Prehistoric Cave Paintings And Stone Carvings

Prehistoric cave paintings and stone carvings represent some of the earliest known forms of human expression. Many countries have issued stamps featuring these archaeological sites and artworks, reproducing images such as animals, hand stencils, and abstract symbols. Please, join me and show here your stamps and other collectible items feature prehistoric cave paintings and stone carvings.

Rock paintings from Tenses (Adrar plateau), designed and engraved by Jacques Combet and issued by Mauritania in 1966 in a set of "Tourism and Archaeology".

The Ennedi Plateau, located in the North-East of Chad, in the Ennedi Region, is a sandstone bulwark in the middle of the Sahara. Many rock paintings have been found in the Ennedi Plateau, many of them represent all kinds of animals that the first inhabitants of the desert had.

Two sets of stamps depicting different Ennedi's rock paintings were issued by Chad. Both designed and engraved by Jean Pheulpin. Here is the first set issued in 1967.

Second Ennedi Chad set was issued in 1968. Note the 20F. stamp features Funeral Scene.

The earliest known cave paintings date back over ~40,000 years, found in sites in Spain and Indonesia. Later examples, such as Lascaux, Chauvet, and Altamira, depict animals and symbols from the Upper Paleolithic period. These works provide key insights into the cultural and symbolic life of early humans.

The earliest known cave paintings in Spain are from El Castillo Cave (Cantabria) famous for its hand painting dated to at least ~40,000 years ago. Here is a stamp issued by Spain in 1967 features the hand paintings from El Castillo cave + maxicard.

The Tsodilo Hills in Botswana are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2001 for their religious significance and long record of human settlement. The area contains over 4,500 rock paintings across rock shelters and caves, concentrated around three main hills known as the Child, Female, and Male.

Animal rock paintings, West face of "Female" hill at Tsodilo, Botswana, 1975.

Prehistoric Cave Paintings, designed by A. Abtidon, Somalia, 2002.
Note: this set is an official issue of Somalia and listed in stamp catalogues.

Altamira Cave, Spain

The Cave of Altamira in northern Spain is renowned for its Upper Paleolithic art, including polychrome paintings of wild animals and human hands. Its depiction of bison is especially famous and often regarded as one of the masterpieces of prehistoric art. The cave was first brought to attention by Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola (1831–1888), who recognized the significance of the paintings. Altamira was the first cave where prehistoric paintings were identified, and in 1985 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, later extended in 2008 to include other Paleolithic caves of northern Spain.

Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola (1831–1888), Guinea, 2011

Stamp celebrating the declaration of Altamira as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Note the bison in the background, Spain, 1989.

Maxicard with a commemorative postmark.

The commemorative postmark features the Altamira bison painting.

In addition to above stamp, Spain issued in 2015 a souvenir sheet commemorating Altamira cave as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Both the SS background and the round stamp depict the famous bison painting.

Tribute to the early painters and carvers

Painter, Lascaux cave in France, Cuba, 1967.

Caricature of painters in Altamira cave in Spain, Spain, 2000.

Chad 1998, Guinea Bissau 2012 and Pitcairn Islands 2007.

Rock paintings from Highveld area, Swaziland, 1977.

The Cave of Hands (Spanish: Cueva de las Manos) in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, is renowned for its stenciled hand paintings, created between 13,000 and 9,000 years ago. Carbon dating of bone-made pipes used to spray pigment shows some art is at least 9,300 years old. The site was occupied in several periods and last inhabited around 700 AD, likely by ancestors of the Tehuelche people.

Cave of Hands (Cueva de las Manos), Argentina, 1993.


The Cave of Hands was listed as a World Heritage site by UNSECO in 1999. UN (Geneva branch), 2007.

This stamp was issued in four copies in a prestige booklet with photos and descriptions but I can't scan the inner pages without breaking the booklet. Here is the booklet's cover:

Prehistoric rock paintings from Twyfelfontein, South West Africa (Namibia), 1974.




Brochure of the SWA philatelic service and the front of it:

The Cave of Niaux, located in the Ariège département of southwestern France, is an important archaeological site with evidence of Paleolithic human activity. Its chambers and galleries feature striking black-outlined wall paintings of animals, characteristic of the Magdalenian period (approximately 17,000–11,000 years ago).

Wall Paintings from Niaux cave, France, 1979.



Mozambique and Togo.

The Qobustan (Gobustan) Rock Art Cultural Landscape in Azerbaijan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its extensive collection of petroglyphs carved into sandstone cliffs. The site contains more than 6,000 rock engravings dating from around 40,000 years ago to the Middle Ages, depicting humans, animals, hunting scenes, and symbolic markings. Qobustan provides valuable insight into prehistoric life and the cultural development of early societies in the Caucasus region.

Qobustan rock art, Azerbaijan, 1997.

The Chauvet Cave (Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc), located in the Ardèche region of southern France, contains some of the oldest and most detailed known examples of prehistoric art. The cave, discovered in 1994, features over 400 paintings and engravings of animals such as lions, rhinoceroses, horses, and mammoths, dating to about 36,000 years ago. The artworks demonstrate remarkable skill and use of shading, making Chauvet one of the most significant sites of Upper Paleolithic cave art.

As far as I know, no French stamp feature Chauvet cave was issued. Here is a postmark from France, 2001 promoting tourism to the Chauvet cave.

A selection of stamps from Togo, Central African Republic, Mozambique and Niger, feature famous animal paintings from Chauvet cave.