Prehistory Events, Art and Architecture. Dating Conventions and Abbreviations B.C.=before Christ B.C.E.=before the Common Era A.D.=Anno Domini (the year

PrehistoryPrehistory

Events, Art and Events, Art and ArchitectureArchitecture

Dating Conventions and Abbreviations

B.C.=before ChristB.C.E.=before the Common Era

A.D.=Anno Domini (the year of our Lord)C.E.=Common Era

c. or ca.= circa C.=century


4,000,000 BCE – first hominids walk 4,000,000 BCE – first hominids walk upright (homo erectus)upright (homo erectus)

2,000,000 BCE – first tool making hominids 2,000,000 BCE – first tool making hominids (homo habilis)(homo habilis)

200,000 BCE – first modern humans 200,000 BCE – first modern humans appear in Africa(homo sapiens)appear in Africa(homo sapiens)

100,000 BCE – first evidence of religious 100,000 BCE – first evidence of religious practices (serious burials)practices (serious burials)

50,000 BCE – fully modern language 50,000 BCE – fully modern language appears (vocal cords in skeletal remains)appears (vocal cords in skeletal remains)

PrehistoryPrehistory 40,000 BCE – small portable stone figures first 40,000 BCE – small portable stone figures first

appear (sculptures)appear (sculptures) 35,000 – 10, 000 BCE – homo sapiens become 35,000 – 10, 000 BCE – homo sapiens become

dominant species over Neandertaldominant species over Neandertal 28,000 BCE – first known cave paintings appear 28,000 BCE – first known cave paintings appear

at Chauvet in Franceat Chauvet in France 15,000 – 10, 000 BCE – Lascaux and Altamira 15,000 – 10, 000 BCE – Lascaux and Altamira

cave paintings in France and Spain respectively cave paintings in France and Spain respectively appearappear

9000 BCE – animals begin to be domesticated9000 BCE – animals begin to be domesticated 8000 BCE – agriculture and animals domesticated 8000 BCE – agriculture and animals domesticated

cause the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution cause the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution

PrehistoryPrehistory 9000-7500 BCE – Jericho develops as 9000-7500 BCE – Jericho develops as

world’s oldest continuously inhabited cityworld’s oldest continuously inhabited city 7000 BCE – Pottery develops7000 BCE – Pottery develops 3300 BCE – earliest writing develops in 3300 BCE – earliest writing develops in

Mesopotamia (Sumer) – ends prehistoric Mesopotamia (Sumer) – ends prehistoric period begins historic period period begins historic period

3000 BCE – Bronze Age begins in 3000 BCE – Bronze Age begins in MesopotamiaMesopotamia

2300 BCE – by this point most cultures 2300 BCE – by this point most cultures have moved into the Bronze Age – end of have moved into the Bronze Age – end of Stone AgeStone Age

Three Eras of PrehistoryThree Eras of Prehistory

Paleolithic – Old Stone Age – 40,000 – Paleolithic – Old Stone Age – 40,000 – 10, 000 BCE10, 000 BCE

Mesolithic – Middle Stone Age – Mesolithic – Middle Stone Age – 10,000 – 8,000 BCE10,000 – 8,000 BCE

Neolithic – New Stone Age – 8,000 – Neolithic – New Stone Age – 8,000 – 2,300 BCE2,300 BCE

Megalithic Monument TypesMegalithic Monument Types

Menhirs – simplest Menhirs – simplest megalithic form, megalithic form, upright slabs that upright slabs that served as grave served as grave markers, parts of markers, parts of circles or made circles or made patterns.patterns.


Dolmen – two Dolmen – two upright slabs with upright slabs with one single slab one single slab placed on top; placed on top; used as houses of used as houses of the dead, for stone the dead, for stone circles and for circles and for tombs.tombs.

This is an example This is an example of post and lintel of post and lintel architecturearchitecture


Cromlech – either Cromlech – either menhirs or menhirs or dolmens set up dolmens set up into a circular into a circular pattern; used as pattern; used as calendars, tombs calendars, tombs and for ritual and for ritual religious religious ceremonies. ceremonies.

Paleolithic Art CharacteristicsPaleolithic Art Characteristics

Tends to be more realistic rather Tends to be more realistic rather than abstractthan abstract

Sculptures are usually small and Sculptures are usually small and portableportable

Humans rarely depictedHumans rarely depicted Focus on natural not spiritual worldFocus on natural not spiritual world

Neolithic Art CharacteristicsNeolithic Art Characteristics

Tends to be more abstract than Tends to be more abstract than realisticrealistic

Architecture developsArchitecture develops Art for utilitarian purposesArt for utilitarian purposes Humans depicted frequentlyHumans depicted frequently More focus on the spiritual aspects of More focus on the spiritual aspects of

lifelife

River Valley CivilizationsRiver Valley Civilizations

Tigris and Euphrates River Valley – Tigris and Euphrates River Valley – Mesopotamian CivilizationMesopotamian Civilization

Nile River Valley – Egyptian Nile River Valley – Egyptian CivilizationCivilization

Indus River Valley – Indian Indus River Valley – Indian CivilizationCivilization

Yang Tze (Yellow) River Valley – Yang Tze (Yellow) River Valley – Chinese CivilizationChinese Civilization

Prehistoric ArtPrehistoric Art

How the Art Work Slides LookHow the Art Work Slides Look

TitleTitle Date createdDate created City created inCity created in Style (Painting, etc)Style (Painting, etc) Artist (if applicable)Artist (if applicable) Important Important

