Historical Thursday - Cave Paintings

This one might need to be called a PRE-historical Thursday entry, but whatever.  Over on the HeritageDaily.com website, there is a pictorial article showing "10 Must See Cave Paintings."

Any prehistoric location or extremely ancient cave or cavern complex in your tabletop RPG setting could benefit from having some artist efforts like this.  The danger, of course, is that such remnants are thought to be pertinent to the setting in the here and now.  That is to say that while some touches like this deepen the seeming history of a setting, they might lead players to believe that they have an immediate significance.  Red herrings can mislead players and throw them off the scent.  Perhaps this is a good thing but only a GM knows his own group well enough to realize if this is problematic.

However, they can also be tied into the present day of a setting.  Why not have the local population revere such paintings as prophesy from the past?  Can the ancient art tell of some recurring calamity like a volcano or seismic activity?  Can it include a map that, while potentially flawed due to poor knowledge or shifting landscapes, still has worthwhile details?  There are many possibilities.

Historical Thursday on GRYMVALD.com
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