A&E Television
History.com: What Prehistoric Cave Paintings Reveal About Early Human Life
Some of the oldest known art may hint at the beginning of language development, while later examples portray narratives with human and animal figures. What does the oldest known art in the world tell us about the people who created it?...
PBS
Pbs: How Art Made the World
A companion to the PBS series, How Art Made the World, this site shows the vital role art has played in the development of humanity beginning with very early civilizations. With text, images, and interviews with scholars, the site shows...
Other
The Cave of Chauvet Pont D' Arc
The only way to see the prehistoric cave paintings at Chauvet-Pont-D' Arc, France is to take the virtual tour offered here. Learn about the discovery of the caves and the archaeological evidence found that allows great insight into the...
Other
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians: History of the Chumash People
Read a history of the Chumash Indians and learn about their way of life before contact with the Spanish. Find out about their large domed houses, plank canoes, and impressive cave paintings.
BBC
Bbc: Hands on History: Ancient Britain
Journey back to ancient Britain by exploring important events in history, building your own stone circle, and creating cave art.
Other
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History: The Chumash People of California
A thorough look at the Chumash people of California. Read about their unique plank canoes, basketry, language, and cave paintings. Many pictures of artifacts and drawings accompany the information.
Read Works
Read Works: Pre History Crayons in the Stone Age
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the materials Stone Age people used to make cave drawings. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Other
Rock Art Foundation: Welcome to Rock Art of Texas
Learn about and view images of ancient rock art in southern Texas.
California State University
Cave Painting
This cave painting lesson is to be used in conjunction with the fictional novel, "Boy of the Painted Cave" by Justin Denzel. With or without the book this lesson will give students an opportunity to dive into history and recreate art...
Smart History
Smarthistory: Paleolithic Art, an Introduction
Art history and culture website introduces us to the Paleolithic art found in the caves of France. With links to additional resources.
Other
Timeline of India
This site is a wonderful site with a timeline of Indian culture from early cave paintings to 1998. The chart itself contains many links to click for more information.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Paleolithic Art, an Introduction
Humans make art. We do this for many reasons and with whatever technologies are available to us. This essay describes some of the earliest forms of art made by humans.
Curated OER
Unesco: Spain: Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain
Seventeen decorated caves of the Paleolithic age were inscribed as an extension to the Altamira Cave, inscribed in 1985. The property will now appear on the List as Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain. The...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Decolonizing the Map: Creating the Indigenous Mapping Collective
For many Indigenous communities, mapping plays a large role in reclaiming their lands. Mapping is not new to Indigenous peoples, in fact, some of the world's earliest maps can be seen in cave paintings or heard in the stories that have...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Longmen Caves, Luoyang
Worship and power struggles, enlightenment and suicide-the 2300 caves and niches filled with Buddhist art at Longmen in China has witnessed it all.The steep limestone cliffs extend for almost a mile and contain approximately 110,000...
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Rock Art in the National Parks
Young scholars learn the importance of protecting pictographs as part of their geologic heritage by making their own paint using natural ingredients to create art.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Origins of Rock Art in Africa
Personal ornamentation and engraved designs are the earliest evidence of art in Africa and are inextricably tied up with the development of human cognition. View pictures and read about prehistoric art in Africa.
Curated OER
Scholastic.com: Visit the Paleolithic Cave at Lascaux
Learn more about cave painting when you visit the Paleolithic Cave at Lascaux through this website. This site provides a photograph, brief history, additional links and more.
New York Times
New York Times: Timeline of Art From the Late Stone Age
Find examples of Paleolithic art, including a recently discovered Venus figurine, drawings from the caves at Chauvet and Lascaux, and the Venus of Willendorf in this brief timeline. Examples span a 30,000-year range, approximately, from...
Other
Hallado en Cantabria Un Friso De Arte Rupestre Anterior a Altamira
Article from the Spanish newspaper El Pais about the discovery of prehistoric paintings in a cave in Cantabria. (Published Aug. 28, 1997)
Scholastic
Scholastic: Visit the Paleolithic Cave at Lascaux
Learn more about cave painting when you visit the Paleolithic Cave at Lascaux through this website. This site provides a photograph, brief history, additional links and more.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Dawn of Art
The images in this video come from Chauvet Cave, an ancient rock art site in France. Watch the video and try to imagine the kind of people that created the art. There are no words in this video, so check out the Dig Deeper section for...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Lascaux
The Caves of Lascaux are the most famous of all of the known caves in southwestern France because of what is contained inside - painted and engraved walls. These cave paintings have shown the very human need to communicate in the form of...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Lascaux: La Vie en Caverne!
In this lesson plan, learners will consider "Lascaux: La Vie en Caverne!." The plan includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource tab.