Unit 1 Prehistoric Art – Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key prehistoric works and concepts from the notes.

Apollo 11 Stones (Namibia)

A small Paleolithic portable sculpture consisting of painted animal figures on a stone, among the earliest examples of portable prehistoric art.

Great Hall of the Bulls (Lascaux cave)

A Paleolithic cave painting site in France with large animals painted on the walls using mineral pigments.

Camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine

A sculpture carved from a camelid sacrum in Central Mexico; interpreted as a ritual object rather than a utilitarian tool.

Running Horned Woman (Tassili n’Ajjer)

A rock painting of a female figure with body painting and horned ornamentation, suggesting ritual or ceremonial significance.

Beaker with Ibex Motifs (Susa, Iran)

Neolithic beaker decorated with stylized geometric animal motifs arranged in horizontal registers around the vessel.

Anthropomorphic stele (Arabian Peninsula)

Simple, abstract carved stone figure with a human form; commonly interpreted as grave markers or markers of ownership/identification in burial contexts.

Jade Cong (Liangzhu culture, China)

A square jade tube with a circular hole; symbolic reading connects earth (square) and heaven (circle) and it was used in ritual burials.

Stonehenge (Wiltshire, England)

Neolithic monumental site employing post‑and‑lintel construction with mortise‑and‑tenon joints on some lintels.

Terra-cotta fragment (Lapita culture, Pacific)

Lapita pottery shard with distinctive stamped motifs illustrating widespread seafaring and cultural connections across Pacific islands.

Theme: Ritual in Unit 1 works

Many early works (e.g., Apollo 11 Stones, Running Horned Woman, Jade Cong, Stonehenge) are linked by ritual practices and the role of art in burial and ceremonial contexts.