Art history Unit 1

Camelid Sacrum - Location

Tequixquiac, Mexico

Camelid Sacrum - Materials

Pelvic bone of an extinct camelid

Camelid Sacrum - Date

c. 14,000–7,000 BCE

Camelid Sacrum - Reason for Creation

Believed to hold spiritual significance, representing sacred energy, life force, or resurrection.

Camelid Sacrum - Important Details & Connections

Carved to resemble a canine head; utilizes the natural shape of the sacrum bone, which held sacred status in Mesoamerica.

Running Horned Woman - Location

Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria

Running Horned Woman - Materials

Pigment on rock

Running Horned Woman - Date

c. 6000–4000 BCE

Running Horned Woman - Reason for Creation

Created for ritual or religious purposes, depicting ceremonial dance and honoring a deity or sacred figure.

Running Horned Woman - Important Details & Connections

Depicts a woman with horned headdress, body paint, and raffia attributes; multi-layered rock painting indicating usage over centuries.

Beaker with Ibex Motifs - Location

Susa, Iran

Beaker with Ibex Motifs - Materials

Painted terracotta

Beaker with Ibex Motifs - Date

c. 4200–3500 BCE

Beaker with Ibex Motifs - Reason for Creation

Placed in burial sites as a funerary vessel and grave offering.

Beaker with Ibex Motifs - Important Details & Connections

Features stylized geometric animals including an ibex with oversized circular horns, elongated dogs, and tall wading birds; demonstrates early mastery of thin-walled ceramics.

Jade Cong - Location

Liangzhu, China

Jade Cong - Materials

Carved jade (nephrite)

Jade Cong - Date

c. 3300–2200 BCE

Jade Cong - Reason for Creation

Ritual object buried with high-status individuals, symbolizing authority and spiritual connection to heaven and earth.

Jade Cong - Important Details & Connections

Features a square outer profile with a circular inner core; carved with finely abraded mask-like face patterns (taotie).

Stonehenge - Location

Wiltshire, England

Stonehenge - Materials

Sandstone (sarsen) and bluestone

Stonehenge - Date

c. 2500–1600 BCE

Stonehenge - Reason for Creation

Built to serve as an astronomical calendar (solstice alignments), burial ground, and ceremonial sanctuary.

Stonehenge - Important Details & Connections

Constructed in multiple phases using post-and-lintel architecture secured with mortise-and-tenon joints in concentric rings.

Ambum Stone - Location

Ambum Valley, Papua New Guinea

Ambum Stone - Materials

Carved greywacke stone

Ambum Stone - Date

c. 1500 BCE

Ambum Stone - Reason for Creation

Believed to possess supernatural powers; used as a sacred ritual pestle in spiritual practices.

Ambum Stone - Important Details & Connections

Sculpted in the round depicting a fetal echidna or anteater; carved from extremely tough stone requiring extensive labor.

Female Figure from Tlatilco - Location

Tlatilco, Mexico

Female Figure from Tlatilco - Materials

Ceramic with pigment traces

Female Figure from Tlatilco - Date

c. 1200–900 BCE

Female Figure from Tlatilco - Reason for Creation

Placed in grave sites to express themes of fertility, rebirth, and duality.

Female Figure from Tlatilco - Important Details & Connections

Features wide hips, narrow waist, detailed hair, and often two heads or two faces representing the concept of duality.

Lapita Pottery Fragment - Location

Reef Islands, Solomon Islands

Lapita Pottery Fragment - Materials

Low-fired earthenware terracotta

Lapita Pottery Fragment - Date

c. 1000 BCE

Lapita Pottery Fragment - Reason for Creation

Used for storage, serving, and defining cultural identity/burial traditions among migrating island populations.

Lapita Pottery Fragment - Important Details & Connections

Stamped with intricate geometric patterns and anthropomorphic faces using comb-like dentate tools; traces early Pacific seaf