Loading...
 

History: Prehistory

Preview of version: 10

 

History of Man (Context)

Man walked the earth for thousands, even millions, of years before there is any record of artistic production. There is evidence, such as the water-worn pebble found on the left that resembles a human face found in Makapansgat, South Africa. This pebble was not carved by any human, but was picked-up and carried demonstrating the possible beginnings of humanity's self-awareness. Following many migrations as demonstrated by Stephen Oppenheimer and the Bradshaw Foundation as well as National Geographic's study on the human journey (also check out the extra content), we come to find, as the climate allows, humans settling down in various areas and, upon settling, developing higher thinking.

The very first images that we have evidence of man producing are extremely important to forming an understanding of who we are as human beings. They provide insight into how we developed mentally, and even give insight into some of our basic instincts. We are left questioning why man began to develop images, what were their purpose, and what can they tell us about the ways that they may have lived? These questions provide insight into our current lives as we may then compare our current thinking with our past to form a stronger understanding of what drives us as humans.

Before we begin discussing specific artifacts, we must first note that we will be looking back to two anthropological categorizations: the Palaeolithic man and the Neolithic man. During the palaeolithic era, humans demonstrated their adaptation to the environment as they fashioned tools and became more adept at hunting and gathering. Small tribes became more common and early in this period we begin to find artifacts demonstrating creative energy. During the neolithic period, around 8000 BCE, humans begin to settle down, form agrarian civilizations, and develop monumental works of architecture requiring skilled labor and organization. Melinda Klein discusses the context in more detail in her video below:
 

 

Objectives:

This module will introduce you to the earliest of artistic artifacts. After completing this module, you should be able to:

  • Understand the differences between palaeolithic and neolithic cultures and artifacts
  • Gain a broader understanding of basic themes that relate to these early time periods
  • Gain a broader understanding of some of the formal elements of design
  • Identify some key artifacts from the era
  • Discuss your understanding based on a discussion prompt and report the findings to the class

Palaeolithic Themes

We may only be focusing our attention on western art history, but it is interesting that we find many of these themes to be mirrored in other early palaeolithic people scattered throughout the globe. We will be looking closely at artifacts found in Europe, specifically the south of France, northern Spain and Austria, where caves housed numerous paintings, and the famous Venus of Willendorf was unearthed, demonstrating the earliest known image of a sculpted human figure. The main themes that develop from this time are representation of animals and human figures as well as the possible beginnings of narrative and perhaps spirituality.

Please look to the following article from Smarthistory to further guide you through the Palaeolithic times: "Prehistoric Art: Palaeolithic Origins."

Neolithic Themes

The neolithic era gave way to agricultural development and the rise of cities as humans began settling down, starting families, and stopped following the herds of animals that they had hunted for generations. Instead, they began domesticating wildlife and demonstrating their power through architectural monuments of massive scale. Some themes that emerge are the demonstration of power and a more notable rise in religion or spirituality.

Please look to the following article from Smarthistory to further guide you in the themes of the neolithic age: "The Neolithic Revolution."

Formal Implications

The artworks from these time periods vary mainly based on the types of animals depicted, but remain similar in many formal ways mainly due to the materials that were available for artistic production, but possibly also due to psychological implications of our base understanding for representation. The images of man and animals from the palaeolithic stylize the form in specific ways that are similar to the ways that children naturally draw the form. In the neolithic era, we see initial methods of architectural production such as the post-and-lintel structures and the development of structures with functions such as defence in mind.

