Pre History Collection (#20)

Neanderthal skull, artwork
Neanderthal skull parts. Artwork of parts of a Neanderthal skull, found in 1856 in a limestone quarry in the Neandertal area of Germany, after which the Neanderthals are named

Cave painting of a bison, artwork
Cave painting of a bison. Artwork of a cave painting found on the roof of the Altamira Cave in northern Spain, which was inhabited during the the Upper Palaeolithic period

Star trails over Stonehenge. Stonehenge is an ancient arrangement of large standing stones on Salisbury Plain, England. It is thought to have been built around 2000 BC by neolithic peoples

Kalmyk bone divination scapulas, artwork
Kalmyk bone divination scapulas. Artwork of scapulas (shoulder blades) used by the Kalmyk people of Central Asia for divination purposes

Rock engraving of reindeer, artwork
Rock engraving of reindeer. Artwork of a prehistoric engraving found on a piece of schist rock. It is thought to be from the Abri de Laugerie Bas

Light flares at Stonehenge, artwork
Light flares at Stonehenge, computer artwork. Stonehenge is an ancient arrangement of large standing stones on Salisbury Plain, England

Prehistoric sea level map, Europe
Prehistoric sea level map. Published in 1913, this map shows changes in rivers and drainage patterns with sea level changes in Western Europe in prehistoric times (40, 000 to 100, 000 years ago)

Utahraptor dinosaur, artwork. Utahraptor ostrommaysorum are dromaeosaurs, a group thought to have been an extremely lethal due to the large curved claws on their feet

Techniques for making fire, artwork
Techniques for making fire. Artwork showing three prehistoric ways of making fire. All three use friction to create heat. When an ember is formed it is used to light dry tinder that is used to start

Cave painting of horse and hind, artwork
Cave painting of a horse and a hind. Artwork of a cave painting found on the roof of the Altamira Cave in northern Spain, which was inhabited during the the Upper Palaeolithic period

Coelophysis dinosaurs, artwork
Coelophysis dinosaurs. Computer artwork of one male and two female Coelophysis dinosaurs in a forest of prehistoric Araucaria evergreens

Prehistoric landscape, artwork
Prehistoric landscape. Computer artwork of the rocky remains of two volcanic calderas during the Eoarchean era (about 4000-3600 million years ago)

Dimetrodon, artwork
Dimetrodon. Computer artwork of Dimetrodon grandis walking on a barren plain. Dimetrodon were the dominant land predators that lived around 270 million years ago, during the Early Permian Period

Prehistoric forest, artwork
Prehistoric forest. Computer artwork of a forest in Midwestern North America 350 million years ago during the Carboniferous period (354-290 million years ago)

Estemmenosuchus, artwork
Estemmenosuchus. Computer artwork of three Estemmenosuchus mirabilis in a Paleozoic lake near the Ural Mountains, in what is now the Perm region of Russia

Early Earth impact, artwork
Early Earth impact. Computer artwork showing an object about 10 miles in diameter impacting the molten, infant Earth (orange)

Brachiosaurus dinosaurs, artwork
Brachiosaurus dinosaurs. Artwork of three Brachiosaurus dinosaurs feeding at night in a moonlit forest of trees and ground-growing ferns

Crichtonsaurus and frogs, artwork
Crichtonsaurus and frogs. Computer artwork of a ten-foot-long Crichtonsaurus and a pair of frogs in a forest during the late Cretaceous period (99.6-65.5 million years ago)

Early solar system, artwork
Early solar system. Computer artwork showing how the newly formed Earth (lower left) and Sun (upper right) may have appeared shortly after the Suns heat

Dilophosaurus, artwork
Dilophosaurus. Computer artwork of a Dilophosaurus dinosaur hunting in a valley forest of Ginkgo trees. The Ginkgo first emerged 270 million years ago

Prehistoric swamp plants, artwork
Prehistoric swamp plants. Computer artwork representing how a forest of Calamites (tall) and Asteroxylon (curled) plants may have appeared during the Early Devonian period

Elasmotherium, artwork
Elasmotherium. Computer artwork of an Elasmotherium grazing on the ancient steppe grasslands of what is now Southern Russia

Allosaurus dinosaurs, artwork
Allosaurus dinosaurs. Computer artwork of a pair of Allosaurus searching for dinner in a lush mountainside Jurassic redwood forest

Brontotherium, artwork
Brontotherium. Computer artwork of a Brontotherium on an open plain with birds on its back. This extinct mammal belonged to the same group as horses

Einiosaurus dinosaurs, artwork
Einiosaurus dinosaurs. Computer artwork of a herd of plant-eating Einiosaurus roaming the plains in what is now the Two Medicine Formation in northwestern Montana, USA

Prehistoric riverside, artwork
Prehistoric riverside. Computer artwork of prehistoric insects flying around ferns, seed ferns, and giant lycopods (primitive moss-like plants with long slender leaves)

Dimetrodon fighting, artwork
Dimetrodon fighting. Computer artwork of two Dimetrodon fight over territory. Dimetrodon were the dominant land predators that lived around 270 million years ago, during the Early Permian Period

Dorygnathus, artwork
Dorygnathus. Computer artwork of a flock of Dorygnathus pterosaurs flying over a rugged Early Jurassic (about 180 million years ago) European landscape covered in wollemi pine (Wollemia sp.) trees

