250,000-2,000 BCE GLOBAL PREHISTORY

Transcription

1 250,000-2,000 BCE GLOBAL PREHISTORY

2 GLOBAL PREHISTORY KEY POINTS 1. Human expression existed across the globe 2. Africa and Asia preceded and influenced other areas 3. Our knowledge comes from collaboration with social and physical scientists

3 VENUS OF WILLENDORF 25,000 BCE Female statuettes Represent fertility and plentiful food Emphasis placed on reproductive aspects Stylized hair Found from Spain to Russia to Mesopotamia

4 WILLEM DE KOONING ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM 1950 Gestural abstraction References fertility figures and mocks images of goddesses

5 #1: APOLLO 11 STONES NAMIBIA. c. 25,500-25,300 BCE. CHARCOAL ON STONE. Oldest art in Africa Portable objects to accommodate nomadic lifestyle Animals shown in strict profile (all four legs, head and tail are visible) Quartzite 7 slabs in total Variety of animals Proves that art is older than we thought.

6 LASCAUX CAVES FRANCE.15,000-13,000 BCE. ROCK PAINTING.

7 #2: GREAT HALL OF THE BULLS FRANCE.15,000-13,000 BCE. ROCK PAINTING

8 #2 GREAT HALL OF THE BULLS Charcoal and powdered pigments to add contour and volume to animals. Animals in profile seem to float in space Created by different painters at different times Earliest appearance of man in art

9 TWISTED PERSPECTIVE (AKA COMPOSITE VIEW) Seeing more than one point of view at a time Usually to ensure complete understanding of the image (both horns are visible)

10 #2: LASCAUX CAVES Evidence of a narrative To guarantee a successful hunt (?) Many animals drawn with arrow piercing it Gouges in rock indicate spears were thrown at them These animals were essential to survival

11 #2: LASCAUX CAVES Hand prints Created by blowing pigment or charcoal through hollow reeds or bones

12 DAPPLED HORSES OF PECH-MERLE 25,000 BCE Uses natural form of the rock to create image Hand prints Created by blowing pigment or charcoal through hollow reeds or bones

13 WELL PAINTING AT LASCAUX CAVES Earliest appearance of a male figure Rhino is very realistic Bison is depicted a bit distorted and angry Bowels are hanging out Unclear what man is doing Is he dead? Falling? Not even a part of the scene? Depicted with less care and detail than animals

14 #3: CAMELID SACRUM IN THE SHAPE OF A CANINE TEQUIXQUIAC, CENTRAL MEXICO. 14,000-7,000 BCE. BONE. Earliest cultural artifacts to have ever come to light in Mesoamerica. Carved from the sacrum of a now extinct American relative of the camel Its original use remains unknown. To house spirit of the animal? Ceremonial mask? Used for religious ceremonies involving fertility. Sacrum bone is slow to decay, dense.

15 #3: CAMELID SACRUM IN THE SHAPE OF A CANINE TEQUIXQUIAC, CENTRAL MEXICO. 14,000-7,000 BCE. BONE. Long before Mayan, Incan and Aztec traditions were established. The sacrum bone was the gateway from physical world to the spiritual world First look at humans manipulating the environment Humans seeking to understand forces beyond their control. Subtractive techniques

16 8,000 1,500 BCE NEOLITHIC PERIOD Early humans left caves to become herdsmen and farmers Steady food = shelter = architecture Crafts become decorative jewelry, and decorative surfaces

17 ALGERIA

18 #4: RUNNING HORNED WOMAN ALGERIA. 6,000-4,000 BCE. PIGMENT ON ROCK.

