Art History

Art history

The study of artistic movements that build upon or rebel against previous movements.

Early Neanderthals

Ancestors of early humans whose evolution led to chemical changes and creative expression.

Artistic expression

The initial form of creativity that began visually before evolving into writing or spoken forms.

Early paintings

Discovered in the 1800s in caves, believed to have spiritual significance.

Natural world connection

Early paintings built off natural rock formations, thought to be good omens for creators.

Cave areas

Different sections of caves may have varied meanings or purposes for the creators.

Spiritual connection with animals

Early humans believed that connecting with animals linked them to the spiritual world.

Hunter Gatherers

Societies focused on survival and mobility, relying on foraging and hunting.

Urban life

Developed from the domestication of plants and animals, marking the end of hunter-gatherer lifestyles.

Early statues

Created for specific purposes, such as safety or fertility, ensuring safe births.

Sculpture proportions

The exaggerated features in sculptures indicate their intended purposes.

Early homes

Constructed from bone and light fabrics, such as hides.

Spirits in homes

Representations of the afterlife through the burial of bones and decoration of skulls.

Ladders

Symbolize the beginning of technological advancement and collaborative problem-solving.

Religious shrines

Found in homes, serving as good omens or expressions of religious beliefs.

Tombs

Sites containing older and more detailed sculptures, often related to burial practices.

Natural elements

Used to convey information about time and harvest seasons through sunlight and shadows.

Paleolithic

The early period of the Stone Age characterized by the use of stone tools.

Upper Paleolithic

The phase of the Stone Age associated with fully modern humans during the Ice Age.

Lower & Middle Paleolithic

Earlier phases of the Stone Age marked by the emergence of the homo genus.

Optical images

Representations of animals as they appear in nature.

Composite images

Artistic depictions that convey details of animals but are not anatomically accurate.

Shamanism

The belief in accessing a spiritual world through rituals and practices.

Neolithic Period

The New Stone Age, marked by permanent lifestyles and the domestication of plants and animals.

Megaliths

Large stone blocks used in ancient structures.

Menhirs

Upright megaliths often used in ceremonial contexts.

Post & Lintel

A structural arrangement of two upright stones supporting a horizontal capstone.

Trilithic arrangement

A formation consisting of three stones.

Cromlechs

Circular arrangements of megaliths, such as those found at Stonehenge.