ap art history Flashcards
Prehistory
refers to the period of global history that predates written records
Archaeological evidence suggests humanity began in Africa around ___ million years ago
and that homo sapiens (modern humans) migrated outwards from the continent
3
Global prehistory is divided into _____- ________: the Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Mesolithic
eras
three periods
Paleolithic
(“Old Stone Age” — 35,000-10,000 B.C.E): The period of the Stone
Age associated with the evolution of humans. It predates the Neolithic period.
Mesolithic
“Middle Stone Age”— 7,000-4,000 B.C.E in Europe): The period of
the stone age associated with the final period of hunter-gatherer societies.
Characterized by small, chipped stone tools (burins, etc.).
Neolithic
(“New Stone Age”— 4,500-1,500 B.C.E in Europe; 6,000-3,500 B.C.E
in Ancient Near East): The period of the Stone Age associated with the ancient
Agricultural Revolution. It follows the Paleolithic period.
The Neolithic Revolution
Marks the transition from nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles to sedentary societies built
around the production of agriculture and animal domestication
Abstract:
non-representational, simplified or distorted in depiction
Acropolis:
an elevated city or mound
Bas relief:
sculptural technique in which images or symbols are carved into and raised
from the surrounding material
Burin:
small steel object used for incising
Bushel:
a cylindrical earthenware vessel
Hierarchy of scale:
technique in which the artist manipulates proportion or scale to
communicate the relative importance of figures in an artwork
Incising:
technique in which a deep cut or carving is made into a soft surface such as
clay for the purpose of decoration.
Megalith:
a large stone used to construct a monument
Narrative art:
visual representation of a story or event in art
Neolithic Revolution:
period of transition of humans from nomadic, hunter-gatherer
Ocher:
natural reddish-brown pigment that contains nitrous oxide
Post and lintel construction:
an architectural system of construction with two or more
vertical elements (posts) supporting a horizontal element (lintel)
Register:
horizontal band of ornamental or decorative imagery on an object
Shamanism:
An animistic religion of northern Asia, having the belief that shamans
affect the mediation between the visible and the spirit worlds
Stele:
a vertical slab serving as a marker or monument
Subtractive sculpture:
technique in which a sculpture made from the removal of certain
materials to create a finished product
Superimpose:
to layer an object or image on top of another
Zoomorphic:
having the features of or bearing resemblance to an animal
