Early Humans Unit: Understanding Why Paleolithic Art Was Created (Primary v. Secondary Source Interpretation)
Assignments to hand in: Analyzing Paleolithic Art Handout | Analyzing Primary and Secondary Sources Task (SLO Assignment) [See below]
introduction:
The first known artists were people of the Upper Paleolithic, or "Late Old Stone Age," period, which lasted from approximately 38,000 to 8,000 B.C.E. Archeologists have found Paleolithic art all around the world, particularly in Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia. In France and Spain, they have discovered beautiful cave paintings that extend as deep as one mile into mountains. There are also cave paintings in Russia and South Africa. Archeologists have found rock art, or drawings on the sides of large rocks, in South Africa and Australia. Eastern Europe has many Paleolithic art treasures, including carvings and personal decorations such as seashell necklaces. Archeologists have also found a limited amount of Paleolithic art in Asia, including rock art and personal decorations.
Archeologists and art historians have suggested several explanations for why Paleolithic art may have been created. Some historians believe that, like modern humans, Paleolithic people created art to decorate their dwellings, tools, and bodies. Others think Paleolithic people created art for use in important rituals or ceremonies, such as marriages and initiation rites into adulthood. Another theory holds that Paleolithic people created art to represent memorable events. Still another theory is that Paleolithic people created art to honor or influence the spirit world. For example, they may have hoped the art would influence a God or Goddess to grant the group success in a hunting expedition, to ensure fertility among group members, or to cure an ill person. Finally, some historians believe Paleolithic people used artwork of specific animals to identify the members or territory of their clans.
Step 1: Analyzing Paleolithic Art - Complete the Handout: Analyzing Paleolithic Art by examining each piece of art below carefully (click on each thumbnail to view the full size image). Then complete each drawing and answer the corresponding questions.
Paleolithic Art: Example 1
Title: Eviscerated Bison in Lascaux caves
In this transparency we see a human figure and an eviscerated bison, which were painted on a wall of the Lascaux cave in France. The painting was discovered at the bottom of a 26-foot-deep shaft near a chamber known as the Apse. Paleolithic artists created this painting approximately 11,000 to 18,000 years ago.
This painting, located in the recesses of a deep cave, shows a great black bison lowering its head to gore a man. The bison is wounded by a barbed spear crossing its body, and its insides are spilling onto the ground. The man lies prone in front of the bison and appears to be wearing a bird mask. Next to him is a long staff topped by a bird that may be a spear thrower, a Paleolithic hunting tool. Nearby is a second staff, which is short, barbed, and topped by a cross. The figure of the man is drawn in a relatively crude style, which is different from the more naturally rendered animals see in other Lascaux paintings. Paintings of humans are not common in Paleolithic art, and this figure is the only human depicted in Lascaux.
What historians believe:
Most scholars believe scenes such as this one are linked to hunting rituals and were an attempt by Paleolithic artists to influence the spirit world. Paleolithic people were good hunters who followed migrating herds in order to kill a great number of animals at one time. Artists may have created this painting to invoke "hunting magic," by which they hoped to increase the chances of a successful hunt. It is also possible that the artwork depicts an actual event in the real world or that it was created for decorative reason. Some scholars believe that the painting was used in a ritual in which a person or animal was sacrificed. Other suggest that the bird mask worn by the man and the bird atop the spear were part of a ceremony that reenacted a mythological story about these animals.
***Skip #2 as it will be used in Step 2 of this activity***
Paleolithic Art: Example 3
Title: Traced Copy of a Rock Painting in Pahi, Tanzania
Artwork Description:
In this transparency we see a traced copy of a rock painting from Pahi, Tanzania, showing a slender figure playing a flute or pipe. The figure is 34 inches tall and painted in red ochre. Not enough evidence remains in the soil layers at Pahi to date the rock paintings accurately, but scholars believe the paintings are part of a tradition that probably began at the end of the Paleolithic period.
