Unit 1: Prehistoric art- AP Art History

Great Hall of Bulls. Lascaux France. Paleolithic Period- 15,000-13,000 BCE. Ochre (plant material) on rock. Most extensive example of Paleolithic Narrative art. Depictions of animals and humans in motion. Theories suggest ideas of “sympathetic magic”

Camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine Tequixquiac, central Mexico. 14,000– 7000 B.C.E. Bone. The remains of red ocher found on the object was once painted—a potential Mythological Creature.

Running horned woman. Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria. 6000–4000 B.C.E. Pigment on rock Faceless, horned, running female deity towering over figures in the background, Grain cloud above deity’s head, Figure adorned in skirt body paint. The figure is moving, proposed to be a deity in a sacred location.

Bushel with Ibex motifs. Susa, Iran. 4200-3500 B.C.E. Painted terracotta. The figures of the beaker are visual representations of the wildlife and agriculture that defined the civilization (Ancient Mesopotamia) at the time. Fragile and beautifully decorated suggests funeral intentions.

Anthropomorphic stele. Arabian Peninsula. Fourth millennium B.C.E. Sandstone. Excavated from the burial site. Three feet tall- depicts a warrior with a sword across its body.

Jade Cong. Liangzhu, China. 3300–2200 B.C.E. Carved jade. Depicts carving of deities and spirits. Symbolizes connections between worlds. Found in a burial site. Jade is precious and represented wealth

Stonehenge. Wiltshire, UK. Neolithic Europe. c. 2500–1600 B.C.E. Sandstone. Concentric rings of equal distance. Each rock weighs over 2 tons. Created over thousands of years. Solar calendar- linked to summer solstice. Men were buried

The Ambum Stone. Ambum Valley, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea. c. 1500 B.C.E. Greywacke. Fetal position. Resembles an echidna. When discovered by Enga tribes, thought to have ancestral power. 8 inches tall.Suggested pestle.

Tlatilco female figurine. Central Mexico, site of Tlatilco. 1200–900 B.C.E. Ceramic, 3/4 x 1 7/8 x 13/16 in. Represents the concept of duality. Handshaped from clay. Found in birial site. Chips of pain suggest it was once painted. Shape represents a vision of a woman.

Terra cotta fragment. Lapita. Solomon Islands, Reef Islands. 1000 B.C.E. Terra cotta (incised). Anamorphic and zoomorphic figures. Similar to polynesian tattoos. Theories suggest it once held food for transporting across islands for seagooers. Created using fine insicions.

Apollo 11 Stones. Namibia. c. 25,500–25,300 B.C.E. Charcoal on stone. Unidentified animal. Two dimensional. Ritual use. Purpose was to capture animal and its essence in moment.