c. 10,000 BCE - 2000 BCE
Neolithic Era
c. 2.5 millions years BCE - 10,000 BCE
Paleolithic Era
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Anthropomorphic stele
4000 - 3000 BCE
Stonehenge
3000 BCE
Bushel with ibex motifs
4,200 - 3500 BCE
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Hall of Bulls
16,000 - 14,000 BCE
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The Lion Man
40,000 BCE
2.5 million years BCE -2000 BCE
Prehistoric Art
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Warty pig, (Sus celebensis)
43,900 BCE
Timeline of Art History
The oldest cave art ever discovered. The cave painting was uncovered in South Sulawesi in the Maros-Pangkep caves in Indonesia.
43,900 BCE
Warty pig, (Sus celebensis)
A prehistoric monument of a circular arrangement of massive standing stones, located in England.
3000 BCE
Stonehenge
The Lion Man is a sculpted figure made from mammoth ivory and stands 31 centimeters tall. The sculpture was found in a cave in southern Germany.
40,000 BCE
The Lion Man
A free-standing stone sculpture, approximately three feet high found in Saudi Arabia.
4000 - 3000 BCE
Anthropomorphic stele
Pottery found in Iran with paintings of mountain goats.
4200 - 3500 BCE
Bushel with ibex motifs
Cave paintings found in southwestern France in Lascaux.
14,000 - 16,000 BCE
Hall of Bulls, Lascaux
In more recent times, there has been a move toward using BCE (Before the Common Era0 and CE (Common Era) as a secular alternative tof BC and AD. The use of BCE and CE does not change the actual years; it simply replaces the religiously oriented terms. BCE (Before the Common Era): Similar to BC, it denotes years before the assumed birth of Jesus Christ. CE (Common Era): Similar to AD, it denotes years after the assumed birth of Jesus Christ. For this course, we will mainly use BCE and CE however, you may come across BC and AD and so it is important to understand what both notations mean.
What does BCE and CE mean?
As you will see throughout this course, dates are denoted with BCE and CE. What does it mean? The original notation of time used BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini, Latin for "In the Year of Our Lord") and is traditionally associated with the Christian calendar. In this system: BC (Before Christ): It counts the years backward from the traditionally recognized birth year of Jesus Crist. For example, 500 BC means 500 years before the assumed birth of Christ. AD (Anno Domino): It represents the years after the birth of Jesus Christ. For example, 500 AD means 500 years after the assumed birth of Christ.
