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:
This module will introduce you to the earliest of artistic artifacts. After completing this module, you should be able to:
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."
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."
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. I will explain further in the following video:
Please also look to the following resources for more information on this topic:
Paleolithic
Neolithic
Other
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.
Smarthistory.org. The Neolithic Revolution. Khan Academy. Web. August 2013.
Smarthistory.org. Prehistoric Art: Palaeolithic Origins. Khan Academy. Web. August 2013.