Lecture Notes: Global Prehistory

Introduction

• Focus: Global Prehistory, first content-based lecture of the year.
• Activity: Compare two sculptures:
  • Venus of Willendorf (~4 inches high)
  • Figure from Angasol (~3.5 feet high)
• Task: Observe without external resources, note similarities and differences.

Understanding Prehistory

• Definition: Time before written records.
• Sources of Knowledge: Scientific evidence such as carbon dating, stratigraphy, contextual evidence.
• Multidisciplinary Approach: Anthropology, archaeology, biology, chemistry.
• Art in Prehistory: Intentional, beyond survival and reproduction.

Nature of Prehistoric Art

• Tool Making: Evidence of deliberate shaping, not regarded purely as art.
• Art vs Tools: Tools aided survival; art had aesthetic purposes.

Dating Methods

• Stratigraphy: Study of geological strata, older layers at the bottom.
• Radiocarbon Dating: Measures decayed carbon-14, applicable to organic materials.
• Contextual Evidence: Functions/artifacts determined by site proximity.

Climate Change and Migration

• Species Discussed: Homo sapiens, Homo neanderthalensis, Homo erectus.
• Migration: Driven by climate change, multiple waves, not a singular event.
• Impact: Migration facilitated by land bridges during glacial periods, climate shifts.

Prehistoric Periods

• Paleolithic (Old Stone Age):

  • Climate: Cold, glacial periods.
  • Society: Hunter-gatherers.
  • Art: Emphasis on animals, fertility figures (e.g., Venus of Willendorf).
  • Techniques: Small, portable sculptures, cave paintings deep within caves.
  • Twisted Perspective: Composite view of features (e.g., animal horns).

• Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age): Transitional period.

• Neolithic (New Stone Age):

  • Climate: Warmer, sea levels rise.
  • Society: Agricultural revolution, permanent settlements (e.g., Fertile Crescent).
  • Art: Dominance of humans over animals, narrative stories.
  • Architecture: Emergence of megalithic structures (e.g., post and lintel construction).
  • Materials: More varied, larger statues.

Comparison Activity

• Venus of Willendorf: Reflects Paleolithic art with emphasis on fertility and small size.
• Figure from Angasol: Represents Neolithic art with larger size and human dominance themes.