Art in Early Civilizations

Art in Early Civilizations

• Early humans had limited rational capabilities to convey their history through written accounts
• Early peoples' materials reflect attitudes and beliefs on the spiritual
• Early humans transitioned from nomads to permanent settlers, changing their activities
• The central themes in ancient artworks are religious

Periods of the Stone Age

• Stone Age culture spans roughly 14,000-2,000 BCE
• Paleolithic (late years of the Old Stone Age)
• Mesolithic (Middle Stone)
• Neolithic

Paleolithic Cave Art

• Caves were protective havens, and the birth of art took place in them
• Cave depictions feature a few humans, sometimes isolated heads or genitalia
• Animal figures are the majority of images
• Cave art is generally considered to have symbolic or religious function, sometimes both
• Meanings are unknown, but some experts believe they were created within a shamanic framework
• One practice was entering a deep cave for a ceremony

Hall of Bulls

• Hall of Bulls is located in the Cave in Lascaux, France

Venus of Willendorf

• Photo Included

Mesolithic Rock Art

• Mesolithic rock art moved from caves to outdoor sites like vertical cliffs or rock faces
• Human figures are frequently the main theme
• Humans appear with animals in painted scenes

Neolithic Art

• Neolithic art consists of arts and crafts by societies that abandoned the semi-nomadic lifestyle
• These societies favored farming and animal husbandry
• Neolithic sculpture became bigger because people didn’t have to carry it around
• Pottery became more widespread to store food harvested from farms
• Alcohol was first produced during this period

Stonehenge

• Photo Included

Significance of Prehistoric Art

• Early humans transitioned from a nomadic lifestyle to a more permanent one, leading to early civilizations
• Discoveries from this period offer modern society a glimpse of life

Emergence of Civilizations

• Most early civilizations emerged and flourished in river valleys

Egyptian Art

• Early civilizations emerged and flourished in river valleys
• These include the Nile in Egypt, the Indus in India, and the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia
• The Fertile Ribbon starts from the banks of the 6650 km long Nile River
• The Nile flows north to Africa and into the Mediterranean
• Early Egyptians recognized the Nile's integral role in daily life

Periods of Egyptian Civilization

• Egyptian Civilization's time periods are Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom

Old Kingdom

• Religion was bound to the afterlife
• Tombs were used for keeping the dead bodies of important people, particularly pharaohs
• Tombs were decorated with everyday objects
• These items would reflect day-to-day activities, as if the afterlife is a continuation

Narmer Palette

• One cosmetic palette found in Egypt
• It utilized dark colors around King Narmer’s eyes

Great Pyramids

• During the Old Kingdom the pyramids in Giza were constructed to serve as tombs
• The pyramids are massive, constructed using roughly more than two million materials
• The construction highlighted the ingenuity and advancement of the Egyptians
• Wooden rollers were used
• Stonecutters carved the blocks in detail before stacking them
• Construction shows the brilliance of the early Egyptians and the people's reverence
• The inside of the pyramids celebrated the life of their pharaoh by lavishly decorating them

Middle Kingdom

• There was a shift in the Political Hierarchy
• Common people, instead of nobility, were featured more often in art

Rock-Cut Tombs

• To solve the problem of thieves, Egyptians made rock-cut tombs, carving them out of a living rock
• The tombs were filled with chambers and the hallways were lavishly decorated

Fall of the Middle Kingdom

• Egypt was invaded by foreign invaders
• It fell into the hands of the Hyksos
• This Asiatic tribe introduced new Elements

New Kingdom

• It was a time of expansionism through territorial acquisition
• The art of the New Kingdom had references from both the preceding kingdoms
• Monuments and sculptures were still linked to religious beliefs

Mortuary Temples

• They emerged in New Kingdom
• Carved out of living rocks
• Served not only as a sanctuary for the dead but also as a place of worship

Egyptian Sculpture

• Egypt established itself as a more advanced and powerful civilization
• Their high regard for the people can be seen through their sculptures
• Built on massive and monumental scales
• Most sculptures during this period had curving lines and full bodied forms
• Created emphasis to life-like features of the face such as an elongated jaw, and thick-lidded eyes

Queen Nefertiti

• The bust of Queen Nefertiti has a long and sensuous neck

Tutankhamen

• The tomb of Tutankhamen was a great discovery from the Egyptian civilization
• He became king at a very young age and died at the age of 17

Commonality Through Time

• Art should be something religious and spiritual for the Ancient Egyptians
• There were differences in the techniques used and themes applied through the different periods