[jimtorr]

It happened all at once sometime about 50,000 to 35,000 years ago.....

All at once, over a 15,000 year period? Those cave paintings show that they were created over a very long period. Also, just because we haven't found anything older is not evidence that nothing was done before then.

I would argue that the existence of jewerly that is far older than any cave painting shows that the origion of the esthetic arts is truly primordial.

[muawiyah]

I give it the extra 15,000 years just in case we find something older than the materials that started showing up 35,000 years ago.

Now, about the "jewelry" ~ unless it's been handpolished, carved into a recognizable animal or human form, had a hole drilled in it to hang on a thong, it ain't art ~ just a shiny rock and even crows like shiny rocks.