In prehistoric times, the previous ancestors of the Orang Asli, tribes of Sabah and Sarawak, drew on the walls of the caves they inhabit. For 170,000 years, some homo sapiens have lived in cave systems now known as South Africa. However, these ancestors only began inhabiting the Gua Tambun and Gua Kain Hitam caves around 2,000 years ago, as the hematite paintings only date back a very long time. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay For example, the rock paintings of Lenggong Perak document the experience of Orang Asli communities during the colonial era. It really wasn't that long ago that people were drawing British officers on horseback, and even automobiles. These cavemen inhabited caves for shelter from harsh climates, wild animals, and other environmental factors. It is often said that when eating and resting, they often sit with their backs against walls to be safe from anything attacking them from behind. In the caves, they document their daily activities, life experiences and rituals. Often hematite is used as chalk, which gives the red color. Otherwise, they used manganese, or a mixture of charcoal and tree sap, which is a common artistic tool used throughout the region. These ancestors drew the animals they hunted, soldiers on horseback who invaded their land, and geometric shapes on walls as a means. to document their daily activities, experiences and the rituals they followed. At Gua Kain Hitam, one can find paintings depicting a symbolic boat placed on the floor of the cave, relating to the practice of burying the body of a deceased person. It is a representation of the journey to the afterlife. In Gua Sireh, Sarawak, there are paintings depicting groups of people in a festive setting, as well as a horned human figure. Some cavemen also left their handprints, which are much larger than our average-sized hands, because they needed large, strong hands to hunt and live in the wild. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. .Get a Custom Essay These handprints were left as a signature, like a sign saying "I was here", they either painted on their hands to plaster them on the wall, or they painted on their hands, like a negative contrast. If you look at it another way, handprints would have symbolized a power to save the species, with the success of the person who left the mark acting as motivation to follow the success of the handprint owner. When fire or sunlight creates shadows on the hand, it appears to move, giving it a life of its own..