Spinosaurus witnessing a lunar impact. Computer artwork of a Spinosaurus dinosaur standing under a flash of light in the sky caused by a massive asteroid colliding with the Moon

Asteroid approaching the Moon, artwork. This asteroid is an example of a near-Earth object (NEO), an astronomical object whose orbit intersects with that of the Earth

Early prehistoric plants, artwork
Early prehistoric plants. Computer artwork of Cooksonia caledonica plants on a mound of ancient lava at sunset during the Late Silurian period (445-416 million years ago)

Archaeopteryx, artwork
Archaeopteryx. Computer artwork of an Archaeopteryx defending its territory near the shore of a prehistoric sea. Archaeopteryx lived in the late Jurassic period (around 130 million years ago)

Prehistoric Earth, artwork
Prehistoric Earth. Computer artwork showing how the surface of the Earth may have appeared beneath its clouds about 500 million years after its birth, during a period known as the Hadean eon

Prehistoric life, artwork
Prehistoric life. Computer artwork of giant Meganeura fluttering between Calamites and Asterophyllites plants during the Carboniferous period (354-290 million years ago)

Creataceous animals, artwork
Creataceous animals. Computer artwork of three Enchodus swimming in an estuary in the Western Interior Seaway of North America

Lambeosaurus, artwork
Lambeosaurus. Computer artwork of a male (right), female (left) and juvenile (middle) Lambeosaurus near a rivers edge in what is now Montana, USA

Jurassic dinosaurs, artwork
Jurassic dinosaurs. Computer artwork of an Allosaurus (right) confronting a grazing Stegosaurus (left) in a Jurassic redwood forest

Prehistoric Schiaparelli Crater, artwork
Prehistoric Schiaparelli Crater. Artwork of an aerial view of this large impact crater as it may have appeared around one billion years ago

Young Earth, artwork
Young Earth. Computer artwork showing the young Earth shrouded in turbulent clouds, while flashes of lightning and the glow of volcanoes

Sphenophyllum plant, 19th century artwork. Artwork from the 1886 ninth edition of Moses and Geology (Samuel Kinns, London). This book was originally published in 1882

Ichthyosaurus and Pleisiosaurus, artwork
Ichthyosaurus fighting Pleisiosaurus, 19th century artwork. Artwork from the 1886 ninth edition of Moses and Geology (Samuel Kinns, London). This book was originally published in 1882

Ichthyosaurus skull, 19th century artwork. Artwork from the 1886 ninth edition of Moses and Geology (Samuel Kinns, London). This book was originally published in 1882

Giant moa and prehistoric cow, artwork
Giant moa (Dinornis) and prehistoric cow (Bos pallasii), 19th century artwork. Artwork from the 1886 ninth edition of Moses and Geology (Samuel Kinns, London)

Megatherium, 19th century artwork. Artwork from the 1886 ninth edition of Moses and Geology (Samuel Kinns, London). This book was originally published in 1882

Devonian fruits, 19th century artwork. Artwork from the 1886 ninth edition of Moses and Geology (Samuel Kinns, London). This book was originally published in 1882

Mastodon teeth, 19th century artwork
Mastodon teeth (molars), 19th century artwork. Artwork from the 1886 ninth edition of Moses and Geology (Samuel Kinns, London). This book was originally published in 1882

Standing stone, Scotland
Standing stone. View from the Isle of Jura in the Inner Hebrides, looking south-west across the Sound of Islay. This stone was erected during the Bronze Age, around 1800 BC

Carboniferous swamp, 19th century artwork. Artwork from the 1886 ninth edition of Moses and Geology (Samuel Kinns, London). This book was originally published in 1882

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"Unveiling the Mysteries of Prehistory: From Stone-Age Cave Paintings to Fossil Footprints" Step back in time and explore the captivating world of prehistory. Journey to Chauvet, France, where ancient stone-age cave paintings offer a glimpse into our ancestors' artistic prowess. Marvel at the intricate details and vivid colors that have survived thousands of years. But Chauvet is not alone in its historical significance. Venture south to Argentina's Cave of the Hands, where hand stencils painted by early humans adorn the walls. These enigmatic markings serve as a testament to their existence and leave us pondering their purpose. Delve even deeper into prehistoric times with fossils from the palaeozoic era, offering valuable insights into Earth's distant past. These remnants provide a window into long-extinct species that once roamed our planet millions of years ago. Travel across continents to Alhambra, Spain, where Islamic carvings showcase exquisite craftsmanship intertwined with religious symbolism. Admire these intricate designs etched onto walls and ceilings, reflecting an era rich in cultural exchange and artistic expression. Discover tools used by our forebears like the prehistoric spear-thrower – an innovation that revolutionized hunting techniques during ancient times. Witness how human ingenuity shaped survival strategies throughout history. Continue your journey through time with Laetoli fossil footprints – preserved imprints left behind by early hominins walking across volcanic ash in Tanzania. These tracks offer tangible evidence of our evolutionary journey and shed light on our earliest ancestors' way of life. Intriguingly different yet equally fascinating are Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaurs mating - a rare glimpse into their primal behavior captured forever in fossil form. Uncover secrets about these awe-inspiring creatures who once ruled over Earth's vast landscapes. Marvel at Avebury stone circle in Wiltshire, England – a UNESCO World Heritage Site shrouded in mystery.