Upper Palaeolithic and Cave Art Flashcards
where : Blombos Cave
South Africa
when: Upper Palaeolithic
ca. 40-10 kya
Basic themes of cave art
Animals, human representations, signs
No landscapes or plants
when: Dolni Vestonice
25 kya
Tools used in cave art
Flint tools for engraving, brushes, charcoal, mineral-based paint, limestone lamps, possible scaffolding
when: Lascauz Dordogone
ca. 17,000-18,000 years BP, dated by radiocarbon
Discovered in 1940 by Robot the dog
Portable art
Engraved antler, bone or ivory
Figurines in ivory, soft stone, baked clay
Ornamentation
Musical instruments
when: Chauvet Cave
30,000-32,000 years BP, dated by radiocarbon
Interpretation of art
Art for art’s sake
Hunting magic
Shamanistic rituals in preparation of the hunt
Diversified and complex, social setting important
Hunting magic
Theory to ensure successful hunt through art, but food animals were rarely represented in art
Ornamentation
Teeth and shell pendants
when: Blombos cave
100-70 kya
why: Blombos cave
Early appearance of modern human behavior
Not continuous or uniform
what: Blombos cave
Shell beads, bone points, sophisticated stone tools and symbolic engraving on stone
why: upper paleolithic
Sophisticated hunting cultures and technology
Enhanced symbolic and social behavior
Widespread use of art
