Art History

Paleolithic

Old Stone Age, divided into Lower, Middle, and Upper Paleolithic.

Neolithic

New Stone Age, marked by permanent communities, elaborate architecture, and rituals.

Metalworking

The process of shaping and processing metals, leading to the Bronze Age.

BCE

Before Common Era, dates count backward.

CE

Common Era, starts from year 1.

Art

Begins with symbolic thinking; represents identity, beliefs, and social functions.

Blombos Cave

Site in South Africa with engravings of red ocher approximately 77,000 years old, indicating symbolic behavior.

Lascaux

Famous cave in France known for its prehistoric paintings of large animals.

Altamira

Cave in Spain famous for its prehistoric rock paintings, particularly of bison.

Çatalhöyük

Early settled community known for densely packed houses and significant social and ritual implications.

Megalithic architecture

Construction involving large stones; includes dolmens and stone circles.

Corbeling

An architectural technique where stones are layered inward to form an arch or vault.

Newgrange

A prehistoric passage tomb in Ireland; known for its burial chamber and engravings.

Stonehenge

Megalithic ceremonial monument in England, associated with burial and ritual landscapes.

Woman of Willendorf

Paleolithic figurine with exaggerated features, interpreted variously as fertility or identity.

Cernavodă figures

Neolithic figurines known for their angular, geometric style, possibly representing a couple.

Ceramics

Objects made from clay and hardened by firing, serving practical and artistic purposes.

Metallurgy

The art of extracting and shaping metals, including copper and tin.

Bronze

An alloy of copper and tin; harder than copper, used for tools and weapons.

Symbolic thinking

The ability to understand that one thing can represent another, foundational to the creation of art.