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In the history of art, prehistoric art is all art produced in preliterate cultures (prehistory), beginning somewhere in very late geological history. The history of art usually refers to the History of the Visual arts, such as Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Arts of the ancient world refers to the many types of Art that were in the Cultures of Ancient societies such as those of ancient China, Also see articles History of painting, Western painting Western Art' redirects here Eastern art history is devoted to the arts of the Far East and includes a vast range of influences from various cultures and religions Islamic art encompasses the arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people (not necessarily Muslim) who lived within the territory that was inhabited by culturally See also Western art, History of painting, Western art history, History of art, Art history, Painting, Outline of painting The history of Painting reaches back in time to artifacts from pre-historic humans and spans all cultures Art history is the Academic study of objects of Art in their Historical development and stylistic contexts i
Contents |
Palaeolithic
·Red: mural art
·Green: mobile art
·Cyan line: limits of main glaciations
·Blue line: coastline
The earliest possible artwork yet discovered, the Venus of Tan-Tan comes from between 500,000 and 300,000 BCE, during the Middle Acheulean period. The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" Venus of Tan-Tan was found in Morocco. It is 6 centimeters long gender Indeterminate and faceless and has been dated between 300000 and 500000 BC. Acheulean (also spelled Acheulian,) is the name given to an Archaeological industry of Stone tool manufacture associated with prehistoric Hominins Discovered in Morocco, it is about 6 centimeters long and resembles a human figurine. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa For the indie band see Figurine (band A figurine (a diminutive form of the word Figure) is a Statuette that represents Although this Moroccan artifact may have been created by natural geological processes, it appears to exhibit traces of human tool-work and bears evidence of having been painted; "a greasy substance" on the stone's surface has been shown to contain a mixture of iron and manganese termed ochre, and indicates that it was decorated by someone and used as a figurine, regardless of how it may have been formed. Geology (from Greek γη gê, "earth" and λόγος Logos, "speech" lit A broader definition of a tool is an entity used to interface between two or more domains that facilitates more effective action of one domain upon the other Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Manganese (ˈmæŋgəniːz is a Chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. Ochre or Ocher (pronounced /'əʊkə(r/ from the Greek ὠχρός yellow is a Color, usually described as golden - Yellow The identity of the artifact as evidence of human artistic expression, however, remains disputed. A more or less comparable object from Israel, the Venus of Berekhat Ram, dated to roughly 250,000 BCE, has elicited similar controversy. The Venus of Berekhat Ram is a proposed Venus figurine that was found on the Golan Heights in the summer of 1981 by archaeologist N
It remains premature, then, to claim with any degree of confidence that art existed before 100,000 years ago.
Blombos Cave Discoveries
In 2002 in Blombos cave, situated in South Africa, stones were discovered engraved with grid or cross-hatch patterns, suggesting to some researchers that early Homo Sapiens were capable of abstraction and production of abstract art or symbolic art. Blombos Cave is a Cave in a Limestone cliff on the Southern Cape coast in South Africa. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus These impressive works date to 70,000 years ago, which makes them about 40,000 years older than the Lascaux -type cave paintings. Lascaux is the setting of a complex of Caves in southwestern France famous for its prehistoric Cave paintings The original caves are located near Other remarkable discoveries form the Blombos cave include shell beads 30,000 years older than previously-known beads. While the datings of the Blombos artifacts are correct, there is no indication that they are indeed actual representations of advanced cognitive behavior similar to the depictional art later in Europe. Several archaeologists including Richard Klein of Stanford are hesitant to accept the Blombos caves as the first example of actual art. Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a private Research university located in
Cave Painting
Further depictional art is from the Upper Palaeolithic period (broadly 40,000 to 10,000 years ago) and includes both cave painting (such as the famous paintings at Chauvet, Altamira, Pech Merle, and Lascaux), portable art (such as animal carvings and so-called Venus figurines like the Venus of Willendorf), and open air art (such as the monumental Côa Valley in Portugal, Domingo García and Siega Verde, both in Spain, Mazouco in Mexico, Fornols-Haut in France). The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe Africa Cave paintings are Paintings on Cave walls and ceilings and the term is used especially for those dating to Prehistoric times Pech Merle, a hillside opening in the Lot département of Midi-Pyrénées region in France, about 35 minutes drive east of Cahors, Lascaux is the setting of a complex of Caves in southwestern France famous for its prehistoric Cave paintings The original caves are located near Prehistoric portable art included small mobile pieces that could be carried from place to place Venus figurines is an Umbrella term for a number of prehistoric Statuettes of women sharing common attributes (many depicted as apparently Obese The Venus of Willendorf, also known as the Woman of Willendorf, is an 11 The Côa Valley Paleolithic Art site is one of the largest known open air sites of Paleolithic art. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Domingo García is a municipality located in the province of Segovia, Castile and León, Spain. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.