 

Artifacts

Paleolithic

  • The Venus of Willendorf: Noted as one of the most important, earliest representations of the female form (28,000-25,000 BCE), this small sculpture measures only 4 1/2" tall and is carved from limestone. It has been studied endlessly by historians, anthropologists, and even psychologists as they attempt to discern the meaning behind thie figure and the exaggerations of the form. The following video by Steven Zucker and Beth Harris of Smarthistory provides some insight into this small sculpture and PBS' series, How Art Made The World by Neigel Spivey also provides some insight into this remarkable figure:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • The Caves at Lascaux, Altamira, and Chauvet: Basically stumbled upon in the south of France and northern Spain, these caves contained paintings dating back as far as 23,000 BCE. They demonstrate generations of paintings, often overlapping of animals and sometimes human forms. There is much speculation regarding the purposes of such images. Each of these caves has a wonderful web resource that allows you to actually tour the sites virtually:

    Please also look to the following resources for more information on this topic:

 

Neolithic

  • Jericho: Jericho was an early example of a fortified city found in what is now Israel. The remains of this archaeological dig have produced amazing architectural artifacts as well as skulls with restored features created by forming clay over the surface of the original human skulls. This evolution to massive architecture and more nuanced artistic production demonstrates the effects of a society that had settled in one location, and, over time, build up fortifications and an early cultural organization as well as ritualistic traditions. Please read the following article to learn more about this archaeological site: "Senta German, "Jericho".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  •  Catal Hoyuk: Another of the earlier cities, this one in what is now Turkey, demonstrates a unique method of city growth and fortification. The structures were built against each other with no streets. All entrances were in the ceilings. This allowed for easy fortification as enemies or other predators could not get into the homes, and if they did manage to break through a wall, they would simply be trapped within a room as ladder could be drawn up to the rooftops. For more information on this city please read the following: Senta German, "Catal Hoyuk". And for some fun, try out this archeological investigation activity.

 

  • Stonehenge: This structure has become an icon for the neolithic age. Found in southern England, historians still marvel at the exact meaning behind the arrangement. As no texts or oral tradition has survived from this era (2550-1600 BCE), we are left to speculate as to the rationale behind it's creation. The structure requires an army of workers to construct as it was produced using stones from a quarry miles away and carted over on sledges as the wheel had not yet been used. The sheer ambition of the monument denotes an extremely organized society with a strong leadership. Recent evidence uncovered some possibility of a king who was buried by the structure dating to the time of its erection. The following descriptions of the structure by Senta German and Nigel Spivey will shed more light on the topic.

 

Further Reading

Paleolithic

Neolithic

Other

Works Cited

German, Senta.Jericho.Smarthistory and Khan Academy. Web. August 2013.

German, Senta.Catal Hoyuk.Smarthistory and Khan Academy. Web. August 2013.

Harris & Zucker. Nude Woman (Venus of Willendorf). Smarthistory and Khan Academy. Web. August 2013.

Klein, Melinda S. Early Man to Neolithic Communities. YouTube.com, May 28, 2008. Web. August 2013.

Oppenheimer. Journey of Mankind. Bradshaw Foundation, 2003. Web. August 2013.

Shreeve, James. Human Journey - National Geographic. National Geographic, March 2006. Web. August 2013.

Smarthistory.org. The Neolithic Revolution. Khan Academy. Web. August 2013.

Smarthistory.org. Prehistoric Art: Palaeolithic Origins. Khan Academy. Web. August 2013.


History

Advanced
Information Version
2017-01-06 11:47 lorena.bradford@faculty.umuc.edu 13
Current
2017-01-06 11:40 lorena.bradford@faculty.umuc.edu 12
2017-01-06 11:33 lorena.bradford@faculty.umuc.edu 11
2017-01-06 11:25 lorena.bradford@faculty.umuc.edu 10
2017-01-06 11:21 lorena.bradford@faculty.umuc.edu 9
2016-08-31 10:46 Josh Yavelberg 8
2016-08-13 12:31 SCantor Fixed link for Plaster Skull from Jericho in British Museum 7
2016-08-13 12:24 SCantor Removed video that no longer works (link also dead) and edited formatting so it's easier to read. 6
2016-08-13 12:16 SCantor 5
2016-01-15 12:48 Josh Yavelberg 4
2016-01-15 12:41 Josh Yavelberg 3
2015-03-14 17:09 Josh Yavelberg Fixed embedded videos. 2
2015-03-14 17:05 Josh Yavelberg Creation 1
Show php error messages