Human beings evolved in various stages, Paleolithic stage being one of them. They drew images on the caves’ walls where they resided and then used small stone lamps that they made from animal fat to view the pictures. The art was a way of keeping information for future reference, and the positioning of the lights determined how effective the material would be. People of that time managed to make the art seem to be in motion by using the dim light from their lamps. The images on the walls helped them remember certain animals’ movements, which made it easy for them during hunting. For instance, somewhere in Lascaux cave, five dear heads drawn with charcoal were discovered (Atalay & Sule, 2019). When the images were viewed with a slight ring of illumination from the lamp, motioning it from left to right, they appeared as one dear moving its head up and down.
These beings used the same lamps to make information flow as they read their paintings. Moving the light from one image to the next could reveal a complete story at the end of what they tried to communicate while using the dark ages as the painting frames. Moreover, another large old image of a lion, horse, rhinoceroses and a woolly mammoth was discovered in Chauvet cave (Atalay & Sule, 2019). The rhino appeared to have around eight horns and also many backs. The image displayed a lion stalking on its prey when the whole cave was illuminated by a bright light, but something else was seen when lamps were used and focused on each image. First, it seemed like one rhino in different positions, and second, it appeared like several rhinos piled on top of each other. Lastly, it looked like a single rhino that was raising and lowering its horn. Marc Azema compared this image to the beginning of a cinema because they all showed a story and movement (as cited in Atalay & Sule, 2019).
Reference
Atalay, M., & Sule, E. (2019). Paleolithic age and an examination on aesthetical character of lion panel in the last room of chauvet cave. Ulakbilge Dergisi, 7(41), 737-743. Web.