There are some speculations that only Homo sapiens are capable of artistic expression. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus However, Homo erectus had long before produced seemingly aimless patterns on artifacts such as is those found at Bilzingsleben in Thuringia, and these might be understood as a precursor to art, as well as to reveal some intent of the artificer to decorate, to fashion beyond practical necessity. Homo erectus ( Latin: "upright man" is an extinct species of the genus Homo, believed to have been the first hominin Bilzingsleben is a findspot of early Palaeolithic human remains in Thuringia, Germany. The Free State of Thuringia (Freistaat Thüringen is located in central Germany. The symmetry and attention given to the shape of a tool has led authors to see Middle Palaeolithic hand axes and especially laurel points as artistic expressions as well. The Middle Paleolithic (or Middle Palaeolithic) is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, A handaxe is a bifacial Lower and Middle Paleolithic core Tool. A recent find, the Mask of La Roche-Cotard in France, now suggests that Neanderthal humans may have developed a sophisticated and more complicated artistic tradition. The Mask of la Roche-Cotard is a Mousterian artifact, found in 2002 in the entrance of La Roche-Cotard on the banks of the Loire River This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.
Later findings from the Mizyn archeological site in the Ukraine dated from Mousterian epoch of Paleolithic are mammoth ivory bracelets with carved meander ornaments [1]. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Mousterian is a name given by archaeologists to a style of predominantly Flint tools (or industry) associated primarily with Homo neanderthalensis The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" A mammoth is any Species of the Extinct Genus Mammuthus. These Proboscideans are members of the elephant family and Ivory is formed from Dentine and constitutes the bulk of the Teeth and Tusks of animals such as the Elephant, Hippopotamus, In Art and Architecture, a meander is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line shaped into a repeated motif
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic period has some examples of portable art, like painted pebbles (Azilien) from Birseck, Eremitage in Switzerland, and in some areas, like the Spanish Levant, stylized rock art. The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of human technology in between the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Patterns on utilitarian objects, like the paddles from Tybrind Vig, Denmark, are known as well. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe
Neolithic
According to archeological evidence, the Jōmon people in ancient Japan were the first to develop pottery, dating to the 11th millennium BCE. The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14000 BC to 400 BC. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Pottery is the Ceramic ware made by potters It also refers to a group of materials that includes Earthenware, Stoneware The Jōmon people were making clay figures and vessels decorated with patterns made by impressing the wet clay with braided or unbraided cord and sticks with a growing sophistication.
Free standing sculpture had already begun by the Neolithic, the earliest being the anthropomorphic figurines, often embellished by animals from the very beginning of the Neolithic discovered in Nevali Cori and Göbekli Tepe near Urfa in eastern Turkey, dating to ca. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Nevalı Çori was an early Neolithic settlement on the middle Euphrates, in the province of Şanlıurfa (Urfa, eastern Turkey. Göbekli Tepe ( Turkish for "Hill with a Belly") is a hilltop sanctuary built on the highest point of an elongated mountain ridge about 15km northeast Şanlıurfa (often simply known as Urfa in daily language formerly cited as Edessa or in Kurdish; Riha or Urhāy Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches 10th millennium BCE. The Mesolithic statues of Lepenski Vir at the Iron Gate, Serbia date to the 7th millennium BCE and represent either humans or mixtures of humans and fish. Lepenski Vir (Лепенски Вир is an important Mesolithic Archaeological site located in Serbia in the central Balkan Peninsula For the Iron Gates built by Alexander the Great in the Alexander Romance, see Gates of Alexander. Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country During the 7th millennium BC, Agriculture spreads from Anatolia to the Balkans.
