Prehistoric Online Art Quiz
In present day it is believed that the primary purpose for the creation of the cave paintings was some form of magic ritual associated with hunting. True False
False
Many artistic works from the Paleolithic period are made of wood and therefore have great detail with incised markings. True false
False
A circle formed by stones or wooden posts is called a ... a. henge b. dolmen c. cairn d. corbel
A
The Old Stone Age is known as the .....................period. a. Paleolithic b. Mesolithic c. Neolithic d. Calcolithic
A
Paleolithic cave paintings are primarily located in ... a. Austria b. France c. Belgium d. Germany
B
The oldest dated European cave paintings are at... a. Lascaux b. Altamira c. Chauvet d. Cogul Lerida
C
A work such as "Standing Bison" is considered the oldest existing cave art that comes from the Chauvet caves in France. True False
False
It cannot be determined if natural substances were used to create the many wall paintings known as cave art. True False
False
Study Terms:
Theories and hypotheses about cave art...evolve from speculations about why humans create art. Look at the map on page 20 in textbook to understand and visualize the locations of names associated with cave art that was discovered in recent times. Our subspecies (humans) evolved as early as 120,000 years ago. From Africa to Asia to Europe, then Australia to the Americas. (100,000 to 35,000 years ago) Our studies focus upon Paleolithic and Neolithic Cave Art from Europe. Upper Paleolithic (42,000 - 8,000 BC) (still glaciers around at that time) Are the works artifacts OR works of art ? 30,000 BC small figurines of people and animals Most human figures that were sculpted represented women with exaggerated body forms illustrating the importance of "fertility", which was then connected to the survival of the community. Example: WOMAN FROM WILLENDORF 24,000 BC CAVE PAINTING (after 30,000 BC) Southern France and northern Spain In 1879 on a family estate in Altamira a small girl found a cave with a ceiling covered with images of animals. The works were thought to be a hoax originally, and finally were considered authentic in 1902 after other works and caves were found. Image of Standing Bison is from Altamira. The earliest known prehistoric cave art is from Chauvet in southeastern France and was discovered in 1994. The works were created by humans who depicted their memories of three-dimensional creatures onto two-dimensional surfaces. Many theories exist as to why they created these works of cave painting. (see page 23 in textbook) The wall painting of horses from Chauvet dates to 32,000-30,000 BC. The works entitled Clay Bison are located in southern France. THEORIES ON CAVE ART One theory is that the creation of cave art simply demonstrates the inherent desire of humans to create art for their sheer love of beauty. Early in the 20th century, there was a belief that art should have social function (demonstrate some purpose for society). Therefore, cave art was thought to be associated with prehistoric ceremonies to strengthen bonds among the clan. (fertility and hunting) It was thought that "magic" from the images helped attain the prey. In the 2nd half of the 20th there was a more scientific emphasis on art. Thus it was thought that the animal images represented the animals in the mating season. (Reference to how they appeared in the fields and were not considered as dead animal forms.) Recently it was thought that the images of cave art were depicted to teach hunters about the behavior of the animals. The Caves of Lascaux ( Hall of the Bulls 15,000 BC and Black Bull 15,000 BC ) were discovered in 1940 and are the most well-known. One scene includes a human and appears to be telling a story. It was once thought that the images were a vision of a shaman and an ability to foretell events. ALTAMIRA, SPAIN Cave art here was the first to be discovered. Images date from 12,500 BC and depict painted bodies on the natural surfaces of walls that had the roughened form of the wall become part of the animals' forms. (Standing Bison) Natural substances were used to create the paints used for the cave art. Clay Bison is located in southern France and dates 13,000 BC. NEOLITHIC PERIOD different dates are often used to indicate the end of the period Circa (c.) 6500 / 3400 / 2300 BC Organized agriculture Domesticated animals Year-round settlements All indications of the Neolithic era..... In a settlement, there are discoveries of house upon house being built on the same site. Also evidence of the dead being buried under the floors. Ceramic art forms from this period indicate a high degree of technical skill. Thousands of figures have been found but the figures of the seated man and woman (see images in text) from Romania are the most significant. They have cylindrical forms and were found in a grave. 4500 BC We do not know exact meaning or background; we are left to make up our own interpretations of these figures. STONEHENGE 3000 - 1500 BC Appears to now be a funerary district and still holds more secrets about the society there. Sarsen circle is a ring of upright stones. The positions relate to the sun and the solstice. New thoughts and interpretations now exist.
Domestication of animals and permanent dwellings are two aspects of life in the Neolithic period. True False
True
One of the most well known collection of cave paintings, the Hall of the Bulls, is located in the collection of works knows as "the caves at Lascaux". True False
True
The figures and animals painted on cave walls were not flat but curved and adapted to the surface of the cave wall. True False
True
