Prehistoric art is any form of creative endeavor that was made before writing and record-keeping began in ancient cultures. This is an important distinction from ancient art because, although the style might be similar, once writing and other technologies were discovered, it might have changed the purpose of art for mankind. The toughest part of analyzing any creative work is knowing why the artist painted it.
When it comes to the literal origin of art on Earth, the pictures are both human and alien in equal measure. Archaeologists, artists, and experts worldwide don't know who these people were how they felt, or why they felt the need to create the works people see in museums today. Because of this, it’s almost impossible to guess why they did what they did, aside from unproven assumptions and guesses.
The art itself is simple in execution, particularly the cave paintings that so commonly typify this category of art. However, despite their apparent simplicity when compared to modern works, prehistoric art displays a surprisingly intimate knowledge of whatever was depicted. Symbolism and realism are both evident in the many examples of prehistoric art. Detailed drawings of animals that were hunted or of hunting parties support the theory that creating art of a successful hunt or prey animal would give the hunter power. Perhaps because of that, the people are generally symbolic in form, with hand prints depicting each individual person.
However, the same quality that makes prehistoric art so enigmatic is also why people are fascinated by it. For them, having something that predates man's history is a truly amazing experience. The greatest mystery to mankind is our own origins and many collectors feel that having examples of prehistoric art in their home will give them a piece of the primordial puzzle, as well as remind them of how far we've come in a relatively short amount of time.
