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Humans are fascinated with recreation of motion from past thousands of years, which we call as animation today. Animation was created by our ancestors with the help of existing materials and technology of their time, just like the ancient tribes depicted the phenomenon of motion inside the caves with the help of blood or other natural pigments found in leaves. Today animation is created with the state of the art computer graphics technology.

Animations have been used for enormous applications that reflect traditions and cultures of various civilizations and tribal people. Any important events like wedding ceremonies, sacrifices and various events are painted on the walls of the temples showing the action in series of panels. These kinds of drawings are also used as documentations of various historic events. Egyptian period is one of the finest examples of such documenting events. Even the Japanese were using scrolls to explain the stories. Animation is a very successful way of entertaining audience across the globe from past centuries. 

The World’s oldest animation

Image courtesy-viz.tamu.edu

The paintings found in Altamira caves dating more than 15000 years old, some animals are drawn with eight legs to show motion; this indicates the existence of animation 15000 years ago.

During the next generations of Iran

Earthen bowl (Left) / Animation-Goat leaping towards the tree (Right)           

Image courtesy -Tehran times.com, Wikipedia

Next world’s oldest animation is found in the burnt city of Iran which is 5200 years old. A series of five images are painted around the earthen bowl (left). When the bowl is spun, an illusion of goat leaping towards the tree to eat the leaf can be seen (right).

During Egyptian period

Image courtesy-Encarta Encyclopedia-Bridgeman Art Library, London/New York

In this Egyptian painting from Thebes dating 1400 BC shows that the nobles and their wives in the court are served by slaves with food, this action is shown in series of paintings.

During 19th century:

Thaumatrope

It means “turning marvel” or “wonder turner”, which is one of the simplest animation toys based on the principle of persistence of vision which was invented during 1820’s. This toy consists of card with images on both sides and also strings are connected to two sides of the card when the strings are whirled quickly, it looks like both the images are combined to form a single image.

Phenakistoscope

Image courtesy-Encarta Encyclopedia Dorling Kindersley

It is one of the famous animation materials which consist of a disc containing a series of images; motion occurs when the disc is rotated due to persistence of vision.