Module 1 - Prehistorical Period PDF

MODULE 1 PREHISTORY IDR. EMIL ANDRIAN R. SALCEDO, RN, PIID Program Head, BSID Program College of Architecture & Fine Arts Educations PREHISTORY TO EARLY CIVILIZAT...

MODULE 1 PREHISTORY IDR. EMIL ANDRIAN R. SALCEDO, RN, PIID Program Head, BSID Program College of Architecture & Fine Arts Educations PREHISTORY TO EARLY CIVILIZATIONS University of Mindanao PALEOLITHIC PERIOD The Paleolithic Period, also known as the Old Stone Age, is the earliest and longest phase of human history, spanning from about 2.5 million years ago to around 10,000 BCE. It is characterized by the use of simple stone tools, the development of early art, and the emergence of hunting and gathering as primary means of subsistence. Key aspects of the Paleolithic Period: 1. TOOL USE. A wide range of stone tools were made and used by early humans for food processing, gathering, and hunting. The main materials used to make these tools were flint, obsidian, and other hard stones. 2. ART AND CULTURE. Some of the earliest known works of art, such as cave paintings and carvings, were produced during this time. Famous examples are the animal and hunting scene paintings found in the French caves of Lascaux and Chauvet. 3. SOCIAL ORGANIZATION. The majority of Paleolithic societies were tiny, migratory communities that lived as hunter-gatherers. There was little indication of permanent settlements, and social structures were comparatively simple.  THE HALL OF BULLS IN THE CAVE OF LASCAUX The Lascaux cave system in southwest France features over 600 Hall of Bulls paintings, depicting large animals from the Upper Paleolithic era, dating back 17,000 years.  THE FINE CAVE PAINTINGS OF CHAUVET-PONT-D'ARC CAVE Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave's prehistoric cave paintings are renowned for their exceptional beauty, anatomical accuracy, three-dimensionality, and unique movement, making them a significant discovery worldwide. PALEOLITHIC SUBPERIODS MOUSTERIAN PERIOD The Mousterian is defined by the appearance of a method of stone-knapping or reduction known as the Levallois Technique. AURIGNACIAN PERIOD The Aurignacian culture showcased exceptional tool specialization and diversity, including the development of the burin, a crucial engraving tool for art creation. MAGDALENIAN PERIOD Cro-magnon upper Magdalenian, the final Palaeolithic culture in Europe, dated 17,000-11,500 years ago, is paleolithic aurignacian burin characterized by bone and horn tools, cave art, and is named after La Madeleine site in art graver tool from famous France. la rochette site France THE VENUS OF WILLENDORF The Venus of Willendorf is a 1908 Upper Paleolithic female figurine found in Austria. It is one of 40 small portable human figures found intact or nearly so by the early 21st century. Made of oolitic limestone, it is dated to 28,000- 25,000 BCE and is easily transportable – 4 ½” tall The stumpy female figure features pendulous breasts, an obese middle and belly, and pronounced buttocks The Willendorf figurine, believed to be a fertility figure, good-luck totem, mother goddess symbol, or aphrodisiac, has been hypothesized to be made by a woman, and its foreshortening effect may be due to self-inspection. MESOLITHIC PERIOD The Mesolithic, or Middle Stone Age, refers to cultures between the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. Key features include microliths and bladelets, and they likely continued art forms from the Upper Paleolithic Period. The most extensive Mesolithic rock art is found in Spain. MESOLITHIC ART Art during the Mesolithic Period reflects climate change, sedentary lifestyle, population size, and plant consumption, indicating transition to agriculture and Neolithic period. THE MAN OF BICORP Mesolithic populations often migrated, and art forms The Man of Bicorp holding onto lianas to developed during Upper Paleolithic, including cave gather honey from a beehive as depicted paintings, engravings, sculptural artifacts, and on an 8000-year-old cave painting near architecture. Valencia, Spain. DANCE OF THE COGUL El Cogul, Catalonia, Spain Mesolithic rock art sites on Spain's Mediterranean coast feature advanced, widespread painted figures of humans and animals. This