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.

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