In Central Europe, many Neolithic cultures, like Linearbandkeramic, Lengyel and Vinča, produced female (rarely male) and animal statues that can be called art. Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Lengyel is a village in Tolna county Hungary. The Vinča culture was an early culture of Europe (between the 6th and the 3rd millennium BC stretching around the course of Danube in what today is Serbia Whether the elaborate pottery decoration of, for example, the Želiesovce and painted Lengyel style are to be classified as art is a matter of definition. Lengyel is a village in Tolna county Hungary.
Megalithic monuments are found in the Neolithic from Portugal, through France, and across southern England to most of Wales and Ireland. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world They are also found in northern Germany and Poland, as well as in Egypt in the Sahara desert (at Nabata and other sites). Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The Sahara (الصحراء الكبرى aṣ-ṣaḥrā´ al-kubra, "The Great Desert" is the world's largest hot Desert and the world's second largest They start in the 5th millennium BC, though some authors speculate on Mesolithic roots. Because of frequent re-use, this is difficult to prove. Not really that popular are the temples of Malta dating back to 3600 BCE these are the oldest free standing monuments in all the world with a post to lintel simple architecture but still very imposing structures. Many artistic similarities where found in Minoa (Crete) dating to the same period of the very well known Egyptian pyramids. While the best-known of these is Stonehenge, where the main structures date from the early Bronze Age, such monuments have been found throughout most of Western and Northern Europe, notably at Carnac, France, at Skara Brae in the Orkney Islands, in Portugal, and in Wiltshire, England, the area of Stonehenge, the Avebury circle, the tombs at West Kennet, and Woodhenge. Stonehenge is a Prehistoric Monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury Carnac ( Breton = Karnag) is a commune beside the Gulf of Morbihan on the south coast of Brittany in the Morbihan This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. ||-||-||-| Skara Brae (ˈskɑrə ˈbreɪ is a large stone-built Neolithic settlement located on the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of mainland Orkney Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Avebury is the site of a large Henge and several Stone circles in the English county of Wiltshire surrounding the village of Avebury Avebury (the traditional local pronunciation is "A'bury" is a Village and Civil parish in Wiltshire, England. Woodhenge is a Neolithic Class I henge and Timber circle monument located in the Stonehenge World Heritage Site in Wiltshire One tomb found in Newgrange, Ireland, has its entrance marked with a massive stone carved with a complex design of spirals. Newgrange (Dún Fhearghusa is one of the Passage tombs of the Brú na Bóinne complex in County Meath, one of the most famous Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The tomb of Knowth has rock-cut ornaments as well; one of them may be the oldest known image of the Moon. Knowth (Cnobha is the site of a Neolithic Passage grave, one of the ancient monuments of the Brú na Bóinne complex in the valley Many of these monuments were megalithic tombs, and archaeologists speculate that most have religious significance. Knowth is reputed to have approximately one third of all megalithic art in Western Europe.
On the central Alps the civilization of the Camunni did 350. The Camunni or ancient Camuns ( Greek: for Strabo or for Cassius Dio) were an Alpine people who inhabited the valley of the 000 petroglyphs: see rock Drawings in Valcamonica. Val Camonica is a valley in the lower Alpine regions of Lombardy, between the Province of Brescia and Province of Bergamo, Italy.
