GUIDE # 1Unit 1Your Name Date Time you begin this guid.docx

GUIDE # 1
Unit 1
Your Name:
Date:
Time you begin this guide:
PREHISTORIC ART
“Who we are? Where do we come from? Where are we going?
These are three of the most universal questions.
They are about time - past, present, and future - as well as about
the nature of the human condition.
The more we know about our past, the better we understand our
present.
We will begin by going back in time to early periods of the
human race…”
-
Laurie Schneider Adams
PREFACE
Before you open your book,let us talk about the way we will be
working together – about my method of teaching and your way

of learning.
I have created for you the Reading Guides of a special type.
Through them, I will be leading you along the Text. I will be
with you at each step of your
reading
assignment. By asking the questions, I will direct your
attention to the key issues.
I will elaborate on certain notions that are not well explained in
the book. I will be also giving you more information and telling
some interesting facts.
In this class, you will be studying not only Art but also History,
Geography, and even some
Foreign Languages. In addition – and this is very important-
you will have a chance to improve your studying skills.
As soon as you begin working on the first guide, you will see
how my guides work and in what way they are different from
regular guides.
Please bear with me in the first two weeks and then it will be
an easy sail. Promise!
How to Work on Guides
-
Put your Book next to Computer and have Guide 1 open on your
screen.
- Read my first question and directions (in the guide) and begin
reading the text.
- As soon as you come across the ‘answer’ (pertinent Info in the
text), type your brief

summed-up answer next to my question (next to asterisk -
*…
)
-
Move on to my next Question (in Guide) – resume reading and
typing your answers.
-
Most often, you will know when you come across the answer (I
have my way to let you know
and make it easier for you to see the key information).
More recommendations:
ü
Make your imagination work and feel like we are reading your
book together, while discussing it through my questions and
your answers. Since it is a conversation, I want you to feel free
and informal in talking.
ü
Your answers can be simple and short.

ü
Do not worry if you cannot find the exact answer in the text.
It could mean that current edition omitted this part (and I
missed to take it out of the guide). Most likely those are not
critical issues and will not be asked on the tests.
ü
Please keep in mind that the
main purpose
of these guides is helping you in studying (and not for me to
check and grade them).
ü
I will be
grading
the guides (or reading notes) mostly on their completion,
although I will be looking how they are done. Regardless how
neatly or how long the answers are, I will give you the max
amount of points, provided I see that you have worked
diligently through the text and answered most of the questions.
ü
Feel free to do the guides in the way that better suits your
learning style.
The
format is free
and of your choice. Thus, they can be short or long, depending
on how much information you would like to retain. Your goal is

to create a good logical
outline
that would assist you in reading, understanding, absorbing the
material, summing it up and, thus, in preparing for the tests.
ü
Finally, you have an option to make
your own reading notes
instead of the guides. You are welcome to use my questions as
the guiding lines or just focus on the major issues as you see
them.
So, to sum up in what way the guides make your reading
effective
1.
They show you what the
main issues
are
2.
They allow you to
practice in taking study notes
(which is the most effective studying technique!)
3.
They help you to keep your
attention focused
through reading
4.
They provide you with a framework (built of my questions) for
your own
outline
that will be very helpful in preparation for the tests.In the

outcome paper, you will have all the major information in a
very condensed form.
Good news - there will be nothing on the TESTS that is not in
the GUIDES since they cover all the key issues, facts, and
terms.
Tech Tips
·
Create folder
“
ART-101”
for the guides and other papers.
·
Save
each Guide under its name (the one it has now)
(No need to put your name or date in the file’s title; I can see
this info in Bb)
Do not ZIP files
·
Always save guides at least twice – first time when you open it
and then at the end. Although your computer is supposed to save
your work every few minutes, it would not hurt to click once in
a while on “Save” (or “Ctrl +S”) –and certainly od it at the end,
before closing the document.
Go ahead and save this guide right now.
*
*

*
Here is an example of how my dialogue method works in the
guides.
I am going to asks two questions and answer them myself. The
questions below also address two important notions (not
sufficiently elaborated on in your text).
Prehistory
Question
:
To what historical period does th
is
term
prehistory
refer?
Answer:
*
Prehistory
refers to the time before writing systems were developed.
(
Remember, the
History
started with
invention of writing