InformationInformation

Art WorksArt Works

Pebble resembling Pebble resembling a human facea human face

ca. 3,000,000 B.C.E.ca. 3,000,000 B.C.E. Makaspansgat South Makaspansgat South

AfricaAfrica SculptureSculpture approximately 2 3/8 approximately 2 3/8

in. widein. wide First art objectFirst art object


Chauvet Cave Chauvet Cave PanoramaPanorama

28,000 BCE28,000 BCE Chauvet, FranceChauvet, France Oldest known Oldest known

paintings paintings Found deep inside Found deep inside

cavecave Religious RitualsReligious Rituals EducationEducation

Chauvet Cave paintings

Chauvet CaveChauvet Cave


Hall of the BullsHall of the Bulls 15,000 – 10, 000 BCE15,000 – 10, 000 BCE Lascaux, FranceLascaux, France PaintingPainting Realistic portrayal of animals – hunting aid, education or Realistic portrayal of animals – hunting aid, education or

ritual useritual use

LascauxLascaux

Bird headed manBird headed man Chinese HorseChinese Horse

Pech-Merle Cave paintings

22,000 BCE

Lot, France

Painting

pigment on stoneUse of natural features to create the art


Two BisonTwo Bison 13,000 BCE13,000 BCE Ariege, FranceAriege, France Relief SculptureRelief Sculpture As with painting, As with painting,

animals were the main animals were the main theme in prehistoric theme in prehistoric sculpturesculpture

Carved right from the Carved right from the clay of the cave itselfclay of the cave itself

Note the detailNote the detail

Human with Feline Head

ca. 30,000-28,000 B.C.E.

Hohlenstein-Stadel, Germany

Sculpture

11 5/8 in. high

Shaman/ Witch-doctor figure


Wounded BisonWounded Bison 15,000 – 10,000 15,000 – 10,000

BCEBCE Altamira, SpainAltamira, Spain Bison in middle is Bison in middle is

hurt by arrowhurt by arrow Realism portrayedRealism portrayed 1 of 3 great cave 1 of 3 great cave

painting sitespainting sites

New finds 2009New finds 2009 Venus of Hohle FelsVenus of Hohle Fels 38,000 – 33,000 BCE38,000 – 33,000 BCE Hohle Fels, GermanyHohle Fels, Germany SculptureSculpture Changes the dates of Changes the dates of

earliest human forms by earliest human forms by 10,000 years10,000 years

Enlarged breasts, detailed Enlarged breasts, detailed genitalia suggest fertility genitalia suggest fertility symbolsymbol

Made of mammoth ivory; Made of mammoth ivory; scratches across body could scratches across body could represent clothingrepresent clothing

No head just a hook to No head just a hook to possibly hang/wear as a possibly hang/wear as a charmcharm


Venus of WillendorfVenus of Willendorf 25,000-20,000 BC25,000-20,000 BC Willendorf, AustriaWillendorf, Austria SculptureSculpture Was considered the Was considered the

earliest depiction of earliest depiction of human figure until human figure until 20092009

Symbolizes fertilitySymbolizes fertility Only 4 inches tall – Only 4 inches tall –

served as charmserved as charm

Venus of LausselVenus of Laussel

Woman Holding Woman Holding Animal HornAnimal Horn

30,000 BCE30,000 BCE Laussel, FranceLaussel, France Relief sculptureRelief sculpture Similar to Similar to

Willendorf in Willendorf in style style

Various European “Venus” figures


Herd crossing river, Herd crossing river, hunters with bows & hunters with bows & arrowsarrows

8,000 – 3,000 BCE8,000 – 3,000 BCE Valtorta Gorge, SpainValtorta Gorge, Spain PaintingPainting Neolithic art portrayed Neolithic art portrayed

more interaction more interaction between men and their between men and their environmentenvironment

Not deep inside caves Not deep inside caves any longerany longer

Mammoth bone dwelling

ca. 16,000-10,000 B.C.E.

Ukraine

Architecture

First individual architectural dwelling

Mammoth Bone House - Mammoth Bone House - UkraineUkraine


NewgrangeNewgrange C. 3000-2500 BCEC. 3000-2500 BCE Newgrange, IrelandNewgrange, Ireland ArchitectureArchitecture Originally a stone Originally a stone

circle, now a tombcircle, now a tomb Calendar to tell Calendar to tell

equinoxes and equinoxes and solsticessolstices


StonehengeStonehenge 2950 BCE2950 BCE Salisbury Plain, Salisbury Plain,

EnglandEngland ArchitectureArchitecture Used as calendarUsed as calendar Most significant Most significant

stone circle in stone circle in Europe; used in Europe; used in ritual sacrifices for ritual sacrifices for sun cultsun cult


Figures of Man and Woman

ca. 4,000-3,500 B.C.E.

Cernavoda, Romania

Pottery/sculpture

Possibly married couple?

Great Stone Tower of Settlement Wall

ca. 8,000-7,000 B.C.E.

Jericho, Israel/Palestine

Architecture

Jericho is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world

Human Skulls with Restored Features

ca. 7,000-6,000 B.C.E.

Jericho, Israel/Palestine

Sculpture

Skulls, plaster, shells

Possible ancestor worship – or ward off evil

Catal HuyokCatal Huyok

Landscape with Volcanic Eruption

ca. 6150

Çatal Höyük, Turkey

watercolor copy of a wall painting

Oldest portrayal of a natural disaster

May be oldest city in the world


The EndThe End Next lecture: Ancient Near EastNext lecture: Ancient Near East

Documents

Prehistory Events, Art and Architecture. Dating Conventions and Abbreviations B.C.=before Christ B.C.E.=before the Common Era A.D.=Anno Domini (the year