Lecture 3 Notes: Sacred Caves and the Northern Hunting Tradition Flashcards
Gravettian’s (25,000 BCE – 20,000 BCE):
- The Gravettians were the first cold weather hunting society in the world.
- Archaeologist named them after the area in which their fossils were found.
- Became the plain indians later on while moving
They did not call themselves Gravettians.
why did humans follow the animals as they migrated to fresh territory?
Mammoths moved to different ares based on the cliamte
Gravettians would follow the mammoths
Maros pangkep cave paintings; 40,000-35,000 BCE
- Hands using charcoal and ochre; over them to create an imprint using negative space.
Animals and hand prints
Cueva de las manos; 13,000-9,000 BCE , Argentina
- The locations of these caves are very important it wasn’t random, it meant so much to them
- And the similarity between this cave and the one in France is the entrance and that both need a hike to get there
- Drawings of hands and animals by using the same method; charcoal and ochre
Petroglyphs;
- Animals
- People
- Abstract form
Historically there used to be water but now its just desert
Chauvet cave in france (20,000 BCE) 400 meters long
- Chauvet caves are a complex of caves that are located in France.
- The complex is located near a river.
- To enter the cave, people would have hiked along a narrow bridge.
- Paintings of animals
- The chauvet cave was near a river which had a arch if you would come with a bot
- And to enter the cave you would have to hike along the edge of a mountain cave to enter
- And the water used to be very high
- Communal cite
- People would gather
- They didn’t leave in the cave
- They would use the cave for ritual
And only important people would enter and sometimes they only enter by the entrance
Cave Art?
- The realistic images indicate an extensive culture of representation. But we werent sure who the painters were.
- Purpose of caves is not clear but some conjectures are:
- caves were of limited access to ritual specialits and intitants
1. Caves were sites of ritual gatherings clan groups gathered nearby in the valleys to participate or witness events
2. Caves sits might have competed with another in regard to the magic/medicine that they produced
3. Ceremonies were held possibly to:
- caves were of limited access to ritual specialits and intitants
- Purpose of caves is not clear but some conjectures are:
- Communicate with ancestors
- Summon the animals for hunt
Prepare men and their equipment for the unit promote fertility
what happened in Europe. 15,000BCE?
- Winter began going away
- River appeared
- Greens appeared
- The forest societies
Magdalenian
what were the tradtions of the Gravettians?
- Family structures were large, about 12 – 15 ppl.
- In winter they would gather together, and story tell; story telling was a way of connecting to the past and future.
- Huts were used in winter for protection.
Huts were also a symbolic/ceremonial place.
who lived in winter camps?
the gravettians they lived in seasonal winter camps. and the camps were made from giant bones of animals they hunted
why did the humans
Magdalenian culture (16,000-8,000 BCE)?
- Caves
- Forest
- Waterfall
- Sparkling surfaces
- They loved caved spaces
They also used the caves for ritual practices
what were some techniques that were used in art making in caves?
⁃ Printing with the palm
⁃ Tracing with fingers
⁃ Drawing with sticks or blocks of ocher
⁃ Scraping the rock surface
⁃ Sharing with charcoal
⁃ Use a paintbrush made of hair or moss
whats one example of the earliest Cave Art?
One of the earliest examples of Cave Art was in La Pasiega Cave in Monte Castillo in
Northern Spain.
Ceremonial shirt?
clothing symbolizes the more centralized and hierarchical social structure of northern hunting societies (in these societies it’s the men who are the leaders)
Image?
a representation of a physical reality encountered in life, or simply an abstract visual expression that can take the form of a drawing, a painting, a statue, or even built structure.
whats ochre?
Ochre is a mineralogical staple of first societies,It had a symbolic spiritual meaning. Where it was believed to help souls into moving from the living world to the afterlife, therefor it was often used in burial sites.
what were cultural objects that emerged with the Gravettians?
Venus figurines aka women figurines
what are the characteristics of the figerines
- Made of soft clay
- They can be backed
- Made of ivory or stone
- They were find in Europe and west asia
- They are tiny around 10 cm
it was probably meant to be held or carried as some sort of talisman
Head Smashed In, Canada
- Byson was the main animal that was hunted after the extinction of mammoth.
- They were very difficult animals to hunt.
The Plains Indians would take advantage of these animals’ skittishness and frighten them and herd them in a particular direction towards a cliff where they would fall of.
- They were very difficult animals to hunt.
Lion-human figurine; hybrid of human and animal, C. 40,000-35,000 BCE
- This figure is one of the earliest sculptures to be found.
- It is from Hohlenstein-Stadel in Southwest Germany.
- It is a hybrid figure of a human and an animal.
It is not naturalistic, where it exaggerates some human characteristics.
whats the characteristics of the lion-human figurine?
It is made from carved ivory. It is around 30 cm in height.
Venus (Women) Figurines:
- Venus figurines aka women figurines are cultural objects that emerged with the Gravettians.
- idealized representations of human bodies
- possibly totems
- may have something to do with sexuality
- They were meant to be held or carried as some sort of tailsman
Goddes of love from ancient greeks – venus
who were the plain Indians?
- Plains Indians were a hunting society that live in North America.
- The plain indians would scare the bysons into a big ditch where they would run off and fall and then they would eat them
- Head smashes in canada
- After their haunt they would camp down and enjoy their haunt
- The plain indians would scare the bysons into a big ditch where they would run off and fall and then they would eat them
who were the clovis?
- Clovis were Plains Indian hunters that followed mammoths from North America to South America.
- They were named after the area they lived in which is an archeological site in Texas.
what were the two types of hunting societies?
the plain idians and the samis
who discovered the caves?
- The Magdalenians discovered a lot of caves.
- Caves were very dynamic environments, where the ambiance can be altered by the use of light.
- Caves were used for spiritual practices/rituals and gatherings.
- People occassionally visited caves on special occasions to make new images or view older ones.
- The location of caves on the landscape is very important to their meaning.
Chauvet cave in france (20,000 BCE) 400 meters long
- Chauvet caves are a complex of caves that are located in France.
- The complex is located near a river.
- To enter the cave, people would have hiked along a narrow bridge.
- Paintings of animals
- The chauvet cave was near a river which had a arch if you would come with a bot
- And to enter the cave you would have to hike along the edge of a mountain cave to enter
- And the water used to be very high
- Communal cite
- People would gather
- They didn’t leave in the cave
- They would use the cave for ritual
- And only important people would enter and sometimes they only enter by the entrance
Maros pangkep cave paintings; 40,000-35,000 BCE
- Hands using charcoal and ochre; over them to create an imprint using negative space.
Animals and hand prints
Cueva de las manos; 13,000-9,000 BCE , Argentina
- The locations of these caves are very important it wasn’t random, it meant so much to them
- And the similarity between this cave and the one in France is the entrance and that both need a hike to get there
Drawings of hands and animals by using the same method; charcoal and ochre
