Art history Test 1 study guide
When did Homo Sapiens appear on earth, according to the text? When did Homo Sapiens sapiens appear? Where did they first appear? When did scholars first start studying the earliest humans? What are the 2 main periods of this early history?
Homo sapiens (neanderthals) appeared about 400,000 years ago. Homo sapiens sapiens (modern humans) evolved around 120,000 years ago. They first appeared in in Africa then migrated to Asia, then into Europe, then to Australia and finally into the Americas. Scholars only started to study prehistory about 200 years ago. The two main periods from the Stone Age are called Paleolithic and Neolithic. The Paleolithic time period is divided into 3 phases based off of the position of the objects found in excavation: lower (oldest), middle, and upper (most recent).
What was a kiva, and what was it used for? How many kivas were at Pueblo Bonito? Who exactly used them? Describe its main features, including the 'navel of the earth,' and its symbolism.
Kivas are round, submerged pit houses of earlier SW cultures. Here men preformed religious rituals and instructed the youths of their responsibilities. Its main features are that it had interlocking pine logs that formed a shallow, dome-like roof with a hole in the center through which men enter by climbing down a ladder. Based on what we know about their culture, a small indentation in the floor of the Kiva directly under the entrance and behind the fire pit may have symbolized the Navel of the Earth- the places where ancestors of the ancestral Pueblo had emerged to settle on the earth in mythic first times. The top of the kivas formed the floor of the communal plaza.
What is a major area of recent debate in the study of the Americas? Explain, with specifics of 2 theories. What are 2 date ranges for the arrival of humans in the Americas?
- The major area of recent debate in the study of the migration of the Americas and who were the original settlers. One theory is, the most traditional, is that humans arrived in North and South America from Asia during the last ice age, when the glaciers trapped enough of the world's water to the lower the levels of the ocean and exposed the land bridge across the Bering Strait. This theory holds between 20,000 yrs to 30,000 yrs ago. This view is now challenged by the early dates of some archaeological finds and by evidence suggesting the possibility of earlier connections with Europe as well, perhaps along the Arctic coast and the North Atlantic. Recently it has been theorized that pacific islanders could have sailed to the coast of Chili and spread out there. In any event, by 10,000 to 12,000 years ago hunters and gathers roamed throughout the Americas, and after the ice had retreated, the people on the Western Hemisphere were cut off from the rest of the world until they were attacked by European invaders, at the beginning of the 15th century. This Isolation caused cultural transformations in the American settlers that resemble the change from the paleolithic era to the Neolithic era. (clovis? where the first people to come to america- 1st +12 million yrs?)
What new realization about 'domestic' vs 'sacred' architecture comes from sites like Çatalhöyük ? How does Stonehenge relate to that? What new concept of the Neolithic worldview comes from Çatalhöyük ? How do sites like Sesklo, Greece contrast with this site?
- The new realization about 'domestic' vs 'sacred' architecture comes from sites like Çatalhöyük is that it challenges the role of architecture in prehistoric communities through the mixture of shelter, art, spirit, ritual and ceremony; and therefore, cannot be easily distinguished as domestic or sacred architecture. Stonehenge relates to this because throughout the stages of creation and the landscape it can be determined as sacred architecture. We can hypothesize that it was important because of the materials used to create it. It also was extremely complex because there has been evidence that 8 stages of alterations and rebuilding took place. It also was not domestic because no one lived there, it was a site for unknown reasons but that had a clear and repeated emphasis in death, and rituals. A settlement called, Durrington Walls, was created in circular layouts( made of wood- maybe means less sacred because the blue stone had to be carried at least 150 miles away- where as wood is easily found- therefore domestic?) about a mile away from Stonehenge. These settlements were linked by Avon river, that connected the living from the dead- it is said that they moved between the worlds to bring to deceased to be laid to rest. Therefore, the meaning of Stonehenge rests within the understanding of the larger landscape that contained other ritual sites but also sites of habitation. The clear and repeated emphasis of death, animals, violence, and male body parts in the paintings at catalhoyuk has challenged interpretations of the Neolithic world view that concentrated on the female body, human fertility, and of mother goddess. (maybe there was a shift in gender roles/ Importance through the inter-glacial period where man became more dominate and equal to women due to their ability to hunt and provide. Population was growing so therefore fertility became less important and hunting and manliness became more.) Sites like Sesklo (6500 BCE) contrast catalhoyuk because the buildings at Skelso were less visually sensational and were more spread out, rather than being clustered together. Also Skelso has a lot more domestic values than sacred ones because of the lack of ritualistic qualities as seen in catalhoyuk. Skelso structures were stone based and long-lasting in one part of the village and less substantial mud, clay and wood buildings in another part. The stone base building may have had an important function to the community (cant determine). The longer lasting was often rebuilt and the more temporary structures is a clear style of architecture and more quality artifacts were found.
