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Prehistoric Art
This document provides an overview of prehistoric art before written history. It describes how early humans first emerged in Africa and then spread across the globe. The prehistoric period is broken down into the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic ages defined by the materials used like stone, bronze, and iron. Some of the most famous prehistoric cave paintings were found at sites like Lascaux, Altamira, and Chauvet Caves between 15,000-30,000 BCE. Sculptures and figurines from this era often depicted animals and fertility goddesses. Neolithic peoples began constructing permanent structures like mammoth bone houses and sites like Stonehenge that may have served ceremonial purposes.
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Prehistoric Art
- 1. Prehistoric Art Art beforeWritten History
- 2. Prehistoric Art • Our knowledgeof Prehistoric “cave people” based on art (and fossils) • The art that survives is a small fraction of the total art created • Study of Prehistoric art began only 200 years ago
- 3. Ice Age –Stone Age • Earliest upright human beings came into existence 4.4 million years ago • Homo sapiens (“wise humans”) appeared about 200,000 years ago • Earliest humans from Africa. • As the Ice Age glaciers receded, humans spread across Asia, into Europe, and finally to Australia and the Americas
- 4. Prehistoric Periods • Paleolithic OldStone Age (35,000 – 8000 BCE) Paleo = old / Lithic = stone • Mesolithic Middle Stone Age (8000 – 4000 BCE) Meso = middle / Lithic = stone • Neolithic New Stone Age (4000 – 1500 BCE) Neo = new / Lithic = stone • Bronze Age Bronze - alloy metal made from tin and copper (2300 - 1000 BCE) • Iron Age (1000 BCE – 50 CE)
- 5. Dating System 10,000 BCE etc. 1000 BCE Western DatingSystem BCE (Before Christ Era) CE (Christ Era) Year 0 1000 CE 2014 CE
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- 7. Why did PrehistoricPeople make cave art? Theories Human Need / Desire to Create and Decorate Worship / Spirituality Used for Teaching / Story-telling “Magic” Power – similar to voodoo practices Calendar (way to mark time passed and hunting season)
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- 10. Hall of BullsLascaux Cave Images of Animals (Bulls and Horses) Painted on limestone with charcoal and natural clay materials Cave discovered in 1940 Opened to the public after World War II (closed in 1963 due to damage) 15,000 – 13,000 BCE (Paleolithic)
- 11. Bird-Headed Man andBison Lascaux Cave
- 12. Bird-Headed Man andBison Lascaux Cave Narrative (tells a story) Mythological figure lying down Hunting Scene with Spear 15,000 – 13,000 BCE (Paleolithic)
- 13. Interior Map ofLascaux Cave
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- 16. Bison Altamira Cave First Paleolithiccave discovered Discovered by accident in 1879 Not accepted as authentic until 1902 Relief (bison stands out from the background) 12,000 BCE (Paleolithic)
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- 18. • Cave discoveredin 1994 (cave in South of France) • Named after Jean-Marie Chauvet who discovered the cave • Earliest known paintings ever found • Cave contains numerous paintings of predatory animals, Minotaur, Venus, also handprints • Cave sealed for thousands of years (outstanding condition) • Cave closed to the public Four Horses Charcoal Wall Paiinting Chauvet Cave 30,000 BCE (Paleolithic)
- 19. Prehistoric Sculpture Animals andNude female figures are the main subjects
- 20. Lamp with IbexDesign
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- 22. Lamp with IbexDesign Oil lamp used in cave Animal design engraved on stone Supports theory that humans need to decorate 15,000 – 13,000 BCE (Paleolithic)
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- 24. Woman from Willendorf Foundin Willendorf, Austria Fertility symbol? Originally named “Venus from Willendorf” 22,000 – 21,000 BCE (Paleolithic)
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- 26. Multiple Interpretations (spiritual? everydaylife?) Found in grave near pottery production center in Romania Simple cylindrical human figures Natural poses true to life Man and Woman, Ceramic Sculpture, 3500 BCE (Neolithic) Made from clay with bone and ashes added
- 27. Horse and SunChariot
- 28. Horse and SunChariot Discovered in Denmark Chariots (wheeled cart) dating back to 2000 BCE Used for rituals to reenact the passage of the sun 1800 – 1600 BCE Bronze Age Sculpture Sun disk engraved gold with curved patterns
- 29. Prehistoric Architecture As Paleolithicpeople adopted a settled, agricultural way of life, they began to build structures to use as houses, storage, and shelters for animals Neolithic people also built Tombs and Buildings used for Ceremonies
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- 32. Mammoth House In theUkraine, Paleolithic people built houses using bones of the Wooly Mammoth (a kind of elephant now extinct). The bones were covered with animal hides and natural materials to keep the inside warm 16,000 – 10,000 BCE Paleolithic architecture
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- 35. Stonehenge A henge isa circle of stones surrounded by a ditch Post and Lintel Construction Many theories why Stonehenge was built (ceremonies, calendar, observatory of sun and starts) Stones from southern Wales 2750 – 1500 BCE Neolithic architecture On Summer Solstice (June 21) every year the sun rises directly over Stonehenge (over the heel stone)
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