ap art history vocab prehistory

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

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 large stone used in construction, often found in prehistoric structures.

menhir

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

mortise and tenon

a groove cut into stone or wood, called mortise, that is shaped to receive a tenon, or projection, of the same dimensions that fits into the mortise for strong joining.

post and lintel

a method of construction where vertical posts support a horizontal lintel, commonly used in ancient architecture.

shamanism

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

stele

(plural: stelae) an upright stone slab used to mark a grave or site

stylized

a schematic, non realistic manner of representing the visible world and its contents, abstracted from the way they appear in nature