AP Art History: Global Prehistory & Ancient Mediterranean

Unit 1: Global Prehistory, 30,000–500 B.C.E.

Context: This unit explores the earliest artistic expressions of humanity, spanning from the Upper Paleolithic to the Neolithic periods, and covering a vast geographical range across continents. The artworks from this era provide critical insights into the cognitive abilities, social structures, and spiritual beliefs of early human societies. These works often reflect the close relationship between humans and their environment, the development of symbolic thought, and the emergence of ritual practices. They demonstrate the diverse ways in which early humans perceived and interacted with the world around them, leaving behind lasting legacies of their existence.

  1. Apollo 11 Stones

Context: Discovered in Namibia and dating back to c. 25,500–25,300 B.C.E., these charcoal on stone fragments feature animal profiles and represent some of the world’s oldest known art. The discovery provides insights into early human cognitive and artistic abilities in Africa, suggesting that early humans used portable art to document their environment, practice hunting skills, or transmit knowledge to future generations. These stones offer glimpses into the symbolic world of early Homo sapiens.

Function: Had obscure purposes, potentially linked to hunting rituals, initiation ceremonies, or storytelling in ancient African societies; these stones served as tools for early humans to record essential aspects of their lives, such as documenting animal migration routes which were critical for survival.

Identifiers: (Material: Charcoal on stone, Culture/Location: Namibia)

  1. Great Hall of the Bulls

Context: Created in Lascaux, France, dating back to 15,000–13,000 B.C.E., these rock paintings featuring cows, bulls, horses, and deer capture the artistic and symbolic world of Paleolithic humans in Europe. The paintings indicate a deep understanding of animal behavior, hunting techniques, and the natural environment used for initiation ceremonies. The site showcases the sophisticated artistic skills and symbolic thinking of early humans, providing a window into their beliefs and practices.

Function: The precise intention is not known but the images are thought to have been significant for hunting rituals, potentially ensuring successful hunts by depicting animals in a lively, plentiful manner, also possibly for shamanistic practices and storytelling, giving a peek into ancestral tales and customs within early European societies.

Identifiers: (Material: Rock painting, Culture/Location: Lascaux, France)

  1. Running Horned Woman

Context: Located in Algeria and created around 6000–4000 B.C.E., this pigment on rock artwork presents a figure in composite view during a ritual ceremony. The artwork portrays initial creative and spiritual traditions in North Africa and proposes the presence of religious and social activities in early North African communities. The "Running Horned Woman" is a key example of early rock art that provides crucial insights into the religious and social practices of Neolithic North African societies.

Function: This artwork depicts a ceremonial context, probably connected to religious or social activities such as honoring the goddess of fertility or marking seasonal shifts, stressing the significance of ceremonial apparel and spiritual dedication in old North African cultures.

Identifiers: (Material: Pigment on rock, Culture/Location: Algeria)

  1. Camelid Sacrum in the Shape of a Canine

Context: Carved from the sacrum bone of a camelid in Tequixquiac, Mexico, between 14,000–7000 B.C.E. The sacrum, believed to be sacred, underwent meticulous carving to resemble a canine skull, showcasing early symbolic and artistic endeavors in Mesoamerica, possibly for ritualistic practices by early hunter-gatherer societies. The artifact symbolizes early Mesoamerican beliefs about the spiritual significance of animal forms and the human body.

Function: Likely served a ritualistic or spiritual purpose, with the sacrum bone symbolizing the soul's seat or a link between the physical and spiritual realms in ancient Mesoamerican beliefs, potentially used in shamanistic rituals or funerary practices to honor animal spirits or ensure successful hunts.

Identifiers: (Material: Bone, Culture/Location: Tequixquiac, Mexico)

  1. Beaker with Ibex Motifs

Context: Found in Susa, Iran, and created around 4200–3500 B.C.E., this painted terra cotta cup exhibits friezes of birds, canines, and an ibex holding a clan insignia, signifying initial creative and cultural expressions in the old Near East. The beaker possibly represents social status, family ties, or ceremonial functions related to clan identity. It showcases the artistic skills and symbolic language of early Iranian civilizations.

Function: Possibly used for ornamental or symbolic reasons, maybe linked to family identity or societal rank within ancient Iranian civilizations, emphasizing the function of ceramics in displaying cultural stories and creative flair during feasts or ceremonies.

