PREHISTORY AND PREHISTORIC ART IN EUROPE
CHAPTER 1
Paleolithic Age c. 1,000,000-12,000 BC
Interesting Web Sites:
Brian Clarady's Prehistoric Art
Paleolithic Art
The First Human Creations
Art is a process of selecting and editing. This implies at least a basic consciousness of the meaning of the activity and its context. Images which also may be symbolic give sense and order to the world around Prehistoric Man. The "image makers" themselves may have had special status in the clan--not only in painting the images, but conducting the rituals. There is speculation that since hunting was a "man thing", then maybe some of these image makers were women.
Painted images were found in caves like Lascaux Cave in France and Altimara Cave in Spain. The animals were rendered naturalistically, while man was rendered abstractly. There is no evidence to suggest these images were narrative (tell stories), since the images were painted in random order, and many times superimposed one over the other. Your book points out that solid images preceded the contour line images. The animals convey no sense of movement (like running or walking), even though you see four legs. This was more to describe the animal more accurately. You can note that the images also show two horns on the bulls or goats, even though the body is in strict profile. Sometimes a bulge or crevice on the stone surface was used to give the body a more three-dimensional form. As the Stokstad book points out, it does give some credence to the image by accident hypothesis suggested by the Renaissance scholar Leon Alberti.
Neolithic Age c. 8,000-2,500 BC
Civilization occurs around 8,000 BC. Neolithic society forms towns, domesticates animals, and grows their own crops, providing the people with a reliable food source. Painted images like the Image of a Hunter show a difference in how human figures are rendered. In fact, both animal and human figures are stylized. They are flat and two-dimensional and movement is evident. It's possible that these images were also part of a ritual, but not one that was for survival. These painted hunters and animals could be a "ritual of manhood", or the like. The Plaster Skull from Jericho could be an attempt to keep the spirit of the deceased trapped on earth--a form of "ancestor worship". Some art historians say that "ancestor worship is yet another manifestation of a community's desire for continuity from one generation to the next." If you look closely, you will see that the facial features of the deceased are modeled in plaster over the bone with an attempt to recreate as closely as possible the human features.
Stonehenge in southern England is one of the most famous surviving Neolithic-style building structures. It is still sufficiently intact to realize what a committment the people had to erecting such a huge monument. Professor Hawkins has proven in recent years that the society that built Stonehenge was very intelligent. It took mathematical calculations to align the major heel stone with the rising and setting of the sun on Mid-Summer's Eve and Mid-Winter's Eve. We can understand how important it would be to Neolithic man to have an awareness of natural phenomena's like eclipses, and the cycle of the seasons. Stonehenge is also an excellent example of post and lintel construction. It is also of interest to us today on how the community actually found, transported and erected these massive stones, as well as how long it took them to complete it. If you are interested in knowing more about Professor Hawkins's theory, there is an excellent video available at Rose State College's LRC called "The Mystery of Stonehenge". You can't check it out, but they will show it on a TV monitor for anyone. I also recommend the outstanding books by Jean M. Auel: Clan of the Cave Bear, Valley of the Horses, The Mammoth Hunters, The Plains of Passage.
Primitive implies that something is in an early stage of development from which more complex associations can blossom. Primitive can also refer to cultures that are not civilized or socially developed. Prehistoric refers to societies that have no written record or history of them.
WEEK 2
ART OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST
CHAPTER 2
Mespopotamian societies clustered along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers between the years 3500 and 612 BC. The first people to settle were the Sumarians. You have an example of their sculpture on the test: Statuettes from the Abu Temple. They are given credit for inventing the wheel, constructing the first school and library, and developing writing to record history, etc. Their script is called cuneiform which enabled them to transmit more complex thoughts and variation in expression in a small amount of space. Best known of their architectural forms is the ziggurat, a monumental mountain-temple built of brick and located in the center of the town. It was the focal point of the community and symbolized power and authority. By 2000 BC Sumerian rule was replaced by the Babylonian and then the Assyrian peoples. Know the importance of the Code of Hammurabi (Stele of Hammurabi in the book). That was followed by the Neo-Babylonians and then the Persians. Study the CD History and Anaysis of the Abu Statuettes and the Ishtar Gates. The Assyrians used carved stone slabs, while the Neo-Babylonians substituted baked and glazed brick. Animals, as well as deities and high-ranking individuals were carved and painted. There is a movement toward naturalism, but figures still appear stiff and rigid. The Abu Temple Statues are cylinder and cone shaped, with large eyes (the windows of the soul) emphasized as if they are hypnotized in their reverence. Beautiful woven silk and jewelry were introduced to us by the Persians.
Updated 8-23-99