What was the later fate of Chaco Canyon, and where did ancient Pueblo builders move to after? Describe the most famous cliff dwelling.
-No one knows why the Chaco Canyon was abandoned, but the ancestral Puebloan population declined during a severe drought in the mid-12th century, and the building at pueblo Benito ceased around 1150. They may have moved to Rio Grande and the Mogollon River valleys, where they built new apartment like dwellings on ledges and sheltering cliffs. One of the most impressive dwellings from this period is the "Cliff Palace" in Mesa Verde, Colorado. It comprised 150 rooms and 23 kivas. it had an estimated population of 100 people. It was difficult to live so high and commute to farm the valley below, but it's advantage was that it was very secure. the cliffs acted as insulation, protecting the dwellings from extreme heat and cold weather that is so apparent in that area today. The many rooms housed the community comfortably and close proximity built communal solidarity. Name: Cliff Palace Location: Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado Period: Ancestral Puebloan Culture Date: 1150-1300
Bigger topic: Describe Parker Pearson's new theory of Stonehenge's function (p 18-20), in the larger landscape, including the other structures around it. What evidence is used? Terms to use include: Durrington Walls, Woodhenge, Avon River.
-Parker Pearson's theory is this site was linked to ceremonies and burial. He takes into consideration the layout of the Stonehenge and the settlements around them. he recognized that the settlements near Stonehenge also follows circular layouts, connecting them to the ceremonial site. The landscape made a huge impact or brought more significance to this because it shows a methodical community that did things a certain way. one example is the use of Sarsen stone in Stone henge because it came from 150 miles away, so they had to carry these huge stones for a magalithic monument. they could have used stones that are found locally but they chose the ones 150 miles away. Another example is the chemical analysis of animal bone debris indicates that the animals consumed came from great distances before they were slaughtered, and therefore that the people who stayed there had come from regions far removed from the site. The settlements were primarily made out of wood. A mile from Stonehenge is the settlement Durrington Walls, which was a large inhabited settlement surrounded by a ditch. Inside are a number of circles- made from wood- and many circular houses constructed by wooden post. This may be called Woodhenge. Significantly, both Stonehenge and Durrington Walls are connected to the Avon river by banked avenues. These connected the worlds to the living (the wood settlement) with the domain to the dead (stone circles). Neolithic people would have moved between these avenues as they walked the avenues, sometimes bringing the dead to be buried, the times approaching the stone circle for ceremonies and rituals dedicated to the dead. The meaning of Stonehenge therefore rests within a larger understanding of the landscape that contained not only other ritual sites but also site for habitation.
What may have been the purpose and ideas behind of the Woman of Willendorf? What specific visual evidence supports that? What is not emphasized? Give the most accepted theory of its use (from class), along with the two newer ideas proposed.
