History.com: What Prehistoric Cave Paintings Reveal About Early Human Life

Some of the oldest known art may hint at the beginning of language development, while later examples portray narratives with human and animal figures. What does the oldest known art in the world tell us about the people who created it? Images painted, drawn or carved onto rocks and cave walls -- which have been found across the globe--reflect one of humans' earliest forms of communication, with possible connections to language development. The earliest known images often appear abstract, and may have been symbolic, while later ones depicted animals, people and hybrid figures that perhaps carried some kind of spiritual significance.