Prehistory Flashcards
Dead (?) Bison, Altamira Caves, 12000 BC
Wall of Bison, Altamira Caves, 12000 BC
Bison Relief, The Cave of the Three Brothers, 13000 BC
“The Sorcerer,” Cave of the Three Brothers, 13000 BC, Sketch by Henri Breuil 1920
Horse Panel, Lascaux Cave, 15000 BC
Megalocerous and Dots, Lascaux Cave, 15000 BC
Hunting Scene, Lascaux Cave, 15000 BC
Spotted Horse and Human Hands, Peche-Merle Cave, 23000 BC
Wall of Animals, Chauvet Cave, 30000 BC
Panel of Lions, Chauvet Cave, 30000 BC
Bison with Turned Head, Madeleine Cave, France, 12000 BC
Venus of Willendorf, Austria, 25000 BC
Venus of Hohle Fels, Germany, 35000 BC
Venus of Brassempouy, France, 25000 BC
Lion-Headed Figurine, Hohlenstein Stadel Cave, Germany, 35000 BC
Bhimbetka Caves, India, 10000 BC
Bradshaw Rock Paintings, Australia, ca. 20,000BC
Animal Facing Left, Apollo 11 Cave, Namibia, 23000 BC
Sulawesi Caves, Indonesia, ca. 40000 BC
Decorated Ochre, Blombos Cave, 75000 BC
Prehistory
The period before we started to have written records of human activities.
Henri Breuil
French archaeologist/art historian who studied cave paintings. He talked about “The Sorcerer” as the first example of religion/the supernatural.
Stylization
Prehistoric art is very stylized; i.e., it is not a photorealistic representation of reality. Some of this likely stems from the fact that these paintings were often made in dark, dangerous places, often in ritualistic contexts.
“Venus”
Venus figures were female figures (generally small statuettes/amulets) with exaggerated sexual characteristics, perhaps used to promote fertility.
Male vs. female representation
Both genders were presented with exaggerated sexual characteristics. Men were often portrayed as part-animal, such as with a bird’s head.
Prehistory date range
Before 3500 BC
