Questions and Answers
What is the Apollo 11 Cave?
What does 'Paleolithic' mean?
Old-Stone
Describe the Venus of Willendorf.
A child-bearing woman statuette from Willendorf, Austria, ca 25k BCE, approximately 4.5 inches tall, with exaggerated body parts.
What are the Lascaux Cave Paintings known for?
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What is the Camelid Sacrum made from?
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How did cave artists paint?
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Why do scholars believe cave paintings were not primarily decorative?
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What is twisted perspective or composite view?
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Describe the Running Horn Woman.
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What does 'Neolithic' mean?
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What is the Anthropomorphic Stele?
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What is a Jade Cong?
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Describe the Bushes with Ibex Motifs.
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What is Stonehenge?
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What is the Mortise and Tenon System?
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What is the Ambum Stone?
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Describe the Tlatilco Female Figurine.
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What is Shamanism?
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Study Notes
Prehistoric Art Overview
- Prehistoric art can be categorized into Paleolithic ("Old-Stone") and Neolithic ("New-Stone") periods.
- Characterized by figurative art, which includes representations of animals and humans.
Apollo 11 Cave
- Located in Namibia, Africa, dating back to approximately 25,000 BCE.
- Features charcoal drawings on stone, making it the oldest known example of figurative art from Africa.
- Depicts a feline-like creature with human hind legs and is indicative of mobile art from hunter-gatherer societies.
Venus of Willendorf
- Originates from Willendorf, Austria, around 25,000 BCE; stands 4.5 inches tall and is carved from limestone.
- Represents a childbearing woman, associated with fertility and often linked to Roman goddess Venus, though interpretations may conflate love with childbirth magic.
- Notable for exaggerated body features, which challenge conventional anatomical accuracy.
Lascaux Cave Paintings
- Found near Pordogre, Paris, and dates to approximately 15,000 BCE, using natural pigments on stone.
- Utilizes composite view or twisted perspective, where different parts of a subject are shown from various angles.
Camelid Sacrum
- Discovered in Tequixquiac, Central Mexico, dating between 14,000 and 7,000 BCE.
- Crafted from the sacrum bone, shaped to resemble a dog.
- Symbolic significance is tied to birth and protection, given its physiological and cultural importance.
Techniques of Cave Painting
- Artists employed stone tools filled with animal fat to produce light and collected pigments like red and yellow ocher for paints.
- Flat stones served as palettes, and brushes were made from natural materials such as twigs and reeds.
Purpose of Cave Paintings
- Scholars often reject decorative interpretations of cave art, favoring hunting-magic and ritualistic theories.
- Many paintings depict animals not central to the diet of Paleolithic humans, suggesting a focus on control or intimidation over the creatures.
Twisted Perspective
- Defined as a representation method where parts of a figure are shown in profile and frontal views, exemplified in the depiction of bulls in Lascaux Cave.
- Differentiates from optical views that capture a singular, direct perspective.
Running Horn Woman
- Located in Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria, dating between 6,000 and 4,000 BCE; uses rock pigments.
- Showcases multiple perspectives and intricate body painting.
- Represents fertility and possibly ceremonial practices, given the absence of facial features.
Anthropomorphic Stele
- Crafted from sandstone in the Arabian Peninsula, around 4,000 BCE.
- Minimalist design with human-like forms; serves as a grave marker suggesting religious practices related to burial.
Jade Cong
- Found in Liangzhu, China, dating from 3,200 to 2,200 BCE, made from carved jade.
- Represents a connection to spirituality and afterlife, often found in burial contexts.
Bushes with Ibex Motifs
- Created in Susa, Iran, approximately 4,200-3,500 BCE from painted terra cotta.
- Features stylized representations of ibexes and utilizes geometric designs, signifying family or community ties.
Stonehenge
- Located in Southern England's Salisbury Plain, dating from 25,000 to 16,000 BCE, known for its impressive sandstone constructions.
- Noted for its circular arrangement of monoliths, symbolizing death and burial practices, as evidenced by human remains found onsite.
- Constructed using a mortise and tenon system, allowing stones to be securely fitted together.
The Ambum Stone
- From Ambum Valley, Papua New Guinea, dating roughly 15,000 BCE, made from greywacke stone.
- Represents a long-beaked spiny anteater, likely revered for its fatty deposits, indicating early human-animal relationships.
Tlatilco Female Figurine
- Originates from the site of Tlatilco, Central Mexico, dating between 1,200 and 900 BCE, created from ceramic.
- Typically depicts females with exaggerated features and multiple heads, linking to themes of shamanism and duality.
Shamanism
- Involves practitioners reaching altered states to interact with the spirit world, facilitating movement beyond physical realities.
- Enlightens the understanding of spiritual beliefs in prehistoric cultures and their artistic expressions.
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Description
Explore the fascinating world of Prehistoric Art with this set of flashcards. Learn about significant artworks such as the Apollo 11 Cave and the Venus of Willendorf, and grasp key concepts from the Paleolithic period. Ideal for students preparing for the AP Art History exam.
