1. Art From before history
Prehistoric Art
Art From before history

2. Prehistoric Cave Paintings
When? Where? Who?
Prehistoric art in the western world (Europe) was created as early as 30,000 BC. The Prehistoric time period ends when people began recording history: around 3,000 BC in most places.
Most prehistoric art has been discovered in Western Europe. Altamira in Spain and Lascaux in France are two well known locations, as is Stonehenge in England.
Paleolithic Man - nomadic hunters and gatherers who used stone tools, since metal tools had not been developed yet. They lived in wood framed huts.
The caves of Lascaux were discovered by 18 year old Marcel Ravidat and three of his friends in 1940, when they were exploring an opening created by a fallen tree. They were the first to see what has now become a World Heritage Site.

4. Cave Paintings
What?
Paintings on cave walls made from charcoal and a mixture of animal fat and crushed rocks such as red ochre and umber.
The subject matter is mostly animals such as bison, deer, and horses. A few show the animals being hunted by small stick figure people. Paintings are often overlapped, sometimes several layers deep.
Occasionally, artists left their mark by placing their handprint on the walls.
The Hall of the Bulls
c BC
Lascaux, France

6. Cave Paintings
How?
While the paintings are not completely realistic, they are not abstract either, because they demonstrate a wealth of knowledge about the anatomy of animals.
The paintings were outlined with charcoal and filled in with a mixture of fat and crushed rock. The paint was applied with fur, feathers, moss, and fingers. Sometimes the animal fat was put on the wall first and the crushed rock was blown onto it through a tube.
Red Cow with a Black Head
c BC
Lascaux, France
Female Bison (re-creation)
Caves of Altamira, Spain

9. Cave Paintings
Why?
The purpose of the cave paintings is one that we can only make educated guesses about. The following are some of the leading theories:
Hunting Ritual: part of a ceremony to ensure a successful hunt.
Storytelling: a visual history of successful hunts.
Spiritual: part of a spiritual experience, perhaps related to animal worship.

10. The Venus of Willendorf
The Facts:
11cm high sculpture of a female figure
Carved out of stone
Exaggerated features, patterned hair and no face. Arms are very thin and are crossed over chest.
Found in Willendorf, Austria. Dated around 20,000 BC. Many small sculptures like this one have been found from this time period.
Considered to be an image of a fertility goddess.

11. Stonehenge The Facts: Located in Wiltshire, in south west England.
Built in stages between 2500 and 1500 BC
It is an arrangement of standing stones in concentric circles. The largest stones are called monoliths and weigh about 50 tonnes. There is also a raised mound with marker stones around the perimeter.
Some stones were cut from a location 200 miles away from the site. The rocks in this location were believed to have healing properties.
The stones line up with the summer solstice.
Purpose not known; leading theories include a religious site for the worship of the sun, an astronomical marker, a public gathering place, and a place of healing.

16. Check In Describe the lives people lived in the Paleolithic era.
What art forms did people create in Prehistoric times?
What media were used to create the cave paintings?
What subject matter is most common in cave paintings? Why do you think this is the case?
Describe the process used to create the cave paintings.
How would you describe the style of the cave paintings?
Why do you think prehistoric man painted on the walls of caves? Use facts and evidence to support your opinion.
What do you think the Venus of Willendorf was used for? Use the physical evidence of the sculpture to support your opinion.

17. A Step Further
Read more about the Lascaux cave, and report back with at least five interesting facts that were not mentioned in the presentation.
On the internet, do some research about about how Stonehenge was built: specifically, how did they get the stones into position? Report some of your findings.
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