Animation in Palaeolithic: Oldest Animations Present Diverse Artworks Resembling Modern Cinemas

Throughout the world, in places like France, Indonesia, and Australia, ancient cave paintings depict scenes from the past in earthen colors. In recent years, archaeologists have explored the possibility that these simple images may have been used to capture movement in ways that have previously been overlooked.

For example, in a study earlier this year, a team of archaeologists used 3D modeling and virtual reality software to bring ancient stone engravings of strange animals with melded bodies to life, suggesting that these artworks may have been used to depict animals in motion when viewed in the firelight. These ancient artworks, although far from the highly realistic animation we see today, demonstrate that the desire to understand, represent, and recreate movement has been present for centuries.

Paleolithic Cinema

A vase was discovered at an archaeological site in Iran known as the "Burnt City" that has burnt red sketches of a jumping goat on it. When the vase is spun, the images of the goat seem to come to life in a way similar to a modern zoetrope. The vase is believed to be around 5,200 years old and may be one of the oldest examples of animation. This suggests that Persian potters were aware of early concepts of animation and the concept of persistence of vision long before it was understood in the 19th century. The vase is currently on display at the National Museum of Iran.

According to Leila Honari, a Persian animator and art scholar at the University of Griffith in Australia, the discovery of the vase with the images of the jumping goat suggests that humans have been interested in the animal movement for thousands of years and have attempted to capture sequential images of it. Honari made this observation in the journal of Animation Studies in 2018.

Marc Azéma, a Palaeolithic researcher and filmmaker, has been exploring the representation of animal movement in cave art for more than 20 years, and here shares with us his latest examples, culled from the parietal art in the Chauvet Cave (Ardèche) and La Baume Latrone (Gard). He has demonstrated that Palaeolithic artists have developed techniques of splitting down direction and pictorial chronology. His co-author, Florent Rivère, discovered that animal action was also represented in more dynamic ways-with the use of animals drawn on a spinning disc. In these flickering images created by Paleolithic people, the authors suggest, lie the origins of cinema.

The Grand Panneau of the Salle du Fond at Chauvet Cave, with repeated sequences shown in boxes.

(Photo : (J. Clottes, Chauvet Science Team/Azéma & Rivère, 2012, Antiquity).)
The Grand Panneau of the Salle du Fond at Chauvet Cave, with repeated sequences shown in boxes.

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Ancient Artworks

The depiction of movement through repeated sequences can be seen in various ancient works of art. For example, the Grand Panneau of the Salle du Fond, a hunting scene found in the Chauvet Cave in France that is over 33 feet long and features animals chasing their prey, is thought to be around 32,000 years old. Similarly, people on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia painted panoramic scenes on limestone walls depicting supernatural beings wrangling buffalo, which is thought to be the oldest known story.

Honari argues that the goblet from the Burnt City, which is around 5,200 years old, demonstrates the knowledge of its creator in using a series of images to create the appearance of movement. According to Azéma, an eight-legged bison drawn in the Alcôve des Lions in Chauvet Cave demonstrates the use of split-action movement through superimposition as far back as the Aurignacian period, around 35,000 years ago.

This graphic illusion is more effective when viewed with the movement of a light source, such as a grease lamp or torch, along the length of the rock wall. Ancient bone discs and two-sided plaques with split-motion images of animals have also been found and may have been used to create entertaining or symbolic visual illusions. Regardless of the form or age of these artworks, they tell stories that we can only partially understand today, but they still offer a glimpse into the past and allow present humans to comprehend what it conveys to be mortal.