ap art history vocab unit 1

Anthropomorphic

Having characteristics of the human form, although the form itself is not human

Archaeology

The scientific study of ancient people and cultures principally revealed through excavation.

Bi

Round disks with a hole that were found within Chinese burial sites

Cong

A tubular object with a circular hole cut into a square-like cross section

Henge

A Neolithic monument, characterized by a circular ground plan. Used for rituals and marking astronomical events

Lintel

A horizontal beam over an opening

Megalith

A stone of great size used in the construction of a prehistorical structure

Menhir

A large uncut stone erected as a monument in the prehistoric era; a standing stone

Mortise and tenon

Grove cut into stone or wood, called a mortise, that is shaped to receive a tenon, or projection, of the same dimensions.

Post and Lintel

A method of construction in which two posts support a horizontal beam, called a lintel

Relief

Sculpture where the design projects from a flat background, creating a threedimensional effect

Shamanism

A religion in which good and evil are brought about by spirits which can be influenced by shamans, who have access to these spirits.

Stele

An upright stone slab used to mark a grave on a site

Stylized

A schematic, nonrealistic manner of representing the visible world and its contents, abstracted from the way that they appear in nature.

Twisted Perspective

A composite view (or pose), where a figure is shown from multiple angles at once.