-The Woman of Willendorf was carved from limestone and originally colored with red ocher, the statuette's swelling, rounded form makes it seems a lot larger than its actual 4 3/8-inch height. This sculpture emphasizes the female body by giving it large breast, a big belly with a deep navel, wide hips and dimpled knees and buttocks. There are three theories: one, by carving a woman with a well-nourished body, the artist could have been expressing health and fertility, which would help with having children and guaranteeing the survival of the clan. The second is that this statuette symbolizes a religious meaning behind it because it was named the Venus of Willendorf. By using the name Venus ( Roman goddess) it accentuates the message of love and beauty that associated with a religion. Its a representational idea of womanhood. The name was repeated often and even experts assumed that the statues had to be about fertility and Mother Goddess,even though there is no proof linking the two together. The statuette doesn't emphasize the head, there is no face, and the arms are completely missing. The most accepted theory is a theory by Clive Gamble and he suggested that when a group of paleolithic hunters did occasionally meet up and interact, female statues may have been among several signature objects that signaled weather a group was friendly and acceptable for interaction and probably for mating. It would make sense because of the climate conditions were at their worst and the need for interaction and alliance would be at the peak. As symbols these figurines would have provided reassurance of shared values about the body, and the size would demand an engagement on a more personal level Name: Woman of Willendorf (limestone) Location: Austria Period: Paleolithic Date: 24,000 BC.
Colossal Heads
Name: Colossal Head Location:San Lorenzo, Olmec culture, Mexico, Date:1200-900 BC.
In what new ways does Çatalhöyük cause excavators to rethink ideas about shelter in this period, and to call the town's buildings 'history houses'? What evidence for each of the new ideas?
Archaeologist assumed that the decision to create these buildings was the need for shelter. However, by the special nature of the Lepenski Vir, recent work at Catalhoyuk also shows that these structures did provide shelter, it also provided more significant functions. These buildings became an emblem of their community's spirit and a historical continuity that outlasted any human lifetime, excavators called them "history houses" because of the seasonal re-plastering (100 times/ yr) of the walls and floors that enhanced the sense of long term continuity. It became a ritual that brought the sense of community because they all worked together. The work that was put into these buildings made earlier excavators mistakenly believe that these were temples. The bodies under the floors created a sense longevity of an individuals worth within the community; each person was important in the maintenance and creation of catalhoyuk.
What are the chief theories about the purposes of cave paintings (p 9+)? There are about a half dozen theories and ideas presented. Use terms and names, incl Abbe Breuil & David Lewis Williams (note: Lewis Williams is the most accepted theory today- so know about it and discuss).
In the early 20th century, scholars believed that the purpose of cave paintings has a social function and that the aesthetics are culturally relative. It would strengthen clan bonds and ceremonies. In 1903, Salomon Reinach suggested that cave paintings were expressions of sympathetic magic; ensure that we could get food by painting or sculpting this. Abbe Henri took these ideas further and said that they were places of worship and initiation rights. During the 20th century, these theories were rejected. Leslie G. Freeman concluded that the artist had faithfully represented a herd of bison during the mating season and not dead, asleep or disabled- like earlier observers thought. This theory led Steve Milthen to in a detailed study of the motifs in art and it placement in the caves. He argued that the hoof prints, patterns of animal feces were recorded and used as a "text" to teach novice hunters within the group about seasonal appearances and behaviors of the animals they hunted. Lewis Williams suggested something entirely different and the most accepted theory today. Lewis argued that the upper paleolithic cave art is best understood in terms of shamanism; the belief that certain shamans can travel outside of their bodies in order to mediate between the living and the dead. Traveling underground as a spirit, particularly in caves or within the stone walls of the caves. The upper paleolithic shamans would have participated in ceremonies that involved hallucinations. images conceived in the trance like state would have been recognizable (the animals) and the abstract symbols. Lewis interprets that the stenciled hand prints were traces of the non-shamans that participated in the ritual reaching toward and connecting with the shaman spirits traveling within the rock.
What were native American communities like in North America, as shown in early centers in Louisiana? Describe the features
Native American communities in North America were sparsely populated and described to have a limited scale with cultivation of squash, sunflower seeds, and berries. They would also hunt and fish. People lived in communities that included both burial and ceremonial earthworks- mounds of earth-formed platforms that probably supported the chiefs hut and served as shrines of their ancestors and places for a sacred fire, tended by special guardians. Poverty Point in Louisiana is one of the largest earthwork ceremonial centers in Brake Louisiana. Its dated between 1800 BCE and 500 BCE. it is contemporary with Stonehenge and with the Olmec constructions in mexico. Poverty point had huge, concentric earthen arcs three quarters of a mile wide.
Define and explain: Pictographs; Petroglyphs. What is desert varnish? What technique was used to decorate the Great Gallery at Horseshoe Canyon? What is shown there? How old may those images be?