collection is the largest concentration of such art in Europe, often featuring human figures running towards animals. Scenes include hunting, battle, dancing, agricultural tasks, and honey gathering, particularly at Cuevas de la Araña en Bicorp. NEOLITHIC PERIOD The Neolithic, also known as the New Stone During the Neolithic period, people settled down, Age, lasted from roughly 10,000 BCE to 3,000 leading to changes in art, pottery, alcohol BCE in terms of human development. production, and architecture. Considered the last part of the Stone Age, the Neolithic sculptures grew, pottery became Neolithic period is signified by a progression in widespread, and alcohol production began. behavioral and cultural characteristics including the cultivation of wild and domestic crops and the use of domesticated animals.  NEOLITHIC POTTERY Archaeologists suggest farming necessitated large, robust irrigation systems, requiring communities to accumulate ceramics and grains. Early Neolithic artifacts, burnished or monochrome, were of exceptional quality. During the Middle Neolithic period, known as the "Sesklo Culture," clay goods were decorated with red paint, combining traditional designs like zigzag lines, flame patterns, and linear lines. Ceramics from Cucuteni Trypilian Culture  TYPES OF NEOLITHIC POTTERY EARTHENWARE, the simplest and oldest pottery, is soft and made from materials like maiolica, faience, and delft, heated at the lowest setting between 1000 and 1200 degrees Celsius. STONEWARE, Thick, high-temperature pottery fired between 1100-1300 degrees Celsius, often covered with a powdered glass glaze, resulting in a vitreous, impenetrable surface. PORCELAIN, a finer material than stoneware, produces a ringing tone when tapped and has a characteristic translucence when held up to light. Jar (Guan), China Chinese porcelain is the finest and most precious Banshan phase variation. (ca. 2650–2350 BCE) NEOLITHIC ARCHITECTURE Neolithic architecture, spanning 10,000 BCE to the Bronze Age, characterized human settlement and construction advancements, encompassing building practices and structures. Neolithic architecture also evolved with planning and organization, resulting in larger, more durable structures.  Neolithic architecture, characterized by permanent settlements, village layouts, and complex structures, emerged during the transition from nomadic lifestyles to farming communities. Houses were built from materials like mudbrick, wattle and daub, and timber, with simple rectangular or oval plans. Megalithic structures, such as Stonehenge and dolmens, were constructed for ceremonial and religious purposes. Burial practices included elaborate tombs and communal buildings for rituals and social gatherings. Beehive Huts on Skellig Michael BEEHIVE HUTS also known as clocháns, are traditional stone structures with distinctive beehive-shaped roofs, found in Ireland and Scotland since the early medieval period. Beehive huts were primarily used as dwellings, providing a simple and efficient shelter with excellent thermal insulation. Beehive huts are built with dry stone masonry, creating a corbelled domed effect. The roof, resembling a beehive, features a circular base and conical top. TRULLO A traditional stone building in southern Italy's Apulia region, is known for its unique architectural style, characterized by functionality and aesthetics. Trulli, traditionally used as homes in Apulia's hot, dry climate, were designed to maintain cool summer and warm winter interiors, and also served as agricultural storage. Trulli, built using local limestone, feature thick walls for temperature regulation and conical roofs for rainwater shedding and insulation. THE MEGALITHS Megaliths are large stones or structures made from large stones, often used in prehistoric and ancient architecture. They are typically associated with various ritual, ceremonial, and funerary purposes. The term "megalith" comes from the Greek words mega (large) and lithos (stone). ORTHOSTAT An orthostat is a large, upright stone used in prehistoric or ancient megalithic architecture, often found in burial sites and ceremonial structures, derived from the Greek words orthos (straight) and statos (standing), reflecting its vertical position. Orthostats are stones or slabs set into the ground or foundation. They are made from large, solid stone blocks, requiring significant effort to quarry and position.  