Review 1 prehistoric

Homo SapiensHomo Sapiens

Representational Representational ImagesImages

Upper PaleolithicUpper Paleolithic

Evidence of the beginningEvidence of the beginning of abstract thought of abstract thought

CommunicationCommunication (Language) (Language)

Prehistoric MediaPrehistoric Media

Prehistoric Sculpture: Prehistoric Sculpture: Woman (Venus) of Willendorf Woman (Venus) of Willendorf (Austria: c.25000 BC)(Austria: c.25000 BC)

RELIEF SCULTPURE RELIEF SCULTPURE

ENGRAVING ENGRAVING

IN SITUIN SITU In its original siteIn its original site

Prehistoric Media: Cave Painting Prehistoric Media: Cave Painting

Oldest cave paintingsOldest cave paintingsyet discovered: yet discovered: Chauvet Caves, France,Chauvet Caves, France,between 30,000 andbetween 30,000 and40,000 years old. The 40,000 years old. The tradition continuestradition continueslargely unchanged untillargely unchanged untilafter 10,000 BC.after 10,000 BC.

Subject matter: (mostly) animalsSubject matter: (mostly) animals

CAVE PAINTING: CHARACTERISTICSCAVE PAINTING: CHARACTERISTICS

Deep inside the caves Deep inside the caves


Hard to reach placesHard to reach places


Continually paint in the Continually paint in the same areas, even over same areas, even over long periods of time; long periods of time; paint over pre-existing paint over pre-existing images images


Humans depicted more crudely Humans depicted more crudely


Emphasis on Emphasis on

sexualitysexuality

““Composite figures”Composite figures”CAVE PAINTING: CHARACTERISTICSCAVE PAINTING: CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract marks Abstract marks


Damaged (intentionally) Damaged (intentionally)


Marcelino Sanz de Marcelino Sanz de Sautola (1880): publishesSautola (1880): publishesSome Brief Notes on Some Brief Notes on Prehistoric Objects from Prehistoric Objects from the Province of Santander.the Province of Santander.

““It has been proved thatIt has been proved thatPrehistoric men depictedPrehistoric men depictedpictures of animals onpictures of animals onhard surfaces and tools, hard surfaces and tools, and it is beyond doubt thatand it is beyond doubt thatthe paintings in Altamirathe paintings in Altamiraare just as old.”are just as old.”

Published drawing byPublished drawing bySautola of the AltamiraSautola of the Altamira

paintings paintings

Painting from AltamiraPainting from Altamira

Prehistoric art:Prehistoric art:SYMPATHETIC MAGIC?SYMPATHETIC MAGIC?

Ethnographic ProjectionEthnographic Projection

Prehistoric art: SHAMANISM?Prehistoric art: SHAMANISM?

The Abbe (Henri) Breuil: The Abbe (Henri) Breuil: HUNTING MAGICHUNTING MAGIC

The Abbe (Henri) Breuil:The Abbe (Henri) Breuil:--Relates Prehistoric Art to hunting.--Relates Prehistoric Art to hunting.--Believes art began with a desire for disguise, --Believes art began with a desire for disguise, and the first medium was masks, which were and the first medium was masks, which were a necessity for hunting since they enabled a necessity for hunting since they enabled men to approach nearer to animals. Also men to approach nearer to animals. Also claims prehistoric men would believe claims prehistoric men would believe disguises would give them a supernatural disguises would give them a supernatural power over the animals.power over the animals.--Cave and rock art initially developed from --Cave and rock art initially developed from people noticing resemblances between people noticing resemblances between lines and cave walls and the anatomy of lines and cave walls and the anatomy of animals. Art was begun and developed by animals. Art was begun and developed by hunters, who again believed it would give hunters, who again believed it would give them a supernatural power over animals.them a supernatural power over animals.--The reason Art is a pronounced --The reason Art is a pronounced phenomenon only in some areas it thatphenomenon only in some areas it that it could develop only where big gameit could develop only where big game hunting actually occurred.hunting actually occurred.