Pictographs are painted images on a cave or wall; Petroglyphs are pecked or engraved by using tools. Desert Varnish is bacterial growths that stain the walls. The technique was used to decorate the Great Gallery at Horseshoe Canyon was petroglyphs; to use the Desert Varnish technique an artist must scrape through the layer of varnish, exposing the lighter sandstone underneath. The Petroglyphs in the Great Gallery of Horseshoe canyon are painted human figures that have long, decorated rectangular bodies and knob shaped heads.There has been damage to these petroglyphs because they did rituals near them that caused damage to their work. One large shaped figure popularly known as "Holy Ghost" is nearly 8ft tall. Its dated back to 1,00-2,000 yrs ago. The rock makes it difficult to be precise on the dating. Name:Great Gallery at Horseshoe Canyon Location: Horseshoe Canyon, Utah Period: Anasazi Date:1000 CE
How is prehistory defined in the book? How did prehistoric people likely view the terms 'artists' and 'works of art'? Why? Explain some problems and unknowns in the study of our earliest art?
Prehistory includes all of human existence before the emergence of writing. Prehistoric people didn't view the term "artist" the same way as we do today. They were refining their tools and making them from scratch, rather than trying to make sculptures. These artifacts are pleasing to the eye today but the purpose of these paintings and sculptures were a source of their survival, not to be looked at and admired. The purpose of these artifacts was to teach others about what they may have experienced, something to make a shelter or to ward off animals. Some of the problems and unknowns in the study of our earliest art is that we have no idea why they were really made; the conclusions and interpretations that we draw from them are only educated guesses and is very speculative.
What are the dates for the Mississippian period in eastern U.S., and what were its main features? What kinds of art did they make?
The Mississippian Period dated from 700-1500 CE and is characterized by the widespread distribution of complex chiefdom, both large and small, that proliferated throughout the region. The people of this culture continued the mound building tradition begun by the Adena, Hopewell ect. (pretty much wiped out by the illnesses brought by Europeans). One of the most impressive Mississippian period earthworks was the great serpent mound in present day, Adams county, Ohio. It dates to 1070 CE. There has been many interpretations of the twisted snake form, especially the head at the highest point, a Y shape and an oval enclosure that some see as a snake engulfing a large egg. They could have been responding to the display of Halley's comet in 1066. there are also theories that each squiggle is an indicator of astronomical anomalies that had happened and they decided to record it by making this snake like mound. Name:Great Serpent Mound Location: Ohio Period: Mississippian culture Date: c. 1070 AD.
What/when/where is Stonehenge? What was its earliest use? Describe the main parts, with terms including bluestones, sarsens. What technique was used to join the stones? What is important about the bluestones, and what may they show? What were some former theories to explain Stonehenge?
Stonehenge is one of the most public megalithic monuments, located in Salisbury, England. The creation of this was in 8 stages. The beginning of this creation started in 3000BCE. A henge is a circle of stones, often surrounding a ditch with built up embankments. This wouldn't have been too hard to make because it they would take a large cord and have someone stay in the center while another person goes around in a circle. Aka a human compass. The site started as a cemetery of cremation burials marked by a circle of bluestones (sarsen stone). Between 2900 and 2600 BCE the blue stones were rearranged into an arc. Around 2500 BCE circle of sarsen, a gray sandstone, gave this site the well-known appearance using post- and-lintel construction.at this time the blue stones were rearranged within the sarsen stones. the center of the site was now dominated with he horseshoe- shaped arrangement of 5 sandstone post-and-lintel trillionths. The lintel in the middle was considerably taller than the rest(24ft tall, 15ft long, and 3 ft thick). this group was then surrounded by a Sarsen circle. this circle(160 ft diameter) was capped by a continuous lintel. The uprights taper slightly towards the top, and the gently curved lintel sections were joined and secured by Mortise-and-tension joints( joints made by a conical projection at the top of each upright that fits like a peg in a hole in the lintel. The blue stones were important because they are not found any where near the area, the closest 150 miles away. This shows that a powerful connection to their homeland. A settlement called, Durrington Walls, was created in circular layouts about a mile away from Stonehenge. These settlements were linked by Avon river, that connected the living from the dead- it is said that they moved between the worlds to bring to deceased to be laid to rest. Therefore, the meaning of Stonehenge rests within the understanding of the larger landscape that contained other ritual sites but also sites of habitation. Some former theories about Stonehenge are that Merlin built Stonehenge, the druids built it, and that it function was a calendar because of how it is positions like a sundial, but one of these have any evidence. Name: Stonehenge Location: Sailsbury Plain, Wiltshire, England Period:Neolithic Date: 3000- 1500 BCE
What, when & where is Lascaux cave? - and why is it so famous? What happened to visitation at Lascaux cave after 1963? Briefly describe what kinds of images were found there.