Bronze Age
During the 3rd millennium BCE, however, the Bronze Age began in Europe, bringing with it a new medium for art. The 3rd millennium BC spans the Early to Middle Bronze Age. It represents a period of time in which Imperialism, or the desire to conquer grew to prominence The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for The increased efficiency of bronze tools also meant an increase in productivity, which led to a surplus — the first step in the creation of a class of artisans. Because of the increased wealth of society, luxury goods began to be created, especially decorated weapons. Examples include ceremonial bronze helmets, ornamental ax-heads and swords, elaborate instruments such as lurer, and other ceremonial objects without a practical purpose. Lur is a name given to two distinct types of wind Musical instrument. Rock art, showing scenes from the daily life and religious rituals have been found in many areas, for example in Bohuslän Sweden and the Val Camonica in northern Italy. Rock art is a term in Archaeology for any man-made markings made on natural stone is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish situated on the west coast of the country "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Valcamonica Lombard valleys of the biggest and as famous as for its battails facts in ancient stories to noble families and very honorable and men who were distinguished for letters for weapons Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest
Iron Age
The Iron Age saw the development of anthropomorphic sculptures, such as the warrior of Hirschlanden, and the statue from the Glauberg, Germany. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. The Warrior of Hirschlanden is a Statue of a nude ithyphallic Warrior made of Sandstone, the oldest known Iron Age life-size The Glauberg is a Celtic Oppidum in Hesse, Germany consisting of a fortified settlement and several burial mounds Hallstatt artists in the early Iron Age favoured geometric, abstract designs perhaps influenced by trade links with the Classical world. The Hallstatt culture was the predominant
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The more elaborate and curvilinear La Tène artistic style developed in Europe in the later Iron Age from a centre in the Rhine valley but it soon spread across the continent. The La Tène culture was a European Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge The rich chieftain classes appear to have encouraged ostentation and Classical influences such as bronze drinking vessels attest to a new fashion for wine drinking. Communal eating and drinking were an important part of Celtic society and culture and much of their art was often expressed through plates, knives, cauldrons and cups. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts A cauldron or caldron (from Latin Caldarium, hot bath is a large Metal pot ( Kettle) for cooking and/or boiling Horse tack and weaponry were also subjects deemed fit for elaboration. Tack is a term used to describe any of the various equipment and accessories worn by Horses in the course of their use as domesticated Animals Saddles stirrups Mythical animals were a common motif along with religious and natural subjects and their depiction is a mix between the naturalistic and the stylised. Megalithic art was still practised, examples include the carved limestone pillars of the sanctuary at Entremont in modern day France. Megalithic art refers to the use of large stones as an artistic medium Personal adornment included torc necklaces whilst the introduction of coinage provided a further opportunity for artistic expression. A torc, also spelled torq or torque is a rigid piece of personal adornment made from twisted metal Although the coins of this period are poorly made derivatives of Greek and Roman types, the more exuberant Celtic artistic style is still visible.
The famous late fourth century BCE chariot burial at Waldalgesheim in the Rhineland produced many fine examples of La Tène art including a bronze flagon and bronze plaques with repoussé human figures. Chariot burials are Tombs in which the deceased was buried together with his Chariot, usually including his (more rarely her Horses and other possessions Waldalgesheim is a municipality in the district Mainz-Bingen, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The Rhineland ( Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. Repoussé (ʀəpuse)or repoussage ʀəpusaʒ is a Metalworking technique in which a Malleable Metal Many pieces had curvy, organic styles though to be derived from Classical tendril patterns.
