Unit 1 Prehistoric Art

Prehistoric Art

• Unit Overview: Covers art from the earliest human existence through the Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Age periods.

• Paleolithic Period: Characterized by neanderthal markings and basic image communication.

• Neolithic Period: Time of advancement including organized agriculture and construction.

• Bronze Age: Focus on metalwork and urban civilization development.

• Key Questions:

  • Were early objects art or tools?

  • How did environments reflect human changes?

  • What purposes did early art serve?

  • What motivated early humans to create art?

  • What tools and techniques did early humans use?

Definition of Art

• Art (Oxford English Dictionary):

  1. Expression or application of human creative skill, typically in visual forms.

     • Example: Renaissance art

  2. Various branches of creative activity (music, literature, dance).

The Stone Age

• Description: Prehistoric stage characterized by stone tool creation and use.

• Divisions:

  • Paleolithic (Old Stone)

  • Mesolithic (Middle Stone)

  • Neolithic (New Stone)

• Timeline:

  • 3.3 million years ago marked by oldest stone tools discovered.

Stone Age Timeline

• Upper Paleolithic Period (53,000 - 8,000 BCE):

  • Significant cultural and technological advancements.

  • Development of homo sapiens, advanced tools, cave paintings, and portable art.

• Bronze Age (3,300 - 1,200 BCE):

  • Notable for bronze use, writing, and early urban features.

• Neolithic Period (8,000 - 3,300 BCE):

  • Agriculture, organized dwellings, and megalith construction.

Cave Paintings

• Discovery: Earliest cave paintings date back to over 44,000 years ago, though discovered in 1879.

• Examples:

  • Sulawesi Caves (c. 45,500 BCE) painted with ocher.

  • Handprints and other images blown on cave walls (Caves of Monte Castillo).

Painting Techniques (Paleolithic)

• Methods:

  • Chewing and blowing chalk as stencil, drawing with fingers or ocher blocks, daubing with paintbrushes.

Notable Paleolithic Artifacts

• RAINBOW SERPENT ROCK: Western Arnhem Land, Australia, c. 6,000 BCE.

• DECORATED OCHER: Blombos Cave, South Africa, 77,000 years ago.

• LION-HUMAN: Mammoth ivory sculpture, Germany, c. 40,000-35,000 BCE.

• WOMAN FROM WILLENDORF: Limestone figure, Austria, c. 24,000 BCE.

Neolithic Period Changes

• Advancements: Control over natural world, agriculture, less nomadic lifestyle. (8,000-3,300 BCE)

• Notable Artifacts:

  • Human-Fish Sculpture: From Lepenski Vir, Serbia, c. 6300-5500 BCE.

  • House in Catalhoyuk: Reconstruction illustration, Turkey, c. 7400-6200 BCE.

  • Stonehenge: Megalith architecture, c. 3000 BCE - 1520 BCE.

Bronze Age Developments

• Period: 3,300-1,200 BCE characterized by metalwork and elaborate artworks.

• Notable Artifacts:

  • GOLD SCEPTERS: From Varna, Bulgaria, 3,800 BCE.

  • ROCK ART: Boat and sea battle, Sweden, c. 1500-500 BCE.