AP Art History Review, Units 1 & 5

A comprehensive set of Q&A flashcards covering key topics from AP Art History Units 1 and 5 notes.

What were the most common subjects of Paleolithic art?

Animals such as cows, bulls, horses, and deer (as seen in the Great Hall of the Bulls).

How were the Apollo 11 Stones made?

Painted on stone using charcoal.

From what angle were animals in prehistoric art usually portrayed?

Usually in profile; sometimes twisted perspective or composite view (e.g., Great Hall of the Bulls).

What are parietal art and mobiliary art?

Parietal art is on immovable surfaces (cave walls/ceilings); mobiliary art is small portable objects.

Why might artwork be placed in a hard-to-reach area?

To enhance sacredness/power for rituals (Shamanism Theory) or to make sympathetic magic more potent.

Why might prehistoric artists redraw over previous works?

To renew ritual power, enhance sacred meaning, reuse sacred spaces, or create a continuous narrative/record.

Why might the Camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine have only slight changes to the bone?

The natural form already resembled a mammal's skull; ‘one natural form to take the shape of another’; sacrum held symbolic significance.

What do the adornments worn by the Running Horned Woman indicate about the cave painting?

Suggest participation in a ritual ceremony; horns, dots/body paint or scarification, and white patterns imply ritual attire.

What evidence suggests the Beaker with ibex motifs was not used in everyday life?

Found near a burial with hundreds of baskets, bowls, and metallic items—funerary/ritual use.

What is a stele?

An upright stone slab used to mark a grave or a site.

What were the difficulties in working with jade in prehistoric times?

Jade is very hard; tools like drills or saws were used; designs may be created by rubbing sand; heating may have been used to soften.

What characteristics are assumed about the society that created Stonehenge?

Highly organized, long-term planning, coordinated labor; burials hint at hierarchy; distant stone sources; aligned to solstices; possible observatory and ritual/healing roles.

Why is it assumed The Ambum Stone was used in rituals?

Regarded as sacred; possibly a fertility symbol or embodiment of a spirit; originally used as a ritual object by Enga people.

What was the purpose of the temple built at Chavín de Huántar?

Religious capital.

What might be the purpose of the carved channel on the Lanzón Stela?

To allow liquid offerings to be poured over the deity’s face for worship or dramatic effect.

What was the purpose of a kiva in Anasazi society?

Sacred ceremonial and community space for rituals, social gatherings, and political meetings (primarily for men).

What was the most common way of producing the color red in the pieces we’ve seen so far?

Beetles.

What was the purpose of Lintel 25 at Yaxchilán?

Relayed the refoundation message after a long building pause; reinforced Shield Jaguar II’s lineage and right to rule.

Why might the Great Serpent Mound have been created?

Possible astrological significance (comets; head toward summer solstice sunset); associated with snakes, crop fertility; Mississippian iconography; rattlesnake symbolism.

What was an axis mundi?

A symbolic connection between the earth and the heavens.

What did the combination of temples to Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli mean to the Aztec people?

Duality of life sources: Tlaloc (rain/agriculture, North) and Huitzilopochtli (sun/war, South); equinox alignment emphasized cosmic significance and centrality of Tenochtitlán.

What did nakedness signify in Aztec art?

Defeat, humiliation, vulnerability, and sacrifice.

What would have been the main purpose of the Ruler’s feather headdress?

Ceremonial headdress for a ruler; part of an elaborate costume.

Why does the Quorikancha have two styles of architecture?

Originally the Inkan Temple of the Sun; after Spanish conquest, Santo Domingo convent was built atop it, incorporating Inkan stonework and blending Inkan ashlar with colonial architecture.

What process was used to make the Maize cobs?

Repoussé technique.

Why was maize so important within the Inca culture?

Principal Andes food source; celebrated in sheet metal sculptures; may have been used ceremonially to ensure harvest.

Why was so much time spent underground during the construction of Machu Picchu?

To create deep foundations and extensive drainage systems for stability and longevity.

What were t’oqapu and why are many found on one tunic?

T’oqapu are small rectangular shapes on Inkan tunics; may symbolize individuals/events/places; many indicate high status, possibly worn by a ruler.

What was the purpose of the bandolier bags made by the Delaware peoples?

For both men and women; prestige/status symbols; functional and decorative; part of ceremonial garb; still made today.

How were animals depicted in transformation masks chosen by their creators?

To reflect clan lineages, supernatural encounters, and ancestral narratives.

Why is Cotsiogo’s work considered transitional?

Depicted traditional cultural aspects as nostalgia; shift toward European/American tourist markets.

What impact did Maria Martinez’s ceramics have on her community?

Revived traditional Pueblo techniques; revitalized pottery; introduced new shapes and mythic designs via collaboration with Julian Martínez.

Why was Maria Martínez’s work popular outside of New Mexico between the 1920s and 1940s?

Innovative techniques and designs; market shift to decorative objects; influenced by Art Deco trends; wider audience.