2. Dating Conventions and Abbreviations B.C.=before ChristB.C.E.=before the Common Era A.D.=Anno Domini(in the year of our Lord)C.E.=Common Era c. or ca.= circa C.=century
4. Paleolithic Age “Old Stone Age” - 2,500,000 – 10,000 BC Technological advancement from spear to bow/arrow = better hunting Appearance of Homo sapiens sapiens(-120,000) Cro-Magnon Man Europe Stone Ax = chop down trees & make boats Hunting large animals required 4-5 “bands” of people working together Chief status for leader Cave Paintings
11. Sculpture Oldest surviving art objects Made from bone, ivory, stone, or antlers Either engraved (by incising an outlined figure with a sharp tool), carved in deep relief or fully rounded three-dimension Lion-Human is half man, half beast
19. The Meaning of Cave Paintings The first “paintings” were probably made 15,000 years ago Pictures of bison, deer, horses, cattle, mammoths & boars are in the most remote recesses of the caves, from the entrance Scholars proposed the social function of art lead to totemistic rites and increase ceremonies used to enhance fertility
20. The Meaning of Cave Paintings Archeologists speculate the animal images were meant to guarantee a successful hunt Drawing a picture of it gave you power over it? Sympathetic magic Artwork has been depicted with realistic features that enables scholars to identify animals
21. Chauvet Cave paintings Vallon-Pont-d’Arc, Ardèche, France ca. 30,000-28,000 B.C.E. pigment on stone
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23. Not intended for long-term use? Used for rituals? Pech-Merle Cave paintings Lot, France ca. 22,000 B.C.E. pigment on stone
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25. Lascaux Cave paintings Lascaux, Dordogne, France ca. 15,000-13,000 B.C.E. pigment on stone
26. Twisted Perspective – horns, eyes & hooves are shown as seen from the front, yet heads & bodies are rendered in profile
31. Bison Ceiling Artists used the irregularities of the cave to create sculptural effects by painting over them
32. Neolithic Revolution End of Ice Age (100,000 – 8000 BCE) brought ability to search for new food Systemic Agriculture – Making the conscious decision to plant & grow food Domestication – Raising goats, sheep, pigs & cattle Development of permanent, year-round settlements (and eventually, civilization)
33. Skara Brae Architecture Neolithic settlement in northern Scotland 3100 and 2600 BCE Corbeling – layers of stones are piled on top of each other to form walls without mortar
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35. Megalithic Architecture “Large stone” (mega + lithos) Powerful religious or political figures and beliefs was the impetus for these massive building projects 2 types: Dolmen – large, vertical stones with a covering slab like a giant table (mounded over with dirt to form a cairn) Menhir – single stone set on its end Positioned: Henge– circular arrangement of stones Alignment – in rows
39. Stonehenge: England’s First Rock Group Series of concentric circles & circular shapes Outer circle of 13 foot high gray sandstones, called sarsen stones, topped by a continuous lintel They weigh up to 26 tons each! http://youtube.com/watch?v=DewEKz9TzmM
41. How Did They Do That?! Lacked bronze or iron tools and, possibly, the wheel Transported the stones by barge or sled Heel stone standing upright, weighs 35 tons and was brought in from 23 miles away Raising of the stones was done in stages by prying the ends up and inserting timber beneath Added layer after layer and then removed the elevated scaffolding
42. Banksy Stonehenge Port-A-Potties Glastonbury, England 2008 metal and plastic Jim Reinders Carhenge Alliance, Nebraska 1987 metal
48. Essential Questions What is prehistory? What are the problems and challenges of making meaning of prehistoric art? How is prehistoric art useful in understanding the human condition?