Prehistoric Art

Prehistoric Art of Early Man

• Definition: Prehistoric means "before writing."

Cognitive Revolution

• Duration: Homo sapiens demonstrated limited mental abilities for about 150,000 years.

• Major Change: Occurred around 50,000 years ago.

Language Development

• Contributing Factors:

  • Physical: Improved brain and larger voice box.

  • Mental: Enabled symbolic reasoning and questioning.

  • Social: Increased cultural and technical innovations.

• Context: No written language existed.

Upper Paleolithic Period

• Timeframe: 50,000 - 10,000 BCE.

Venus Figurines

• Terminology: "Venus" refers to the Greco-Roman goddess but predates her.

• Characteristics: Small, portable figures representing women.

• Quantity: Over 200 known figurines.

Venus Impudique

• Discovery: Found in Laugerie-Basse Cave, France (1864).

• Age: Approximately 16,000 years old.

• Size: 3.15 inches; called "Immodest Venus."

Venus of Hohle Fels

• Significance: Earliest human image; oldest known figurative art.

• Discovery: Found in Germany (2008).

• Age: 35,000 - 40,000 years old; 2.4 inches long.

Venus of Dolní Věstonice

• Discovery: Czech Republic (1925).

• Age: 29,000 - 25,000 years; 4.4 inches large.

• Materials: Made of clay; oldest ceramics known.

Venus of Willendorf

• Discovery: Austria (1908).

• Age: 25,000 years; made of limestone; size 4.4 inches.

• Distinct Features: Painted with red ochre; no face, possible hair or cap.

Venus of Laussel

• Discovery: France (1911).

• Age: 29,000 - 22,000 years; 18.11 inches tall.

• Characteristics: Carved in limestone; holds horn with 13 notches.

Cave Paintings

• General Note: Not all early humans lived in caves; art found within.

Chauvet-Pont d'Arc Cave

• Discovery: France (1994).

• Significance: Best-preserved Paleolithic art.

• Age: Art dates from 37,000 - 33,500 years.

Lascaux Cave

• Discovery: France (1940).

• Significance: Contains stunning Paleolithic art.

• Age: Art dates back 17,000 years.

Altamira Caves

• Discovery: Northern Spain; significance revealed over time.

• Age: Art dates from 14,820 - 13,130 years.

Megaliths

• Definition: Large stones used in prehistoric structures/monuments.

• Significance: Over 35,000 in Europe; key to Neolithic Period (10,000-3,000 BCE).

Göbekli Tepe

• Location: Turkey; discovered in 1994.

• Age: Dated to 9,500 - 8,000 BCE.

• Significance: Possibly the world's first temple.

Carnac Stones

• Location: Northern France; dates from 4,500 - 2,000 BCE.

• Composition: 3,000 standing stones in alignments.

Stonehenge

• Location: Southern England; constructed in stages from 3000 - 1520 BCE.

• Structure: Stone circle in post-and-lintel formation.

Importance of Symbols

• Functions: Communication, signaling, and symbolic behavior.

• Questions Raised: Relation between agriculture and civilization.