Chapter 1 BEFORE HISTORY

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1 Chapter 1 BEFORE HISTORY The making of tools as early as 2 million years ago demonstrates an awareness of form and function and is regarded as the first step of art. Over the centuries one sees this awareness in the design of the tools found throughout the world. There is also evidence of humans being aware of things beyond their immediate world such as funeral gifts of food and weapons buried with their dead. In addition to those gifts, what the authors call a second step in the making of art was taken with the creation of non-utilitarian objects, which were generally found, in or near the graves. Examples of this would be limited large stone monuments with markings carved on the surface. Since this period is before any known writing and because of the small number of objects found, our knowledge of the people and the purpose of some of the pieces are limited. During this period, most of the carvings whether it be free standing or a relief are relatively small, suggesting the lack or need for large monumental sculpture. One of the many things to observe during this period is the attention paid by the carvers to detail and to conveying realism. This realism emphasizes the observation powers of the makers even this early in the history of humankind. Key Terms: Paleolithic dressed stone Relief megalith Franco-Cantabrian triangle Learning Objectives: To understand the need for humans to create. To be aware of the possibility of creativity without modern tools. To know which tools aided the individual in the creative process To see how visuals were used in rituals. Page 1

2 THE ART OF THE HUNTERS Woman from Willendorf (fig. 1.1) This object, which is believed to be 25,000 to 30,000 years old, is thought to be the oldest known artwork and is only 4 1/2 inches tall. Because of its features and the similar emphasis on female features of other carvings found, it is thought that this statue has something to do with fertility. Notice also that the size and the lack of feet help emphasize the reproductive areas of the body. Woman s Head from Brassempouy (fig. 1.3) This figure measures only 1 1/3 inches. As opposed to the statue from Willendorf, this one is more of a portrait in that there is a concern for the shape of the face and the representation of hair or of some type of head ornamentation. Mother Goddess from Laussel (fig. 1.5) This image is the first true relief sculpture and the image is much larger than previous objects being 18 1/2 inches tall. As with the Woman from Willendorf, this relief emphasizes the areas of the female body which have to do with reproduction such as the curve of the stomach and thighs and the shape of the breasts. Cave Art As with the stone carvings, our understanding of the people and the objects found within the caves is also limited. It was not until the beginning of the twentieth century that the works of art found in the caves were regarded as being Paleolithic. A majority of the cave paintings have been found in this area called the Franco-Cantabrian triangle, which includes the north of Spain and the Southwestern part of France including the valley of Dordogne. The 1994 discovery of cave paintings older than the Lascaux paintings caused a regrouping of previous notion about categorizing. The paintings found in the Chauvet cave in south-eastern France dating from 25,000 to 17,000 BC show a remarkable understanding about form, shading, and the same realistic representation found in earlier stone carvings. Page 2

3 There are similarities between these caves and the others of the Franco-Cantabrian triangle. At Lascaux, the paintings offer a wide range of color created from either ochre or manganese, which were grounded into a powder and applied directly to the damp surface of the walls. The outlines were applied with charcoal or paint and the colors were applied by spraying the pigment through bone tubes. With all the cave paintings the subject matter is limited to animals, but when men or women are present they are painted as stick figures. The animals portrayed are not limited to the ones humans would have eaten yet they are presented with such naturalism that we can identify them today. The cave painters also included geometric symbols whose purpose is unknown. The location in the caves of the paintings has convinced many that they were not meant for decoration. They were found far from natural light and high on the walls and on the ceiling. The space was reused; therefore, it is believed that the paintings fulfilled some type of hunting ritual need. Not much sculpture has survived from this period because most of that which was made from clay was exposed to the elements. As with the paintings, there is strong evidence from the surviving pieces of naturalism, as is seen in fig These figures are rendered in high relief. Spear-thrower (fig. 1.12) This is one beautiful piece of sculpture to survive and is made from bone. This sculpture demonstrates the maker s ability to see the possibilities of creating while using a basic material, which probably had a utilitarian purpose. It is interesting to speculate as to which came first: the selection of the image for the piece or the selection of the piece for that particular image. Mesolithic Period This was a time during which much of the present day formation of landmass took place. Dogs were domesticated and bows were made to aid in the hunt. Page 3

4 As during the Paleolithic period, there were images created at this point in history also. Group of figures (fig. 1.15) This image illustrates the inclusion of somewhat realistic humans as well as the continued use of animals. As was seen in the Lascaux cave paintings of animals, here one gets a sense of movement in the depiction of the nude humans. THE ART OF THE FARMERS This time frame is known as the Neolithic Revolution because of the changes which took place such as an increase in population, which naturally led to the cultivation of wheat and to the domestication of more animals. Land ownership was a direct result of the addition of farming as a way for survival. These changes in civilization occurred at different times in different parts of the world. Found at Jericho in Jordan is one of the oldest known settlements in which the structures were made of mud on stone foundations. Head from Jericho (fig. 1.19) Also found at Jericho were sculpted heads which were placed above graves. These heads were the actual skulls with painted plaster for the skin and seashells for the eyes. The sensitivity to the modeling of the flesh indicates an interest in portraiture. Dancing Hunter (fig. 1.20) Çatal Hüyük differs from Jericho in that there was no fortifications, weapons, or war gods. It was felt that this settlement was the most advanced in the region during 6,000 BC. The wall painting of what is believed to be a dancing hunter shows movement similar to that found in Sicily. It is different from the cave paintings from Europe in that the area on which it was painted was first treated with plaster. The technique of using baked clay has been found as early as 15,000 BC, and it was used for pots in Japan as far back as the seventh millennium BC. Yet the use of clay was not wide until humans established stable environments which would Page 4

5 afford the inhabitants time to create instead of worrying about invasion or starvation. Man from Cernavoda (fig. 1.22) Before the invention of the potter s wheel around 3,400 BC in Mesopotamia and 2,000 BC in China, pots and objects were coiled built and hand molded and then fired in small kilns. Clay was also used for statuettes, which were also baked. This statue, though small in size, is geometric in shape, yet demonstrates a highly expressive pose. Neolithic Architecture As the living conditions became more stable, the need for architecture beyond basic housing also rose. Before this period, humans used natural shelters such as caves or structures made from mud brick, which, because of its properties, were not permanent. This material was found in Mesopotamia where we find the first of the new structures-the temple. This structure was the traditional mud brick with internal walls, one with a niche and an offering table. Temple on Malta (fig. 1.23) This structure was begun before 3,000 BC and was the earliest known freestanding building made out of brick. These huge stones are resting on each other without the aid of mortar, and it has a round interior with a wooden roof. The limestone used on the exterior was 12 feet high, and each supported smaller stones. The doorway forms a post and lintel configuration. Most of the stones were dressed while others had little hammered pits. Stonehenge (fig. 1.26) Again we see the use of post and lintel in a structure which dates 2,100-2,000 BC. The large stones are called megaliths and were brought to their present site from the mountains in Wales some 190 miles away. The purpose of Stonehenge remains a mystery though many theses have been offered up such as it being used for some type of cult center. Page 5

6 The stones were designed to line up with various points on the horizon such as the summer and winter solstice of that period. Because of these alignments, Stonehenge has been linked to the farming community as some type of structure tied in to the seasons. What has amazed everyone about this structure, in addition to the mystery of how the stones were moved, is its precision, symmetry, and the unity of its conception. The technical abilities of its builders during a time which lacked metal tools also continues to cause many discussions. Page 6