Overview
This lecture reviews prehistoric art through the lens of function, technique, form, and context, analyzing famous works from different cultures and periods, and discussing their meanings and artistic methods.
Function and Interpretation of Prehistoric Art
- Lascaux cave paintings likely had ritual functions for a select few rather than for public gatherings or hunting instruction.
- Native American petroglyphs at Indian Creek, Utah, served as a public record over generations, with art from multiple cultures.
- The functions of prehistoric works often remain speculative due to lack of written records.
- The Running Horned Woman in Algeria may represent a ritual dancer or goddess; horns often symbolize strength and power.
Techniques and Forms
- Lascaux artists used animal fat as binders, pads of moss, raw color sprayed through hollow bones, and engraved lines.
- Techniques included painting, drawing, and engraving, sometimes combined in one image.
- Early pottery, such as from Susa, Iran, features highly stylized, geometric animal forms.
- Lapita pottery from Oceania was decorated by incising wet clay and applying colored slips.
Content and Context
- Lascaux images lack formal focal points, showing overlapping animals painted over centuries.
- Neolithic cave art from Algeria shifted content as climate changed, reflecting daily pastoral life and supernatural elements.
- Susa pottery reflects the environment and social structure of emerging agricultural societies.
- The camelid sacrum in the shape of a canine and the Ambum Stone show a mix of ritual, utility, and naturalistic or stylized animal forms.
- Lapita pottery shards reveal geometric rhythms and occasional stylized human faces, possibly for domestic use rather than ceremonial.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Shamanistic trance — altered state possibly induced by rituals/art for spiritual purposes.
- Contour line — a line that defines the outline of a form.
- Iconography — the use of images and symbols to represent ideas or groups.
- Totemic — symbolic association with a clan's emblematic animal or object.
- Slip — liquid clay applied to pottery for color.
- Incising — cutting or carving into a surface for decoration.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Write down identifiers for each discussed work.
- Complete a visual analysis of the upcoming required work.
- Watch related video clips as assigned.