A Whirlwind Tour. Mark Harden 1. The Mesolithic Period or Middle Stone Age sees people beginning to settle in pseudo-farming communities. Cliff faces become canvases as people who are driven by thoughts of magic and hunting, paint with dirt and animal fat. They grow things and keep animals within their sight as simple architectural structures are built and richly decorated pottery is created.
Prehistoric art continues in various parts of the globe including North and South America.
Sumerians, Assyrians and Persians leave their artistic mark as they float in and out of the area. In the land we call Egypt, people with a strong belief in the afterlife create paintings and elaborate sculptures used to decorate tombs. The Great Sphinx is constructed from sandstone while limestone forms the base of the pyramids and temples. The Minoans on the island of Crete and the Mycenaeans of Greece create what we now call Aegean art. Gorgeous wall murals, and dazzling ceramic ware are created in between natural disasters and wars.