!)
Stone Age
Why the earliest period in the history of human race is called
Stone Age
?
* The archaeologists called it so because, during this time,
people used
stone tools – e.g., stone arrows’ tips and knifes.
As you see, the answers can be short. You can use some
textbook’s wording but sum up info in short sentences and down
to point. Try to keep one sentence - one line (when possible).
Bulleted statements are also recommended – very helpful for
reviewing purposes.
Let us get down to work now
.
THE ART OF THE ANCIENTS
(
Open Chapter 2
and read Preface
)
Describe in brief the way of life in the Stone Age. What are the
archeological findings from that era? What type of art did the
ancient humans produce? What was the probable reason for

creating art works?
(Type a few lines; one statement – one line)
*
______________
*
______________
*
______________
PREHISTORIC ART
Three phases
of Prehistoric Art (corresponding to three periods of Stone
Age)
*
Paleolithic
(
namely, its last period –
Upper Paleolithic
)
*
…
*
…
Together these three periods span the
last 15,000 years
of the
B.C
. era (about, to keep it simple)

Note: Today the scholars date back the birth of the art even to
the earlier age, before the 15,000 B.C. You should also keep in
mind that the dating is extremely approximate when we study
ancient history and prehistoric times in particular.
LESSON IN GREEK
In this class, you are going to learn some foreign languages -
some Greek, Latin and French words that entered our language,
mostly as terms.
Here is your first lesson in Greek - the classical language that
used to be in school is still taught today at the prestigious
schools and commonly used by the scholars, along with Latin.
To better understand these terms –
Paleolithic
,
Mesolithic
and
Neolithic,
you should refresh a few Greek words in your memory.
Paleo
=
ancient
or
old
Meso
=
middle
Neo

=
new
Lithic
=
stone (made of stone)
Now please translate the following terms from English to Greek.
Below you see the common names for the three periods of the
Stone Age. Give their scientific names by writing each Greek
word under its English
meaning.
Old
Stone
Age
Middle
Stone
Age
New
Stone
Age
Period
P
eriod
P
eriod

Paleolithic Art
Paragraph # 1
“Paleolithic art is the art of the last Ice Age
...”
Read the first paragraph and address the following questions
(below). Place a cursor next to the asterisk (*) and type your
answer. You can delete this text now.
*
…
What was the climate during the Old Stone Age in Europe and
Northern America?
*
…
Where did the people live?

Ice Age
Extra Material (for Reading)
Directions
: You are welcome to read my texts with additional info if you
have an extra minute and desire to learn more. It will not be
asked on exams.
Since your goal is to keep your guide (your text entries) clean
and well-structured for later use – delete these directions (or the
entire box if you wish)
“
Scientists have recorded five significant ice ages throughout the
Earth’s history
.
The most recent glaciation period, often known simply as the
“Ice Age,” reached peak conditions some 18,000 years
.”
http://www.history.com/topics/ice-age
Ice Age (map)
maxworldhistory.weebly.com/map-exercise.html
Paragraph #2
“The great cave paintings of the Stone Age were discovered...”
*
…

*
…
*
…
/My Guiding Questions (below)
/Tell the story how the cave paintings were discovered in 1940
(by pure accident)
/What images did the French boys see on the walls of the cave?
(List animals)
/Why these images were first thought to be forgeries?
Paragraph # 3
Halls of Bulls
, cave at Lascaux
(
France
)
The name of place is pronounced as
[
lah-SKOH
]
“One of the most splendid examples of Stone Age paintings…”
Dated
:
*…
When painted? (range)

Period
:
*…
Upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic or Neolithic?
(Read under Fig. 1-2 and see my explanation below)
Animals:
*…
What animals were rendered?
First thought to be forgeries
*…
Why?
Extra space (for your comment, interesting fact or any other
remark)
*…
Paragraph # 4
Halls of Bulls
,
Lascaux (France)
“In their attempt at naturalism…”
Naturalism
-…
Define this notion
For terms refer to the
Glossary
(at the end of the text)

