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Examining & Comparing Prehistoric Art. Why would early peoples create art?. As we go through the slides think about the following ideas: What are the early peoples seeing every day? What tools are they using to create art? How would they be able to create art deep inside a cave?
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Why would early peoples create art? • As we go through the slides think about the following ideas: • What are the early peoples seeing every day? • What tools are they using to create art? • How would they be able to create art deep inside a cave? • Do early peoples believe in the afterlife? • Do early peoples have leaders or important people?
Background: Ice Ages • What was the Ice Age? • The Pleistocene period is from 1 million to 20,000 years ago. • During this period ice ages alternated with warm periods roughly every 100,000 years • The regions near the equator experienced rainy conditions. • The ocean levels rose and fell as the ice ages came and went
Background: Homo Sapiens • Modern man (homo sapien sapien) is believed to be roughly 100,000 years old • To historians, this period is known as the Paleolithic (or Old Stone Age) • People of this early age made tools out of things they found around them (stones, bones, sticks)
Background: Animals of the last Ice Age • People living during the last ice age had to make tools in order to help them survive. • They also had to find food.
Four Reasons for Creating Paleolithic Art • For decoration: The artwork was created as decoration for a dwelling, a tool, or a person. • For use in a ritual or ceremony: The artwork was created to be used in an important ritual or ceremony, such as an initiation into adulthood.
Four Reasons for Creating Paleolithic Art cont… • To represent memorable events: The artwork was created to record or depict an important or memorable event. • To honor or influence the spirit world: The artwork was created to honor a God, Goddess, or spirits, or to ask them to fulfill a wish or hope
What art did early people create? What does this tell us about them? • As we go through the next slides, write down the following: • The approximate date of the art • Where it was found • What would the purpose be in making the art?
Slide #1 • Lascaux cave, France, 11,000 to 18,000 yrs ago, Wall painting
Slide #1 • Lascaux cave. France. Approx. 11,000-18,000 years ago, wall painting.
Slide #2 • Bruniquel cave. • France. • Approx. 18,000 years ago. • Antler bone
Slide #3 • Pahi, Tanzania • Rock art
Slide #3 Pahi cave. Tanzania. 30,000-9,000 years ago Wall paintings
Slide #4 • Tuc’ D’Audoubert cave. • France. • 10,000-14,000 years ago • Clay sculpture
Slide #5 • Kostenki, Russia • 23,000-21,000 years ago • ivory
Slide #6 • Enlene, France. • Approx. 10,000 years ago • Antler bone.
Weiner Dog Artby Gary Larson • Cave Art • Location: Southern France • 15,000 BCE • In 1909, paleontologist Arnold Zimmerman stumbled across this Paleolithic cave painting in southern France. It is undoubtedly the earliest known form of wiener dog art, estimated to be around 17,000 years old. • The drawing is a clear depiction of Weenus Giganticus, commonly known as the wooly wiener dog. A creature that according to Professor Zimmerman, “must have struck utter terror in the hearts of primitive mail carriers.”
Weiner Dog Artcont… by Gary Larson • Zimmerman’s discovery ultimately brought him only grief, as other scientists began to question the legitimacy of this cave painting. • Special but inconclusive tests indicated the actual “paint” contained chemicals closely akin to a Magic Marker or Sharpie. • The controversy eventually ebbed and Zimmerman moved on in his career to become a staunch supporter of Piltdown man.
Bibliography • The Virtual Museum , Canada http://www.sfu.museum/journey/04secondary/index.php • Lascaux Cave Photos http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/flint/archart.html • Tanzania Wall Art http://www.roughguides.com/website/travel/destination/content/default.aspx?titleid=93&xid=idh460169072_0266 • Gary Larson, The Farside. 2000.
