interpretation of the cave paintings has had to do with the discovery of specimens in which individuals performing ceremonies were represented, as well as symbols of different types whose exact meaning has not been able to be recovered.
The cave paintings have mostly taken place inside caves since they were the spaces used by prehistoric men as dwellings. Generally, they were made with natural dyes obtained from plants or animal remains, with harpoons and other tools that served as brushes and pencils. Many of these incredible paintings remain to this day and much of them are considered the world's universal heritage.
