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Art in the Stone Age Terminology

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Art in the Stone Age

Terminology

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Paleolithic- (Greek)

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Paleo-Old Lithos-Stone. 40,000-9,000BCE Characteristics, Hunter Gatherer, Caves. Migration
Mesolithic,

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Meso-Middle Lithos- Stone Age 10,000-5,000 bce Characteristics, Beginnings of Cities, Dog Domestication, Transition to agricultural and animal domestication
Neolithic,

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Neo-New Lithos-Stone 8,000-2300 BCE Development of Cities, Animal Husbandry Herding, Agriculture, People Began to stay in one place

Mistakes in Art History

The saying Goes.. “History is Written by the victors.” Niccolo Machiavelli

Mercator Map Projection.

https://youtu.be/KUF_Ckv8HbE http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo- way/2016/01/21/463835225/discovery-of- ancient-massacre-suggests-war-predated- settlements

Radio Carbon Dating

https://youtu.be/54e5Bz7m3do

A process Archaeologists use among others to estimate how long ago an artifact was made.

Makapansgat Face

Pebble resembling a face, Makapansgat, ca. 3,000,000 bce.

This pebble of one of the earliest examples of representation of the human form.

Apollo 11 Cave

Animal facing left, from the Apollo 11 Cave, Namibia, ca. 23,000bce. Charcoal on stone, 5”x4.25”. State Museum of Namibia, Windhoek.

Scientists between 1969-1972 scientists working in the Apollo 11 Cave in Namibia found seven fragments of painted stone plaques, transportable. The approximate date of the charcoal from the archeological layer containing the Namibian plaques is 23,000bce.

Hohlenstein-Stadel

Human with feline (Lion?) head, from Hohlenstein-Stadel Germany, ca 40,000- 35,000BCE

Appox 12” in length this artifact was carved from ivory from a mammoth tusk

This object was originally thought to be of 30,000bce, was pushed back in time due to additional artifacts found later on the same excavation layer.

https://youtu.be/PcT1vGyJzyg

Artwork found in Caves

One possible explanation of the existence of cave artifacts could be weather related. Maps depicted are historical locations of glaciers over the last 100,000 years.

In the northern hemisphere, Ice sheets were much farther south, Notice the european continent where the british isles and mainland europe were connected. It was also much colder than present times.

Willendorf

Nude Woman (Venus of Willendorf), from Willendorf, Austria, ca. 28,000- 25,000 bce.

Found on the Willendorf Archaeological site, Willendorf, Austria.

Can anyone spot a problem in the name of this artifact?

Can anyone use any Art History terminology to describe the artwork:

Brassempouy

Head of a Woman, Brassenpouy, ca 25,000-20,000 BCE.

shows a differing approach to the female form, more slender, less exaggerated. Can anyone spot similarities between this image and the Willendorf figure?

How about differences?

Laussel

Woman Holding a Bison Horn, Laussel, France. ca 25,000-20,000 BCE Painted Limestone, Red Ochre residue. 18” height

https://youtu.be/AqMWh-liGuk

Ochre significance Laussel woman is one the earliest relief sculpture known. It was carved with a stone chisel. Was originally on a large rock, but the fragment was removed and placed in a museum

https://youtu.be/H3ja0I4DdGs https://youtu.be/eVoYWXQLoWw

Hohle Fels

Venus of Hohle Fels, Carved from Mammoth Tusk, found 2008, Germany, 35,000-40,000bce

Le Tuc D’Audoubert

Two bison, reliefs in the cave at Le Tuc d’Audoubert, France ca 15,000-10,000bce

These are not rock, rather molded, built up clay using tools to model the forms, along with the artist's hands and fingernails, the artist’s fingerprints are visible in the clay. Also the cracks were formed in the days after, from drying and not the 10,000-15,000 years after.

https://cfileonline.org/history-file-the- 15000-year-old-bison-of-tuc-daudoubert- contemporary-ceramic-art/

La Madeleine

Bison licking its flank, fragmentary spear-thrower, from La Madeleine, France ca 12,000 bce

Early example of an ornamental tool/weapon. A spear thrower carved from a reindeer antler. incredibly detailed, more than bison at le tuc. Note perspective,

Can anyone describe this form and how the bison is depicted?

Altamira Cave

Video on Altamira Cave Site

https://youtu.be/qyIfPbn0RDs

Video on 10 cave painting sites

https://youtu.be/V6I1ZyJjqrs http://www.spainisculture. com/en/propuestas_culturales/recorrido_ virtual_covaciella.html

Despite the volume of cave painting depicted, Art Historians regard these sites incredibly rare, they exist in sites around the world over a span of 10,000- 20,000 years.

Andrew Graham-Dixon inspects cave art at Altamira

Lascaux Cave

https://youtu.be/UnSq0c7jM-A

Rick Steves at Lascaux cave replica. The Lascaux bulls show a convention of representing horns in “twisted perspective.” or a composite view, because viewers see the heads in the profile but the horns from the front.

Lascaux Cave

Map showing location of Lascaux, France.

Lascaux Cave

Lascaux cave map

Lascaux Cave

Lascaux Entrance

Lascaux Cave

Lascaux Cave Detail

Lascaux Cave

Lascaux Cave Detail

Cueva de las manos

Cueva de las manos, Santa Cruz, Patagonia, Argentina.

Videos explain the site and the hand painting technique, Paleolithic aerosol cans.

https://youtu.be/11Sn_CpxZPs https://youtu.be/4I49uteH-EA

Lascaux Cave

Notice the “composite view” of the bison.

We talked about the near exclusivity of female subject matter. Can anyone spot the differences of this depicted male figure to that of the female examples.

Lascaux Cave Neolithic Jericho

Neolithic Jericho site, Israel/Palestine West Bank. Has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

The paleolithic gave way to the mesolithic and neolithic era. 9000 BCE

Food gathering and hunting were hallmarks of the paleolithic period

intensifying food gathering and dog domestication were hallmarks of the mesolithic period

Neolithic cultures developed livestock and agricultural cultivation, developed cities of 50,000 people. These sites first started in Anatolia and Mesopotamia

Neolithic Jericho

https://youtu.be/tGHR-kwjEsQ

3d model of what Neolithic Jericho looked like.

the site was a walled city of appox 10 acres. 1 acre is about the size of a soccer pitch

Neolithic Jericho

Neolithic Jericho site, Israel/Palestine West Bank. Has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

The paleolithic gave way to the mesolithic and neolithic era. 9000 BCE

Food gathering and hunting were hallmarks of the paleolithic period

intensifying food gathering and dog domestication were hallmarks of the mesolithic period

Neolithic cultures developed livestock and agricultural cultivation, developed cities of 50,000 people. These sites first started in Anatolia and Mesopotamia

Jericho Skulls

Human figures, from Ain Ghazal, Jordan, ca 6750-6250 bce. Plaster, painted and inlaid with bitumen. or shells.

https://youtu.be/AxBdAJM2lEM

Bitumen- is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. Asphalt

AIN GHAZAL

Human figures, from Ain Ghazal, Jordan, ca 6750-6250 bce. Plaster, painted and inlaid with bitumen.

NewGrange, Ireland

Megalithic monument. “Great stones” Outside view of megalithic tomb NewGrange, Ireland, 3200 bce.

https://youtu.be/dYR9f-PcBvo

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