In much of western Europe elements of this artistic style can be discerned surviving in the art and architecture of the Roman colonies. In areas where Roman influence was missing altogether, the later Iron Age artistic tradition continued well into the historic period, perhaps most famously in Ireland and Northumbria. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world
Prehistory arts of Africa
Considering the current theory that human beings originated in Africa and the hunter-gathering technologies evolved there, there are scant representatives of true art before the great flowering of culture in the Upper Paleolithic. The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe Africa One of the oldest Venus figurines found is from the Draa River valley in Morocco. Venus figurines is an Umbrella term for a number of prehistoric Statuettes of women sharing common attributes (many depicted as apparently Obese Dra is also the abbreviation for the constellation Draco. The Draa (درعَا (also spelled Dra or Draâ, in older This and other indications suggest that hominids may have had a broader conception of their world than was previously supposed. A hominid is any member of the biological family Hominidae (the "great apes" including the extinct and extant Humans Chimpanzees
Significant bushman rock paintings exist in the Waterberg area above the Palala River, some of which are considered to derive from the period 8000 BCE. The Bushmen, San, Sho, Basarwa, ǃKung or Khwe are indigenous people of southern Africa that spans most areas of South Africa The Waterberg Biosphere is a Massif of approximately 15000 square kilometers in north Limpopo Province, South Africa. The Palala River is a significant watercourse in the Waterberg area of Limpopo Province, South Africa. These images are very clear and depict a variety of human and wildlife motifs, especially antelope. Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants animals and other organisms Antelope are Ruminant hoofed Mammals of the family Bovidae in the order of Even-toed ungulates.
Prehistory arts of the Americas
Native arts of Oceania
Australia
See also Australian Aboriginal art
From earliest times, the natives of Australia, often known as Aborigines, have been creating distinctive patterns of art. The Great Serpent Mound is a 1330-foot-long three-foot-high prehistoric Effigy mound located on a plateau of the Serpent Mound crater along The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican Civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the Pre-Columbian Americas This is an article about a class of people as identified and defined within Australian law Namadgi National Park is located in the southwestern part of the Australian Capital Territory, bordering Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. Indigenous Australian art is art produced by Indigenous Australians, covering works that pre-date European colonization as well as Contemporary art For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. This is an article about a class of people as identified and defined within Australian law Much of Aboriginal art is transitory, drawn in sand or on the human body to illustrate a place, an animal totem, or a tribal story. Early surviving artworks of the Aborigines are mostly rock paintings. Many are called X-ray paintings because they show the bones and organs of the animals they depict. X-radiation (composed of X-rays) is a form of Electromagnetic radiation. Some Aboriginal art seems abstract to modern viewers; Aboriginal art often employs geometrical figures and lines to represent landscape, which is often shown from a birds-eye view. Abstract art uses a Visual language of form color and line to create a composition which exists independently of visual references to the world For instance, in Aboriginal symbolism, a swirl stands for a watering hole. The musical instrument is spelled Cymbal. A symbol is something --- such as an object, Picture, written word a sound a piece
The Bradshaws are a unique form of rock art found in Western Australia. See Bradshaw for other entries including the railway timetable (and its originator George Bradshaw). Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. They are predominantly human figures drawn in fine detail with accurate anatomical proportioning. They have been dated at over 17,000 years old and debate rages as to who actually created them.
Polynesia
The natives of Polynesia have a distinct artistic heritage. Polynesia (from Greek: πολύς many, νῆσος island) is a Subregion of Oceania, comprising a large grouping of over While many of their artifacts were made with organic materials and thus lost to history, some of their most striking achievements survive in clay and stone. Among these are numerous pottery fragments from western Oceania, from the late 2nd millennium BCE. The 2nd millennium BC marks the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age. Also, the natives of Polynesia left scattered around their islands Petroglyphs, stone platforms or Marae, and sculptures of ancestor figures, the most famous of which are the Moai of Easter Island. Petroglyphs are Images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising pecking carving and abrading A marae (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Maori, Tahitian) malae (in Tongan) malae (in Samoan and Moai (or mo‘ai) (ˈmoʊаɪ are Monolithic human figures carved from rock on the Polynesian island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island
References
- Bailey, Douglass. (2005). Prehistoric Figurines: Representation and Corporeality in the Neolithic. Routledge Publishers. ISBN 0-415-33152-8
- ^ Salmony A. Some Paleolithic Ivory-Carvings from Mazine. JSTOR, Vol. 12, No. 1/2. 1949. pp. 104-118. [1].
See also
External links
- EuroPreArt database of European Prehistoric Art
- Lepenski Vir
- Göbekli Tepe, in German
- Nevali Cori
- Prehistoric Art Expressions from India
- http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHprehistoric.html#general
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