MENHIRS Large upright stones, often standing alone or in rows, are likely used for memorials, ceremonial purposes, calendars, or astronomical purposes, such as menhirs at Carnac in France. Menhirs de Carnac, France TRILITHON A trilithon is a megalithic structure consisting of three large stones, with the term derived from the Greek words "tri" and "lithos" meaning "three stones.“ A trilithon is a structure consisting of two vertical stones supporting a horizontal stone, typically taller than wide.  DOLMEN Dolmens are table-like structures with a large flat stone supported by vertical stones, commonly used as burial chambers in mounds or tumuli, like Drombeg in Ireland and Cotswolds in England. These are free-standing chamber, consisting of standing stones covered by a capstone as a lid. Poulnabrone Dolmen, Burren, Ireland  TAULA A taula is a unique megalithic structure found on the Balearic Islands, specifically in Menorca, Spain, derived from the Catalan word for "table.“ A taula is a large, flat, horizontal stone slab supported by vertical stones, often slightly raised and supported by other stones. They are typically arranged in a semi- circular or U-shaped layout, with the horizontal slab at the open end. Taula in Torralba  HENGES Circular earthworks, often used for ceremonial or community gatherings, are exemplified by the henge at Avebury in England and the Henge of Banteay Srei in Cambodia. Henge at Avebury, England  CROMLECH Circular stone arrangements, often used as ceremonial sites or part of larger landscapes, are exemplified by Stonehenge in England, a complex structure with multiple types of stones. Stonehenge, England  TUMULI Burial mounds or barrows cover burial chambers, used for burying the dead with elaborate grave goods, such as the Mound of the Hostages in Ireland. The Mound of Hostages, Ireland THE BRONZE AGE The Bronze Age is the third phase of material culture development among ancient peoples in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, following the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. It marks the first use of metal and began differently in regions like Greece and China, with Britain starting around 1900 BCE. The extensive use of bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, for tools, weapons, and other artifacts marks the Bronze Age in human history. This was a major period of technological and cultural change that came after the Neolithic Age and before the Iron Age. THE BRONZE AGE The Bronze Age saw the growth of cities, complex societies, and large-scale settlements. Long-distance trade networks expanded, facilitating the exchange of materials like tin for bronze production. Social hierarchies emerged, including distinct classes and centralized political institutions. TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES BRONZE METALLURGY The development and use of bronze for tools, weapons, and art represent a major technological advancement. Bronze is more durable and effective than earlier stone tools. CASTING TECHNIQUES The period saw the development of advanced casting techniques, including the lost-wax process and mold casting, which allowed for the production of The "Mask of Agamemnon“ intricate designs and complex forms. found at Mycenae in 1876  PALEOLITHIC PERIOD 30,000 – 10,000 B.C. NEOLITHIC PERIOD 7,000 – 3,000 B.C. EARLY EARLY CIVILIZATIONS CIVILIZATIONS MESOLITHIC PERIOD 10,000 – 8,000 B.C. BRONZE AGE 3,000 B.C. PALEOLITHIC MESOLITHIC NEOLITHIC THE BRONZE PERIOD PERIOD PERIOD AGE The Hall of Bulls The Middle The New Stone Bronze Metallurgy in the cave of Stone Age Age Casting Lascaux Microliths and Start of human Techniques The fine cave Bladelets settlements paintings of Mesolithic Art: Neolithic Pottery Chauvet-Pont- Scenes of Earthenware, d'arc cave hunting, Stoneware, & Paleolithic agricultural Porcelainware subperiods tasks, and Neolithic Mousterian honey Architecture period gathering Beehive Huts Aurignacian Stylized & Trullo period Human The Megaliths Magdalenian Figures period The Venus of Willendorf PREHISTORIC PERIODS