Ochre

Ochre is a natural earth pigment colored by iron oxides, especially hydrated iron oxide. Its hues range from yellow through red and brown, and people have used it as a pigment since prehistory.

Hematite: Hematite is an iron oxide mineral that commonly gives pigments a red color. Its red iron oxide is a major source of red ochre.
Blombos Cave: Blombos Cave is a South African archaeological site with Middle Stone Age occupations and early evidence of pigment processing. Ochre-processing tools from the cave document deliberate preparation around 100,000 years ago.
Cave painting: Cave painting is the creation of images on cave walls, often using mineral pigments. Ochre supplied durable red, yellow, and brown colors for prehistoric cave images.
Earth pigment: An earth pigment is a naturally occurring colored mineral material prepared for use as a pigment. Ochre is one of the best-known kinds of earth pigment.
Goethite: Goethite is an iron oxyhydroxide mineral commonly associated with yellow and brown pigments. It supplies the yellow tones characteristic of yellow ochre.
Twin Rivers (Zambia): Twin Rivers is a Zambian archaeological site known for Middle Stone Age occupations and mineral pigment finds. Its ochre finds show pigment use in Africa tens of thousands of years ago.
Rock art: Rock art is human-made imagery or marking on natural rock surfaces. Ochre appears in rock paintings across many regions and periods.
Sienna: Sienna is a natural earth pigment colored mainly by iron oxides and hydrated iron oxides, often with manganese compounds. Sienna resembles ochre but generally has a distinct mineral composition and hue.
Calcination: Calcination is the controlled heating of a material to alter its chemical or physical properties. Heating yellow iron minerals can transform them into redder pigments.
Cueva de los Aviones: Cueva de los Aviones is a Spanish coastal cave containing Neanderthal artifacts, including pigment and perforated shells. Pigment residues there provide evidence of Neanderthal use of colored materials.

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