Foreshortening
-…
Define the term
Ocher
(or
Ochre
)
-
a golden-yellow or light yellow
-
brown
color
;
also
earth
pigment
which produces the color.
(P
ronounced
OH
-kər
)
One more term you should notice if you are doing close reading
(check yourself and make sure you do!).
I will give its definition to you.
There were various techniques that the Old Stone Age artists
used in their painting.
Pick the one that seems most amazing to you and selected it in
Red.

a)
Outlining
the contours
and filling in with colors /pigments/
b)
Drawing
with chunks of chalk or raw pigments
c)
Spray technique
- blowing the dried, ground pigments through the hollowed-out
bone
Paragraph # 5
Bison from the
c
ave of
Altamira
(Spain). The earliest paintings dated back to 35,000 B.C.
(This picture is not in your book; I want you to see more
examples of prehistoric art)
“Why did prehistoric people sketch these forms?”
Purpose of cave paintings
:
*…

What was the most likely purpose of cave paintings?
To give yourself a sense of how long ago it was, think about the
fact that the Roman empire had existed two thousand years ago
(only!). Now envision this – the Old Stone people painted these
beautiful animals on the walls of the cave more than 15
thousand years ago (and very likely much earlier!). It is hard to
believe, is not it?
Paragraph # 6
Venus
of Willendorf
(Austria).
Circa 25,000
B.C.
“The prehistoric artist also created sculptures, called
Venuses…”
Willendorf
-
*…
Where was this tiny figurine found?
[
Type in the name of the place in Austria]
Purpose
(hypothetical)

:
*…
Would you find the name a bit
Why do you think the archaeologists gave such a name (Venus)
to this type of prehistoric figurines?
How can this be related to their suggested function and Roman
Goddess of love?
·
Give the most important characteristics of this small (just over
4 inches) stone figurine
*…
(
material it is carved of?)
*…
(
size)
*
*…
(
which body parts are emphasized?)
*…
(
what about the head and face?)
Here we probably witness again the same kind of the early
religious believes in magic – as a method of survival - as we

saw in case of the hunters trying to guarantee success in hunt
for animals by capturing them in art on the walls of the caves.
Paragraph # 7
Duck. 33,000-30,000 B.C
.
Ivory. L:1inch. (approx.)
“Discoveries of small figurines…”
What does impress you most about this figurine?
*…
*…
Upper Paleolithic
Extra Material
You must have noticed the term
Upper Paleolithic
(next to the picture of cave painting 2-1.)
What’s that?
Why this ‘Upper’?
- Since this term is not defined in your text, I would like to

explain it to those of you who might be curious about this ‘
upper
’ part.
The term
Upper Paleolithic
refers to the
last period of the Old Stone Age
(also called Paleolithic period, as you know it now).
Imagine you are an archaeologist carrying out an excavation.
Where would you think the pieces from the latest, most recent
period are to be found - 6 feet deep or 2 feet deep?
If your answer is
2 feet
, you are right. Indeed, the pieces that were buried later would
be found in the
upper
ground layer.
This is exactly why the
last
period of Paleolithic age is called
UPPER Paleolithic
.
As for the whole
Paleolithic
period (
Old Stone Age
) – it had begun about 2.5 million years ago. So, when in your
textbook the author says
Paleolithic,
she is actually talking about its last period –
Upper Paleolithic
(period roughly covering 15,000 – 10,000 years B.C.)

I would not usually overload you with the detailed elaborations
but this is an important notion about the beginnings of ART
.
It will be asked about on Quiz # 1 and, maybe, on the first
exam.
Even though this is a brief survey of art history but I still want
you to study at the university level. Maybe not at the same level
of details but you are going to form the same Big Picture.
Now let us specify and rephrase the first paragraph opening the
PREHISTORIC ART
section.
“Prehistoric art is divided into three phases that correspond to
the periods of Stone Age culture:
Upper Paleolithic
(and not simply Paleolithic)
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Another very important thing to remember is this: It was
Upper Paleolithic
(

