mon. jan 27 lecture

prehistory eras

• paleolithic (40,000-9,000 BCE)

  • “old” stone age

  • during ice age

  • before writing systems

  • first evidence of image-making appeared here

  • people had temporary shelters (caves, huts, tents)

  • people were hunters & gatherers

  • 20,000 we see a lot of female-looking small figures

  • 25,000 we see a lot of cave paintings

  • had small sculptures that fit into their lifestyle: pocket-sized, perhaps showed fertility was important to them, sometimes show animals because they were nomadic and hunters & gatherers

  • important caves:

    • lascaux cave

      • hall of the bulls

      • passage of the felines

      • shaft of the dead man

        • only “human” part of cave

      • paintings show interest in people finding and understanding animals

• neolithic (8,000-2,300 BCE)

  • ice age ends > animals migrate northward > organized culture & domestication of animals

  • megalithic structures

    • graves, henges, etc.

      • dolmens

      • post and lentil

      • corrbling

      • menhir

      • tomb in newgrange, ireland

      • stonehedge

    • permanent settlements

      • skara brae @ orkney islands, scotland (3,100-2,600 BCE)

    • passage of time/sun could’ve been really important to people in this age as they had permanent settlements

• bronze age

• iron age