1. Examining & Comparing Prehistoric Art

2. 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?

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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.

6. Finding food

7. Animals of the Ice Age

8. Four Reasons for Creating Paleolithic Art ► 1. For decoration: The artwork was created as decoration for a dwelling, a tool, or a person.

9. Four Reasons for Creating Paleolithic Art ► 2. 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.

10. Four Reasons for Creating Paleolithic Art cont… ► 3. To represent memorable events: The artwork was created to record or depict an important or memorable event.

11. Four Reasons for Creating Paleolithic Art ► 4. 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

12. 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?

13. Slide #1a ► Lascaux cave, France, 11,000 to 18,000 yrs ago, Wall painting

14. Slide #1b ► Lascaux cave. France. Approx. 11,000-18,000 years ago, wall painting.

15. Slide #2 ► Bruniquel cave. ► France. ► Approx. 18,000 years ago. ► Antler bone

16. Slide #3a ► Pahi, Tanzania ► Rock art

17. Slide #3b Pahi cave. Tanzania. 30,000-9,000 years ago Wall paintings

18. Slide #4 ► Tuc’ D’Audoubert cave. ► France. ► 10,000-14,000 years ago ► Clay sculpture

19. Slide #5a ► Malta, eastern Siberia ► 15,000 years ago ► Ivory

20. Slide #5b ► Kostenki, Russia ► 23,000-21,000 years ago ► Ivory

21. Slide #6a ► Lascaux cave, France, approx. 17,000 years ago, wall painting

22. Slide #6b ► Enlene, France. ► Approx. 10,000 years ago ► Antler bone.

23. Weiner Dog Art by 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.”

24. Slide #7

25. Weiner Dog Art cont… 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.

26. Bibliography ► The Virtual Museum, Canada http://www.sfu.museum/journey/04secondary/ind ex.php http://www.sfu.museum/journey/04secondary/ind ex.php http://www.sfu.museum/journey/04secondary/ind ex.php ► Lascaux Cave Photos http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/flint/archart.html http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/flint/archart.html ► Tanzania Wall Art http://www.roughguides.com/website/travel/desti nation/content/default.aspx?titleid=93&xid=idh46 0169072_0266 http://www.roughguides.com/website/travel/desti nation/content/default.aspx?titleid=93&xid=idh46 0169072_0266 http://www.roughguides.com/website/travel/desti nation/content/default.aspx?titleid=93&xid=idh46 0169072_0266 ► Gary Larson, The Farside. 2000.