Late
Old Stone Age
) when
ART
first
emerged
.
===============================================
====================
Mesolithic Art
Paragraphs
8-9
Ritual dance.
Rock engraving
(c. 10,000 B.C.)
Cave of Addaura ( Italy).
“The Middle Stone Age began with the final retreat of the
glaciers.”
*…
Sum up two paragraphs paying attention to the following:
*…
Changes in climate and people’s life;

Whereas
Paleolithic
artists emphasized
animal
forms,
Mesolithic
artists concentrate on the
*…
Dramatic change in the forms of art;
Don’t you find it amazing – how modern these cut in the rock
engravings of prehistoric dancers look? Just compare them with
this drawing of the 20
th
-century artist Henry Matisse.
…
Dance.
By Henry Matisse.
===============================================
========
Neolithic Art
(8,000 – 2,000
B.C.
)
Describe the changes in the people’s life style during the
New Stone Age
.

*…
*…
First Architecture
About 4,000 B.C., the most impressive creations of the
Neolithic were erected - the huge monuments made out of large
stones.
Paragraph 11
Stonehenge.
Salisbury Plain,
England
(c. 1800 -1400
B.C.)
“The most famous of these monuments is….”
*…
Describe its construction
M……
- gigantic stones used in Neolithic constructions.
Here is one more word for your Greek vocabulary.
Mega
means big, gigantic and you already know what
Lith
means (
Stone
, right?)

Type in the term.
“The
purpose of Stonehenge
remains a mystery”
*…
*…
*…
There are many theories (and even fantasies) trying to explain
this mystery.
Which ones are listed in your textbook?
This New Stone Age monument is sometimes called “Prehistoric
cathedral.” Its mostly likely purpose of megalithic
constructions, commonly accepted by the scholars, is being a
part of some religious ritual unknown to us - e.g., cult of the
ancestors or deified natural forces. The latter may explain the
Stonehenge’s orientation to mark the sun movement and eclipse.
…
Upper Paleolithic
Elaboration on important notion
By the way, the theory about Druidical temple is presently
considered false.
All what we know about
the
druids

we learned from the writings of the classical writers like Julius
Caesar (Roman emperor Caesar was also a prominent writer).
This was of course, 2,000 years ago.
When the Romans extended their empire far to the North and
came to Britain, they met the druids - a flourishing Celtic
priesthood. By then the Stonehenge had existed for two
thousand year, and was probably already in ruins.
Moreover, these writings make it clear that the Druids held their
ceremonies in the forest and did not build the temples.
It is curious that the cult of druids is kind of in vogue these
days. During the solstice quite a crowd would gather at the
Stonehenge and even have some rituals performed. Clearly, the
participants do not take any historically sound approach but
rather entertain the mystic aspects of the place.
Let us w
rap up the section on Prehistoric art with this important
information.
“The
Neolithic period
began about
8,000
B.C.
and spread throughout the world’s major river valleys between

6,000- 2,000
B.C.:
the
Nile
valley in
Egypt
the
Tigris and Euphrates
valley in
Mesopotamia
(modern Middle East)
the
Indus
valley in
India
the
Yellow River
valley in
China
===============================================
======
The first guide is done. Together we have created a concise
outline of all the major issues. If you know this minimum, there
won’t be any surprises on the exams. Another benefit – you
have just had a good training session in close reading and note-
making. Both are the most needed skills in any studying.
A few more advices, if I could.
·
Make sure the guide is saved (in the new Art 101 folder)

·
Feel free to work with the text in any way you want – highlight
what you consider important or just interesting and worthy to
remember. Make sure to delete all my directions (in brown font)
on how to work on guides, etc.).
Remember, your goal is to keep your Guides as brief and well-
structured as possible.
·
Printing of the guides is not required. Yet, if you decide to print
the guides, you might want to delete the pictures and certainly
all my directions and probably questions too (to save on paper
and ink). Do not forget to staple the printed pages.
If you are not too tired I would recommend you to take the first
QUIZ now. Review the guide and take the quiz to see how much
you have learned in this first section.
Quiz dwells on the key issues and will help you to prepare for
the exam at the next level of summarization.
I do commend you for your diligence and patience about all the
directions and lessons in study techniques. Soon, you will not
need them and working on the guides will become easy and
natural.

GUIDE # 1Unit 1Your Name Date Time you begin this guid.docx

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