The Lascaux cave was found in 1940 in Lascaux, in SW France and was dated to about 15,00 BCE. The cave was open to the public after WWII and was one of the most famous museums in France- too famous, because the visitors brought in so much heat, humidity, exhaled carbon dioxide and other contaminates. The museum closed in 1963 so that the conservators could battle an aggressive fungus. They killed the fungus but didn't reopen the cave to the public, instead they recreated copies of it so that visitors could go to the new museum wouldn't harm the originals. Lascaux has about 600 paintings and 1,500 engravings that depicted cows, bulls, and deer. In the Hall of Bulls -Animals above- appear singly in rows some overlapping, face-to-face, tail to tail. Their most characteristic features are emphasized. The horns, eyes and hooves are shown as seen from the front, yet the heads and bodies are seen in profile, in a system known as composite pose. This painting is full of life and energy, and is accurately impressive. They are forever painted in the smooth white limestone that reached to the ceiling from the rougher surface that was closer to the ground. Name:Hall of the Bulls, Location: Lascaux cave, France Period: Paleolithic Date: 15,000 BC
When did Neanderthals live (date range, not one date), and why did they die out while we endured? Explain, including the role of art.
The Neanderthals emerged 400,000 and were replaced by modern humans between 38,000 and 33,000 BCE. Homo Sapiens sapiens( modern humans) were able to outlive the neanderthals because we have better cognitive skills than they did. For example, we are better at recognizing and benefiting from variations in the natural environment, social skills, abilities to make alliances- skills that enabled organized hunting. The most important quality that we have and they don't is the ability to think symbolically: we can create representations of an animal or a thing using another object and that cognitive skill is the evolutionary origin of art as we know It today.
Describe the actions around burials and bodies in houses at Çatalhöyük.
The actions around burials and bodies in houses at Çatalhöyük were that the dead were buried under the floors that gave a sense that the site was connected by the community's past and present. Some houses had no burials, a few had 30-60 bodies ( 6 per house), there's one village that had 62 burials. Periodically, perhaps to mark the special community events and ceremonies, people dug down the floors to their houses and removed the heads of the long-deceased a, then buried the skulls in new graves under the floors. They would sometimes plaster and paint the skull heads. Some bull skulls were also found under the ground with the human skeletons. Skulls were also placed at the foundations of new houses that were built. There's an extraordinary burial of a woman that held a plastered skull of a man that had been painted, the actually skull was probably removed.
Describe the art inside the houses at Çatalhöyük , including paintings (p 14, 3rd paragraph to p 16, stop at 'plastered and painted heads of bulls.'). What themes do the images show? What problems of evidence come from how these houses were excavated?
The art inside the houses included violent paintings on the walls that depicted humans and animals fighting. Huge horned animals surrounded small humans who were running or jumping. In one painting there is a small man ripping out a deer's tongue. There is a major contrast from the neolithic cave paintings, where they praised animals, to the neolithic paintings where they teased and tortured animals. There is emphasis on manliness due to the penises on all the animals . Archaeologist interpret this as a dangerous ritual of taunting and hunting these animals. Wild horned bulls were also modeled in relief in the interior walls. There were some houses that had boar tucks, vulture skulls, fox and weesle teeth under the floors. In one case they found a plastered and painted bulls head under the floor. The problem with evidence was that the conservation of the wall paintings are highly complex, and since many of the most dramatic examples were excavated before modern preservation techniques existed, we have to rely on the archaeologist narrative descriptions or quick field sketches.
