1. Unit 1: Global Prehistory
8/27/2015 8:42 AM
In the Beginning…
Unit 1: Global Prehistory
© 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries.
The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

2. A few things to begin with…
Dating Conventions and Abbreviations
B.C. = before Christ B.C.E. = before the Common Era
A.D. = Anno Domini (the year of our Lord) C.E. = Common Era
c. or ca.= circa
C.=century

3. The Development of Homosapiens

4. Human development
Thumbs
About 2 million years ago

5. Toes
1.3 million

6. Tears
60,000 years ago and this empathic reaction makes us unique amongst animals
This expressiveness creates art

7. Prehistoric people had no written language: but they were not stupid.
We Don’t Farm, Write, Live in Houses, Wear Clothes, or Invent the Wheel, but We Have Art
Prehistoric people had no written language: but they were not stupid.
Prehistoric time:
Paleolithic: Hunter/ Gatherers
Neolithic: organized settlements, farmers, raised livestock
We do not know why they created; but it seems clear that they were not just decorative. Art had a purpose...

9. Why is Prehistoric Art Important?

12. Where will we find Prehistoric Art?

13. A little Vocab- You need to know these about EVERY piece
Form – What the object looks like; How did the artist use line, shape, color, value, texture, form, and composition?
Function- what is the object used for? Did that use stay the same or change over the years?
Content –What is the object about? How does the interpretation change with different audiences?
Context-Why was it made? When and for whom? By whom? How was it received?

14. Profile of an animal done in charcoal Several stone fragments found
Apollo 11 Stones Namibia Paleolithic Africa 25,500 BCE Charcoal on Stone
Some of the world’s oldest works of art, found in Wonderwerk Cave in Namibia
Profile of an animal done in charcoal
Several stone fragments found
Named for the Apollo 11 moon landing; that was happening when the caves were discovered.
Bovine horns or feline ears? Human back legs?

17. Lets Write down some Notes!

18. A little light reading….
Group 1
Group Group 3

19. Where to Next ?

20. Susa

21. Bushel with ibex motifs Susa, Iran 4,200-3,500 BCE Painted terra cotta
Found near burial site, but not with human remains
Use of the potter’s wheel- Technology!
Thin walls- Skill!
Frieze of stylized aquatic birds on top, below stylized running dogs with narrow bodies
Oversized horn, abstracted/stylized motif
Clan symbol inside horns
Made is Susa

23. Khan Academy

28. Where to Next ?

30. Jade cong, Liangzhu, China 3,300-2,200 BCE Jade

31. Jade cong, Liangzhu, China 3,300-2,200 BCE Jade

33. Jade cong Liangzhu, China 3,300-2,200 BCE Jade
Circular hole cut in square
Abstract design- main decoration is a face pattern
Four corners usually carry mask-like images with pronounced eyes and fangs
Jade appears in tombs of people of high rank
Jade found in tombs; interred with the dead in elaborate rituals
Later Chinese linked Jade with virtues- durability, beauty, subtlety
Placed around bodies- some purposefully broken/burned.

35. Group Reading 1 2 3 Write down things you feel are interesting or important

41. What are possible reasons why these artifacts are so important
What are possible reasons why these artifacts are so important? Do we have similar items in our culture?