By Natural Philosopher Mike Prestwood

Art

Homo heidelbergensis: TI Emerges. Full EI settles.

By Mike Prestwood

25,600 Generations Ago Full Emotional Intelligence Emerges: Homo heidelbergensis heralds the dawn of an era where emotional intelligence began to take a recognizable shape. With indications of complex social structures, more potential for language, and advanced tool-making abilities, they navigated their world with a level of social cognition and emotional awareness that surpassed their predecessors. […]

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Ain Ghazal Statues: Early Plaster Art

By Mike Prestwood

The Ain Ghazal statues, dating back to around 7200 BCE, are among the earliest known examples of human figures crafted from plaster, highlighting an advanced use of materials in the Neolithic period. This technique involved applying plaster, made from lime and powdered limestone, over a core of reeds and twine to create lifelike statues with

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Tell Abu Hureyra

By Mike Prestwood

Located in modern-day Syria, this is an important site because of the evidence demonstrating a likely pattern from hunter-gatherer to farming. It provides evidence of one of the earliest known villages. The leading interpretation is that they were settled in the area and practiced hunting and gathering before about 11,500 BCE. Around 11,500 BCE there

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Minoan Frescoes at Knossos

By Mike Prestwood

(Crete, ) – The Palace of Knossos, the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete, is famous for its sophisticated and colorful frescoes. These paintings depict a variety of subjects, including processions, animals, and scenes of daily life, characterized by naturalistic figures and a vibrant palette. One of the most iconic images is of the

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Frescoes of the Tomb of Nebamun

By Mike Prestwood

The Tomb of Nebamun, located in Thebes, Egypt, contains some of the most famous and vibrant frescoes from the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom period. The paintings depict Nebamun, an Egyptian official, engaging in various activities, including hunting in the marshes and enjoying banquets with his family. The frescoes are celebrated for their dynamic

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Venus of Tan-Tan

By Mike Prestwood

Found in Morocco, this natural pebble with human-like features is possibly the oldest known example of a figurine or representation of the human form.

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Chauvet Cave Paintings

By Mike Prestwood

Located in France, the cave contains hundreds of wall paintings of animals, abstract symbols, and hand prints.

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Sulawesi Cave Art

By Mike Prestwood

Discovered in Indonesia, these hand stencils and depictions of animals are among the oldest known figurative artworks.

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Blombos Cave Engravings

By Mike Prestwood

Earliest known symbol use in the Africa/Middle East zone. Located in South Africa, the cave contains engraved ochre pieces, which are among the earliest known forms of abstract art.

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Bhimbetka Petroglyphs, Cupules

By Mike Prestwood

Found in central India, these cupules (circular hollows on rock surfaces) are among the earliest known forms of rock art.

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Neanderthal Art: Symbolic Thought

By Mike Prestwood

It’s clear: neanderthals created art. The discovery of cave paintings in Spain, dated to over 64,000 years ago, marked a profound shift in our understanding of Neanderthals. Found in sites such as La Pasiega, Maltravieso, and Ardales, these artworks — comprising abstract symbols, geometric patterns, and hand stencils — are attributed to Neanderthals, predating the

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white and brown concrete building painting

The Birth of Baroque Art

By Mike Prestwood

From Baroque music and paintings to sculptures and archicture. The dawn of the 17th century witnessed the birth of the Baroque era, marking a transformative period in the history of art that spanned from circa 1600 to 1750 CE. Originating in Italy and spreading across Europe, the Baroque movement represented a significant evolution in artistic

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blue green and red heart shaped stone

Man Made Glass

By Mike Prestwood

The earliest known man made glass dates back to circa 3500 BCE and to Egypt and Eastern Mesopotamia. Discovery of glassblowing around 1st century BC was a major breakthrough in glass making.

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Oldest Known Bracelet

By Mike Prestwood

Denisovan: This bracelet dates from 70,000 to 40,000 BCE. It was discovered inside the Denisova Cave beside ancient human remains. The Denisova Cave is a cave located in Siberia, Russia. Other cave finds include woolly mammoth and woolly rhino bones. Scientists say there is evidence that the bracelet’s maker used a drill. This is the

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Bone Flute

By Mike Prestwood

1,600 Generations Ago The oldest undisputed musical instrument is the Hohle Fels Flute discovered in the Hohle Fels cave in Germany’s Swabian Alb in 2008. The flute is made from a vulture’s wing bone perforated with five finger holes.

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Oldest Known Flute in China

By Mike Prestwood

The Jiahu gudi is the oldest known musical instrument from China. This 8,000 year old flute dates back to circa 6,000 BCE. Gudi literally means “bone flute”.

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Ramessos, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Venus of Hohle Fels

By Mike Prestwood

The Venus of Hohle Fels is a 2.4″ figurine made of wooly mammoth ivory that was unearthed in 2008 in Hohle Fels, a cave near Schelklingen, Germany. It was pieced together from six pieces found in a cluster, about 10 feet below ground, and about 60 feet from the cave entrance. The left arm and

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