What kind of fundamental change occurred in people's relation to the environment in the Neolithic period? What was the environment like? Explain, with the general change, as well as specifics
The environment already entered the inter glacial period and our modern climate was taking shape. The world was warming up and this affected the distribution of plants and animal life, as well as marine resources. The fundamental change occurred in people's relation to the environment in the Neolithic Period was that after millennia of establishing interactions between people and wild plants and animals- ranging from opportunistic forging to well scheduled gathering and collecting- people began to exert increasing control over the land and it resources. This change in economy (or the way we people gathered food) became abrupt. It changed the way we domesticated and bred animals, and the way we cultivated crops.This was the origin of plant and animal domestication. This new economy appeared at different rates and to varying degrees of completeness in different part of eastern Europe. No community relied exclusively on the cultivation of plants or breeding of animals. instead they balanced hunting, gathering, farming and breeding in order to maintain a steady food supply.
"At the same time as new food production appeared," what was the general change in people's relation to the land- and to architecture in the Neolithic period (p14)? How were people relating to the landscape in ways that were social? What range of building types appeared, from "simple" on up; how were "more substantial" structures created? What similar result came from all of this architecture?
The general change in people's relation to the land- and to architecture in the Neolithic period was that the advanced technologies and skills revolutionized the way the more important architecture was built. The simple structures were made of simple but durable materials, such as clay, mud and dung, and straws interwoven among wooden posts. The more important structures may have had foundations made of stone, set into trenches, and the supporting walls made of timber. A good example of people becoming influenced by the landscape in which they lived in is seen at the site of Lepenski, at this site there were trapezoidal buildings made of the more important structural sound materials with stone faced hearths facing the river so that they could cook the fish right there. By living on the river this influenced the art that the village made. The made carefully made fish shaped boulders that had human aspects to them. There were also many human burials under the stone floors, archaeologist interpret that this was a place that carried out spiritual activities linked to death. they were only used during certain seasons, not all year. The similar result came from all of this architecture was that early architecture was dramatic and long-lasting, with repeated building- sometimes over 100s of times- of houses upon houses in successive architectural generations, resulting in a gradual mound of villages.
Describe the houses at the city, using the text box on p 15.
The houses had large wooden beams of juniper or oak wood that supported the roof and the catwalk above. The only entrance to the house was through the roof and the down a ladder. Barely any natural light because there were no windows. The walls were 1-4 feet thick and 16 ft high. The walls were made if mortared brick and were seasonally re-plastered annually up to 100 times. Village residences who lived there were also buried under the floors. There were many paintings between animals and humans, mostly violent. Domed ovens were placed on the roof of the house. Side rooms were used for storage, and short walls were created to separate the rooms or social reasons. Name: A house at Çatalhöyük Location: Turkey Period: Neolithic Date: c. 7400 BC.
What was the largest city in North America around 1000 AD? Describe it. Where exactly is it today? How many people lived there? What all was included in the city?How many mounds were there?Which is the largest? How big, what materials, and what shape is it? What was the main mound used for? What evidence of ancient astronomy is found at Cahokia?
The largest city in North America around 1000 AD was the Cahokia. It is located in present day near the juncture of the Illinois, Missouri, and Mississippi Rivers (St. Louis, Illinois). At its height, the populated was up to 15,000 people with another 10,000 surrounding the countryside. There were more than 100 mounds, platforms and wooden structures. The largest Mound was Monk's Mound, covering 15 acres and originally 100 ft high. A small rounded platform on its summit initially supported a wooden fence and a rectangular building. The mound was aligned with the sun at the equinox and may have had a special use during planting or harvest festivals. 260 bodies were found underneath Monk's mound. it made a U shape, at least to me it looks like it. The entire city's ceremonial center was protected by a stockade of upright wooden post. Various earthworks functioned as tombs and bases for palaces and temples, and also served to make astronomical observations. Post holes indicate wood hinges were a significant feature of Cahokia. The largest had 48 post forming a circle. Slight lines between the 49th post set east of the center of the enclosure and points on the perimeter enabled early astronomers to determine solstices and equinoxes.