19 #4: RUNNING HORNED WOMAN ALGERIA. 6,000-4,000 BCE. PIGMENT ON ROCK. Horned female figure Smaller figures surrounding and behind her, some headless Rain cloud overhead (a request for rain?) Featureless face Parallel lines of dots on torso and limbs (body markings) Skirt and flowing fabric represent raffia worn during ceremonies Some figures can be seen through her (layers of images)

20 #4: RUNNING HORNED WOMAN ALGERIA. 6,000-4,000 BCE. PIGMENT ON ROCK. Horns are in composite view May document an event Depiction of humans-representing settled groups Horns represent a connection to animal spirits Historians debate the meaning of the horned woman: is she a horned deity or is she a woman in headgear? Contrast between light and dark areas

21

22 #5: BEAKER WITH IBEX MOTIFS SUSA, IRAN BCE. PAINTED TERRA COTTA. Stylized decoration Aquatic birds (ibex) Running dogs Meander May represent the division of crops Goat Stylized but with personal details (Goatee, tail) Goats are omnipresent (both wild and domesticated)

23 #5: BEAKER WITH IBEX MOTIFS Hand thrown pottery Motif in middle could be a family or clan symbol to identify it Stamped by individual craftsmen

24 #5: BEAKER WITH IBEX MOTIFS Found on the Susa acropolis Part of a secondary burial tomb Many pots found in graves Implies the need for cooking items in the afterlife VIEW FROM BACK

25 HA IL

26 #6 ANTHROPOMORPHIC STELE ARABIAN PENINSULA. 4 TH MILLENNIUM BCE. SANDSTONE. Anthropomorphic Resembling a human form Stele Upright stone slab Probably associated with religious or burial practices Belted robe and double bladed sword Among earliest known works of the Arabian Peninsula

27 ANCIENT CHINA

28 #7: JADE CONG LIANGZHU, CHINA BCE. JADE. Cong Long, hollow pieces with triangular sides Geometric in shape with symmetrical patterns engraved (stylized dragons) Symmetry represents solemnity Gold has a value; jade is invaluable."

29 OTHER COMMON JADE ITEMS FROM LIANGZHU Bi Round piece with hole in middle Yue Battle-axe

30 Used by the social estate: for divine power and witchcraft to control the subjects to worship the supernatural #7: JADE CONG

31

32 #8: STONEHENGE WILTSHIRE, UK BCE. SANDSTONE. Megaliths large stone blocks Celestial Calendar Post & Lintel construction

33 #8: STONEHENGE Possibly originally funerary, where Neolithic cremated their dead Later was an astronomical observatory and accurate solar calendar Possibly was also later a center for healing for the sick and dying We are still learning about it today

34 POST AND LINTEL CONSTRUCTION Horizontal beam (Lintel) that is supported by two columns (Posts)

35 #8: STONEHENGE THE LAYOUT heel stone marks point where sun rose on summer solstice Cromlech a prehistoric monument consisting of a group of megaliths, sometimes arranged in a circle or in concentric circles

36 #9: AMBUM STONE NEW GUINEA BCE. GREYWACKE. Unique in the detail and sophistication of carving Composite figure Part human part animal Purpose meaning unknown Later people of the area attributed shamanic attributes and supernatural powers to it Used in rituals for fertility and hunting Stone is extremely hard and difficult to carve Would have taken a long time to achieve this level of detail

37 #9: AMBUM STONE Other works from this time period Pestles possibly for grinding body paint used in ritual

38 #10: TLATILCO FEMALE FIGURINE CENTRAL MEXICO, SITE OF TLATILCO BCE. CERAMIC. Displays the idea of duality An important concept to early American cultures Life and death together Cycle of life Rebirth Suggests shamanism This is an influence from early Asia Burial figures (funerary art) Many of this kind have been found, this is unique in its double face Most have narrow hips and wide hips Incised clay to create details Painted red, yellow, black

39 #11: TERRA COTTA FRAGMENT LAPITA. SOLOMON ISLANDS, REEF ISLANDS BCE. TERRA COTTA. People migrated from SE Asia Lapita best known for their ceramics Utilitarian ceramic works that depict anthropomorphic figures Human figure is depicted using geometric designs Large vessels created in clay for cooking, serving, storing food