This rock painting shows an elegant and stylized human figure. The flute player's body is elongated and has four-fingered hands. Musical notes drip from the end of his flute. The musician may be wearing a headdress. Scholars believe the figure's taillike attachment is a back apron, a garment still worn by men in parts of southern Africa. This suggests that the musician is a male. Like many figures in Tanzanian paintings, this figure does not have a face. Scholars believe that Paleolithic artists feared showing a person's face in works of art because doing so would diminish that person's power. The reddish-brown color of the painting suggests that the artist used an ochre pigment, which is a brown-red iron ore. The artist may have colored the light or white background of the original painting with bird droppings. Researchers have found sticks of pigment mixed with animal fat strewn about many ancient Tanzanian sites, and they believe that Paleolithic artists used them to create their paintings.
What historians believe:
Most historians believe that paintings such as this one were created to honor the spirit world. Tanzanian artwork shows many stylized depictions of figures dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments. Elders of modern-day local tribes have told scholars that spirits still dwell in them. Historians also theorize that Paleolithic artists created this rock painting for use in a secret ritual in which they used music to contact spirits.
Play "Bengsimbe" (Audio MP3 example of what this flute might of sounded like)
Paleolithic Art: Example 4
Title: Clay Bison Sculptures
Artwork Description:
In this transparency we see a pair of clay bison sculptures that were found in the Tuc d'Audoubert cave in France. The bison sculptures, which are 23 inches long, are approximately 10,000 to 14,000 years old.
These sculptures, found in a small, low cave chamber, are an impressive example of Paleolithic sculpture. The pair of bison are sculpted from gold-colored clay and then detailed with simple carved lines. Paleolithic artists used these lines to depict the bison's facial features and coat marking, including their manes and the fringes of fur below their powerful necks. The bison are depicted standing and seem to be at rest.
What historians believe:
Historians have two main theories about why these sculptures were created. Many scholars believe that the bison sculptures were used as part of an important ceremony, such as an initiation ceremony, that was held deep inside the earth. Initiation ceremonies were likely rites of passage that marked a young person's transition to adultood. As evidence, scholars point to footprints of young people found near the sculptures. A few historians believe that the bison sculptures were created to inform bands of hunter-gatherers who wandered into the cave that the region belonged to a certain clan.
Paleolithic Art: Example 5
Two female figurines from Malta, an Ice Age site in Siberia.
Artwork Description:
In this transparency we see two ivory female figures from Malta, an Ice Age site located in eastern Siberia. Standing almost 4 inches tall, these sculptures are about 15,000 years old.
Small statues of women such as these are typically referred to as Venus figurines. Venus figurines depict women in several stages of womanhood, including maidenhood, pregnancy, and old age. Most figurines stand 1 to 4 inches tall, and the small statues' features vary from region to region. In some regions, Paleolithic artists adorned the figurines with jewelry or simple hairstyles, but it did not give them facial features or clothing. These artists often gave the figurines prominent breasts, buttocks, and stomachs. In other regions, artists sculpted the figurines - such as the ones shown here - with long hair, facial features, and clothing. The breasts, buttocks, and stomachs in these figurines tend to be flatter or nonexistent. The lack of detail in the legs and feet of the Venus figurines shown here may indicate that the artists thought these parts of the female body were unimportant.
What historians believe:
Some historians believe that many ancient societies worshipped Goddesses and that Paleolithic people created Venus figurines to honor them. Because women are the bearers of children, Paleolithic artists may have believed that Goddesses personified birth, death, and rebirth, and that they were intimately connected to the cycle of life that unites all things in nature. In addition, scholars believe that figurines were used in religious rituals, as they have been found at shrines, altars, and burial sites. Some historians also theorize that Paleolithic people created and carried Venus figurines to ensure fertility or to serve as talismans.
Step 2: Analyzing Primary v. Secondary Sources Task (SLO Assignment)
Directions: Complete the Artifact Reflection Worksheet using both SOURCE handouts:
Source #1
Source #2
Scoring Rubric
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