The oldest surviving art forms include small sculptures and paintings on rocks and in caves. There are very few known examples of art that date earlier than 40,000 years ago, the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic period. Despite the existence of countless forms of artistic expression and the long history of art, it is often possible to identify an artistic piece as originating from a particular time and place. This is possible because of the development of trends and fashions with unique combinations of characteristics over time. …
