The Nature of Paleolithic Art

Analyzing Paleolithic art seems to be a very exhausting process. Many questions arise with answers that lead to different interpretations. Is there religious meaning behind certain representations? What does it mean that the art is only found deep in caves where it may not have often been seen? It is possible that the reason art is so abundant in caves is that it was supposed to be religious or sacred. However, Guthrie argues that the obscure placement of artwork in caves has no implication of sacred or religious meaning. It is possible that the reason we have evidence of artwork only in caves is because other forms of art, such as that drawn on paper or made out of clay, would not have been as easily preserved. This may very well be true, but I don't believe it is enough to completely discount the religious or sacred meaning of the Paleolithic art we have been studying.

Religion for Paleolithic people may have meant something entirely different than what wetake it to mean today. Religion has not always been organized in the same way we practice it, however, I believe it has always been present in everyday life. I feel it is necessary to acknowledge the differences and similarities between what we consider religion and what we also consider culture. They are often linked together but also can be seen as being quite different. I wonder if the shape of religion the Paleolithic people had was more of what we may today consider to be tradition and culture. I think it is important to recognize that we are probably trying to place our own constraints of religion on the artwork.