The start of the Upper Paleolithic Age (the last subdivision of the Old Stone Age) was a turning point in human history, when human competition began to increase. The tools of yesteryear gave way to new, thinner, sharper, and more uniformly shaped ones. This evolution in the Old Stone Age became conducive to the development of art as well, with all its ramifications in figurative and non-figurative styles.
Art in the Upper Paleolithic was born in the form of drilled teeth, which found wide use in the form of necklaces. Carved bones with engraved animal figurines and ivory work were the other existing art forms. The other type of art that was fixed or stationary in nature was ‘Cave Painting’. These paintings are believed to have served magical or ritual purposes. These images often give a good insight into the lifestyle of the Upper Palaeolithic Age through the depiction of hunting and fighting scenes. The characters in these images had a simple structure, mostly stick figures.
The colors used in the paintings were made from ochre, minerals, burnt bone meal, and charcoal, mixed with water, tree sap, blood, and animal fat. Artists of the Upper Paleolithic Age used hair brushes or twigs as tools. There was also a great use of the fingers in the paintings. Other than this, the other methods used for the art were daubing, sketching, dots, and spray painting by mouth or using hollow bones. Special effects such as shading and foreshortening were also skillfully and perfectly delivered.
A large number of female images are found in painting from the Upper Paleolithic Age, supporting archaeologists’ belief that society at that time was female-centric. These images also contain pornographic representation and portraits of women. The other major theme for artistic capture was the wild hunt, depicting a handful of men with wild beasts and similar themes.
Furthermore, evidence suggests that the Paleolithic Age witnessed the birth of music, which was characterized by human voices and natural objects, such as the use of rocks as musical instruments. The development of language could have fueled the evolution of music. One school of thought holds the view that music found a place in human life in the Stone Age to produce a rhythm in everyday activities. However, a different theory proposed by Charles Darwin suggests that the use of music was more of a mating strategy, as birds do to call their mates. Later, in the Paleolithic Age, the hollow bones were used as flutes and other musical instruments. Music must have played a larger role in religious rituals and social gatherings during the Early Stone Age or the Upper Paleolithic Age.