Paleolithic art offers unique perspectives on prehistoric societies and cultures. It is also considered a key component of modern human behavior. Until recently, Paleolithic artworks were thought to be geographically restricted to a very few areas, especially southwestern Europe. Discoveries of art in other parts of Europe and other parts of the globe have challenged this vision, expanding the documented distribution of this important cultural phenomenon. As a consequence, there has been renewed interest in less well-known areas, with the goal of determining whether the current lack of art is a reflection of a past reality, the product of limited research, or a matter of preservation. One of these regions is the Balkan Peninsula, a key area for understanding Upper Paleolithic societies given its location at the crossroads of several migration routes into Europe. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Paleolithic symbolic products, including both rock art and portable art from the Balkans. Recent research has led to new discoveries and insights into the symbolism of this long-neglected area. The present review, combining existing literature and new fieldwork, sheds new light on social and cultural interactions in this part of the continent and leads to a better understanding of its role within the European Upper Paleolithic cultural sphere.

旧石器时代艺术为史前社会和文化提供了独特的视角。它也被认为是现代人类行为的关键组成部分。直到最近，旧石器时代的艺术品还被认为在地理上仅限于极少数地区，尤其是欧洲西南部。欧洲其他地区和全球其他地区的艺术发现挑战了这一愿景，扩大了这一重要文化现象的记录分布。因此，人们对不太知名的领域重新产生了兴趣，目的是确定当前艺术的缺乏是否是过去现实的反映、有限研究的产物，还是保存问题。这些地区之一是巴尔干半岛，由于它位于进入欧洲的几条移民路线的十字路口，因此它是了解旧石器时代晚期社会的关键地区。本文全面概述了旧石器时代的象征性产品，包括来自巴尔干地区的岩石艺术和便携式艺术。最近的研究对这个长期被忽视的领域的象征意义有了新的发现和见解。本综述结合了现有文献和新的实地考察，为该大陆这一地区的社会和文化互动提供了新的线索，并有助于更好地理解其在欧洲旧石器时代晚期文化领域中的作用。