During the Paleolithic Era, human beings lived for tens of thousands of years in small nomadic groups of hunter-gatherers. Humans only developed agriculture and the settled way of life that came with it about 13,000 years ago with the Neolithic Revolution. This means that for most of human history, humans lived as hunter-gatherers. While archeologists and historians have learned much about humans prior to the Neolithic Revolution, because written languages did not exist before the beginning of settled civilizations, scholars are limited to sources such as artifacts and art. To some degree, this leaves many questions about pre-historic life unanswered.

What do the Lascaux Cave paintings tell us about the Paleolithic Era, including how people lived and what was important to them? What do you think is the most plausible explanation for why humans went to the trouble of making these cave paintings? Give reasons for your answer.