The Abbe (Henri) Breuil: HUNTING MAGICThe Abbe (Henri) Breuil: HUNTING MAGIC

SYMPATHETIC MAGICSYMPATHETIC MAGICDESIGNED TO AID INDESIGNED TO AID IN

HUNTINGHUNTING


ANIMALS AS SUBJECTS:ANIMALS AS SUBJECTS:FOOD SUPPLY, MATERIALSFOOD SUPPLY, MATERIALS

(skins, bones for tools)(skins, bones for tools)

ABSTRACT MARKS:ABSTRACT MARKS:TRAPSTRAPS


Cage Cage

DAMAGED: SYMBOLICALY DAMAGED: SYMBOLICALY DESTROY ANIMALTODESTROY ANIMALTO

GAIN CONTROLGAIN CONTROL


HARD TO REACH PLACES:HARD TO REACH PLACES:PLACES OF POWER (MAGIC)PLACES OF POWER (MAGIC)


PAINT OVER IMAGES: PAINT OVER IMAGES: ONCE USED, THEIR ONCE USED, THEIR

FUNCTION IS COMPLETEFUNCTION IS COMPLETE


Criticisms of Hunting Magic:Criticisms of Hunting Magic:THE ANIMALS THEY HUNTED WERE NOT THE ANIMALS THEY HUNTED WERE NOT

THE SAME AS THE ANIMALS THEY PAINTED THE SAME AS THE ANIMALS THEY PAINTED

Prehistoric art:Prehistoric art:FERTILITY MAGICFERTILITY MAGIC(Fertility totems?)(Fertility totems?)

SEXUAL SYMBOLISMSEXUAL SYMBOLISM

No face No face

Little attention paid Little attention paid to limbs to limbs

Emphasis:Emphasis:Gender-specific Gender-specific and sexual and sexual attributesattributes

Enlarged breasts Enlarged breasts

Swollen belly, as if Swollen belly, as if pregnant pregnant

Pronounced genitalia Pronounced genitalia

Also: traces of Also: traces of red paint red paint

MAX RAPHAEL: CLAN TOTEMSMAX RAPHAEL: CLAN TOTEMS

Underlying composition Underlying composition of Altamira, of Altamira,

by Max Raphael by Max Raphael

--Believed the paintings were not --Believed the paintings were not isolated images, but parts of isolated images, but parts of large, planned compositions; large, planned compositions; they should be interpreted bythey should be interpreted by the relationship of the parts to the relationship of the parts to the whole rather than as the whole rather than as individual motifs.individual motifs.--In terms of interpretation, he --In terms of interpretation, he believed the animals represented believed the animals represented totems of clans—social groups totems of clans—social groups represented by a horse, bison, represented by a horse, bison, mammoth, or some other animal. mammoth, or some other animal. This is why certain animals wereThis is why certain animals were dominant in certain caves. dominant in certain caves. Illustrations told stories Illustrations told stories of struggles and interactionsof struggles and interactions between clans.between clans.

ALEXANDER MARSHAK: LUNAR CALENDAR THEORYALEXANDER MARSHAK: LUNAR CALENDAR THEORY

JEAN CLOTTES (with DAVID LEWIS-JEAN CLOTTES (with DAVID LEWIS-WILLIAMS):WILLIAMS):

--A return to theories involving --A return to theories involving shamanism and magicshamanism and magic

--The caves represented a kind of --The caves represented a kind of liminal spaceliminal space

--Abstract markings may represent--Abstract markings may represent entoptic phenomenon.entoptic phenomenon.

NEOLITHIC: Catal Huyuk (Turkey)NEOLITHIC: Catal Huyuk (Turkey)

--The best preserved Neolithic--The best preserved Neolithic city; near Konya, Turkeycity; near Konya, Turkey--Inhabited from c.7500 BC to--Inhabited from c.7500 BC to c.5700 BCc.5700 BC--Had a population of perhaps--Had a population of perhaps 10,000 people in mudbrick10,000 people in mudbrick houseshouses--The primary deity seems to--The primary deity seems to to have been a female to have been a female fertility figurefertility figure--The site was discovered in--The site was discovered in 19611961

--DOLMEN--DOLMEN--CAIRN--CAIRN--MEGALITHIC--MEGALITHIC--MONOLITH--MONOLITH--MENHIR/ALIGNMENT--MENHIR/ALIGNMENT--POST--POST--LINTEL (POST AND LINTEL)--LINTEL (POST AND LINTEL)--TRILITH--TRILITH--MORTICE AND TENON--MORTICE AND TENON--CROMLECH/HENGE --CROMLECH/HENGE MONUMENTMONUMENT

NEOLITHIC STONE ARCHITECTURE (NORTHERN EUROPE)NEOLITHIC STONE ARCHITECTURE (NORTHERN EUROPE)

StonehengeStonehenge

Documents

Review 1 prehistoric