What is the name & where exactly was the largest 'apartment bldg' in North America before the 19th c.? From text and class: How do we know it was not actually a residential 'apt bldg'? (meaning a full time residence for a large group): what evidence leads to a new interpretation? How was it probably used instead? Describe the structure's shape, with height, plaza and its rooms.
The name of the largest Apartment Building in , North America before the 19th century was "Pueblo Bonito", it was located in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. It is dated in 830-1150 CE. we know it was not a residential apartment building because of the size of the architecture, there should be hundreds of burials, but there are only a few. There are also no hearths, or very much history of the residents that visited there. It is theorized that it was a place for very sacred rituals and or pilgrimages for the Anasazi community.( Pueblo Builders). It was surrounded by difficult terrine, that made it difficult to travel to, but it had a straight road that led the way to this city. The symbolic meaning behind a straight road is that it makes it easier for people to get there for rituals and or pilgrimage. There are 32 Kivas throughout this village. It had had over 800 rooms in 4 or 5 stories and arranged in D shape. There is a cedar Tree in the city, which is unique because the people who planted it there had to dig up the pre-existing tree and carry it to this city and replant it there. It must have some ritualistic meaning. This city is now in very bad shape because of the harsh weather conditions it resides in.
Describe the overall town of Çatalhöyük (incl where, date, what material, how many people). What is new about the town (p 14)? Explain. What are 2 reasons the site is important to art history? How is this settlement different than the bone huts of Paleolithic Ukraine?
The overall town of Çatalhöyük resided in the Konya Plain in central Turkey, where the first traces of a village date to 7400 BCE in the early Neolithic period. The oldest part of this site consists of many clustered houses separated by areas of rubbish. They were made of rectangular mud bricks held together by mortar; walls ceilings, and floors were covered by plaster and lime based paint were frequently re-plastered. This site housed 3,000 people at one time. Because of the size and the population, this site is important because the picture provides the use of early architecture and the sensational art found within the buildings. This settlement is different than the bone huts of paleolithic Ukraine because although the houses in Ukraine provided shelter and was considered architecture, it provided more significant functions. The houses in Catalhoyuk became an emblem of the spirit and community that once resided there. The buildings upon houses upon houses created a historical continuity that outlasted any human lifetime. This was a powerful place because of the deep history within the structure(buried bodies under the floors) and on the walls. Within the houses were paintings that had violent and wild scenes between man and animal. This forced archaeologist to think about the role of architecture and art in the prehistoric communities.
What, when & where is Chauvet cave? - and why is it so important? (Explain with the date of the paintings, more important than date of discovery.) What kinds of images - and objects - were found here?
The reason why the Chauvet cave is so import is because it is the earliest site that has prehistoric cave paintings. its located near Vallon- Pont d'Arc in South Eastern France. It was discovered in 1994, it is a trove of hundreds of cave paintings that detail wild horses, bison, deer, owls, panthers, bears, aurochs and the occasional male or female human. There is a part where there are foot prints frozen in the soft clay ground that leads to a room full of bear skulls. The charcoal used to draw was radiocarbon-dated to 32,410 yrs, plus or minus 720. Name:Wall painting, Aurochs, Horses, and rhinos ( painted on limestone) Location: Chauvet Cave, France Period: Paleolithic Date: 30,000 BC.
What was the time range (=2 dates) in which people spread from Africa to the rest of the world? What are the facts about the issue: Tools or Art? What evidence exists that 'art' was earlier than thought?
The spread from Africa to the rest of the world occurred between 3000 BCE and 8000 BCE. Some facts about tools or art are that, Art in the sense of image making, is a hallmark of upper Paleolithic period and the emergence of the subspecies, homo sapiens sapiens. Images appeared in the archaeological record around 38,000 BCE in Australia, Africa and Europe. In the lower period, early humans made tools from pebbles into blades. Dating 2,5 million years ago, the simplest stone tools were found, their purpose was just to skin animals and cut wood and plants. About 1.6 mill years ago significant changes in our ancestor's cognitive abilities and manual dexterity changed and more sophisticated tools, such as symmetrical axes, were found across Eurasia. These axes suggest that they had more purpose than the basic instinct to survive, they had a social element to them. Archaeologist found sites containing hundreds of these axes, which could suggest that the better quality your axes were, the better social status you had in the community.
