Ancient Lineage-Based Cultures

Ancient lineage-based cultures are pre-history. – That is, they are cultures before the recorded word. Usually split into five distinct (but related) areas of study: 1.Europe 2.Native American Cultures 3.African Cultures 4.Egyptian Cultures 5.The Fertile Crescent

Europe  Most important historical discovery is the Cave of Lascaux, which used pictographs  Pictographs—Pictures that tell a story without words  Pictographs from the Cave of Lascaux use stylized drawings of the natural world and dyes made from the natural world.  Blood  Minerals  Dyes from plants

Cave of Lascaux Notice the semi-realistic versions of buffalo and the blood from the hunt.

Cave of Lascaux

Importance of Discovery 1 st example of art in human history (Paleolithic Era)– 17,300 years old Realistic (but primitive) depictions of the hunt, markers for specific tribes, and generational paintings 1st use of “realism”— – Animals in motion – Perspective in animals

The Fertile Crescent  Most notable for their use of cuneiform or ideogram language  Ideograms– Words that are formed from pictures or symbols, rather than an accepted alphabet.  Mesopotamia created the first epic hero, Gilgamesh  The Epic of Gilgamesh tells of a culture that is polytheistic and seeks to understand the nature of death.  First uniform code of conduct  The Code of Hammurabi explains laws, rules, and regulations within Mesopotamian society.

Examples of Sumerian Cuneiform

Native Americans Native Americans tenet of “Use everything, and everything has a purpose” explains the focus of all culture – Most notable art is applied, ceremonial, and often narrative. Belief in pattern of life seen in focus on patterns in art.

Native American Art Native Americans revered nature and practiced a type of animalism – Animalism—The belief that animals can guide and influence humanity with their own often magical nature. Often, totems depicted a mix of man and animal together

Native American Art Notice again the use of natural colors and dyes in the blanket, an applied piece of art. Applied art, remember, is art that is used.

Native American Art Again, the applied art of the tepee. Notice the earth tones and the patterns on the tepee.

Egypt Egypt= Mummies The pyramids of Giza The largest and best-known is the Great Pyramid, or the Pyramid of Khufu. Covered in hieroglyphs “The Book of the Dead”

The Great Pyramid

Egyptian Hieroglyphs Egyptians “wrote” in hieroglyphs, a mixture of cuneiform and pictographs. – Some accepted pictographs of Egyptian descent:

Hieroglyph Examples

African Culture Call and response music – Drum as primary instrument, aside from voice – A speaker or lead singer would sing chorus, then all would repeat together. – Call and response is the basis for all popular music today and the primary reason we have choruses in our songs. Like Native Americans, they practiced a form of Animalism

African Animal Masks Usually made out of wood or another natural resource and focused on the spirit of an animal Would be used in ceremonial dances asking for a gift from the animal gods.