Identifiers: (Material: Painted terra cotta, Culture/Location: Susa, Iran)

  1. Anthropomorphic Stele

Context: Found in the Arabian Peninsula and dating back to the 4th-millennium B.C.E., this sandstone stele is shaped with human-like characteristics, suggesting early artistic and potentially religious or social practices among nomadic or semi-nomadic communities in the region. They may have used it to mark territories or commemorate ancestors. The stele provides insights into the early social structures and symbolic practices of ancient Arabian societies.

Function: Possibly served as a grave marker or memorial for a prominent individual or ancestor, indicating early social structures and funerary practices like ancestor worship in the Arabian Peninsula, meant to honor the deceased and maintain social cohesion.

Identifiers: (Material: Sandstone, Culture/Location: Arabian Peninsula)

  1. Jade Cong

Context: Created in Liangzhu, China, around 3300–2200 B.C.E., this carved jade object with a circular hole in a square cross-section and abstract face patterns reflects sophisticated jade carving techniques and cultural symbolism in Neolithic China. The jade cong indicates a complex social hierarchy and ritualistic practices within the Liangzhu culture. It demonstrates the advanced craftsmanship and spiritual beliefs of early Chinese societies.

Function: Likely served a ritualistic or symbolic purpose, possibly related to cosmological beliefs associating the square with the earth and the circle with the heavens, used by the elite class in ceremonies to communicate with ancestral spirits or assert social status.

Identifiers: (Material: Jade, Culture/Location: Liangzhu, China)

  1. Stonehenge

Context: Located in Wiltshire, UK, and built around 2500-1600 B.C.E., this structure utilizes a post-and-lintel design with a mortise and tenon system, signifying a major engineering and cultural accomplishment in Neolithic Europe. Stonehenge emphasizes expertise in astronomy, social cooperation, and also ceremonial practices among old British people. It remains one of the most iconic prehistoric monuments in the world.

Function: Possibly used as a celestial observatory for tracking seasonal changes, a central area for burials, or a location for holding religious events, mirroring both astronomical awareness and organized societal structures in ancient British cultures.

Identifiers: (Material: Stone, Culture/Location: Wiltshire, United Kingdom)

  1. The Ambum Stone

Context: Originating from Papua New Guinea around 1500 B.C.E., this graywacke stone carving depicts a composite human/animal figure and embodies unique sculptural traditions and cultural beliefs in ancient Oceania. It was possibly created by skilled artisans within a hierarchical society for use in fertility or initiation rituals. The Ambum Stone provides insights into the symbolic and ritual practices of early Papuan societies.

Function: Probably served a ritualistic purpose, as a fertility symbol used in ceremonies to promote successful harvests, abundant offspring, or as part of initiation rites for young men, reflecting the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment in ancient Papua New Guinean society.

Identifiers: (Material: Graywacke, Culture/Location: Papua New Guinea)

  1. Tlatilco Female Figurine

Context: Unearthed in Central Mexico, dating back to 1200–900 B.C.E., this ceramic figurine with flipper-like arms, large thighs, and pronounced hips reflects early artistic expressions and cultural values in Mesoamerica, suggesting a focus on fertility, human anatomy, and possibly shamanistic roles within the Tlatilco society. This artifact is significant for understanding the religious and social practices of early Mesoamerican cultures.

Function: Possibly served a shamanistic function or represented fertility, reflecting the religious and social practices of the Tlatilco people, used in household rituals to ensure successful childbirth, promote agricultural abundance, or as part of burial offerings to honor female ancestors.

Identifiers: (Material: Ceramic, Culture/Location: Central Mexico)

  1. Terra cotta fragment

Context: Recovered from Lapita, Solomon Islands, around 1000 B.C.E., this incised terra cotta fragment features curved stamped patterns, symbolizing early artistic and cultural traditions in Oceanic societies. The fragment was potentially used as pottery shards for decoration or as part of trade networks among island communities, reflecting the aesthetic values and social connections of the Lapita culture.

Function: Served a decorative or symbolic purpose, possibly related to social identity or cultural beliefs, such as marking lineage connections or indicating status within the community, used during ceremonial exchanges or in daily household activities to reflect Lapita aesthetic values.

Identifiers: (Material: Terra cotta, Culture/Location: Lapita, Solomon Islands)