How does the text distinguish between shelter and architecture? Read carefully, because it mentions several criteria. What evidence was found in Ukraine? Describe them. Is it architecture? Use the criteria.
The text distinguishes architecture from shelter by stating that "architecture refers to the enclosure of spaces with some aesthetic intent, and building an even a simple shelter requires a degree of imagination and planning". The evidence in Ukraine was that the first structure builders created 10 settlements using bones from woolly mammoths, whose tusk created supports and arched door openings. The interlocking design of the mammoth bones throughout the structure took a great deal of planning. This framework was then covered by animal hides and turf. In the center, there was a hearth, where food and tools were made. Larger houses would have multiple hearths and different areas for specific tasks. Based on the criteria for what architecture is, I would say that it is a good example. It probably took a great deal of ingenuity and time to use the mammoth tusk. Also, there could be multiple stations for different task within the structure. It had more purpose than to just be where you slept, it was designed to do multiple things, while maintaining its aesthetic. The other structure was described to have colored floors and 15 different Hearths. I'm assuming that this is also architecture because they wanted to bring in more aesthetic to their hut while having 15 different stations to do work. Name: Reconstruction of Mammoth bone houses Period: Paleolithic Date: 16,000 to 10,000 BC.
Describe the tomb at Newgrange ( p 18): structure, carvings, new ideas about their meaning & use, with term. Why might the engraved decoration be placed where it is?
The tomb at Newgrange, Ireland, the mound of an elaborate passage grave originally stood 44 feet high and measure 280 feet in diameter. The mound was built out of sod and river pebbles and was set off by a circle of engraved standing stones around it perimeter. Its passageway was 62 ft long and lines with standing stones, leads into 3-part chamber with corbeled vault (arched structure that spans an interior space). Some stones are engraved with linear symbols, mainly circles, spirals, rings and diamond shapes. The images are entropic (their significance and function relate to the particularities of perceptions of the eye). This has a neurological effect that that caused hallucinations for people who visited the tomb. Archaeologist argue that key entropic motifs were positioned at the entrance of the tomb because they played an important role in ritual or political ceremonies centered around death. Name:Tomb interior with corbelling engravings Location: Newgrange, Ireland Period: Date: c. 3000-2500 BC.
What was the trio of native plants at the core of ancient American diets? What other plants & foods were used?
The trio of native plants at the core of ancient American diets were corn, beans, and squash. Potatoes, tobacco, tomatoes, cocoa, and avocados were also used.
Describe the Anasazi roads to Pueblo Bonito, and what they reveal about the use of the canyon overall.
They are long straight roads that are almost invisible to see today, but we were able to find them through areal technology. The straightness of the road suggest a ritualistic function. They radiated out to some 70 communities. They do NOT make a detour to avoid topographic obstacles; when they encounter cliffs, the trail conforms to them and become stairs. The harsh course suggest that they were more practical thoroughfares. Given the position of this round system and the prominence of kivas in the design of great houses, such as Pueblo Bonito, some have suggested that the Chaco Canyon may have been a gathering place or a pilgrimage site for people from the entire region at specific times of year. Name:Pueblo Bonito Location: Chaco Canyon, New Mexico Period:Ancestral Puebloan Culture- Anasazi Date: 1250 CE
What is important about the Lion-Human, and what new ideas does it bring up?
With it being nearly a foot tall it (it has a feline head and a human body) this remarkable statue surpasses early figurines in size and complexity. In stead of copying what she saw in nature, she created a completely new creature. This figurine conveys the emotions of how they would separate humans from animals. Its possible that this figurine gave us insight on how this artist viewed humans and animals are just a common group of being who share this world. This is evidence if the uniquely human ability to conceive and represent a creature never seen in nature. Name: Lion headed human, Material: Mammoth ivory figurine Location: Hohlenstein-Stadel Germany Period:Paleolithic Date:40,000- 35,000 BC.
