PREHISTORIC ART PREHISTORIC ART NOTES When Where What

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PREHISTORIC ART

PREHISTORIC ART

PRE-HISTORIC ART NOTES • • • When? Where? What? Why? How?

PRE-HISTORIC ART NOTES • • • When? Where? What? Why? How?

CHRONOLOGY • Prehistoric = before writing • Paleolithic Period (Paleo =old, lithos = stone)

CHRONOLOGY • Prehistoric = before writing • Paleolithic Period (Paleo =old, lithos = stone) • (Ice Age/Old Stone Age) c. 40, 000 – 8, 000 BC Lower, Middle, Upper (most recent) – based on relative position of objects found in the layers of excavation

Lascaux, France Altamira, Spain

Lascaux, France Altamira, Spain

Pre-Historic Cave Art

Pre-Historic Cave Art

Interesting Cave Facts • In 1940, 4 French teenagers accidentally discovered a cave. •

Interesting Cave Facts • In 1940, 4 French teenagers accidentally discovered a cave. • The cave contained more than 600 paintings and 1500 engravings that are carved into the walls. • No one knows why they created these images – maybe magic, stories, religious reasons…. • The most popular animal is the horse, followed by the bison. They are 20, 000 years old. • The images were done in charcoal & animal blood/fat mixed with natural earth pigments • “Lascaux” is pronounced Lascow!

Science and the Cave • In 1948, the Cave was open to daily tours

Science and the Cave • In 1948, the Cave was open to daily tours for thousands of people. • This created a huge problem for the Cave! • The breath of the tourists created carbon dioxide that caused the paintings to deteriorate. • Another problem was carried in by the shoes of the tourists - algae - that began to grow on the walls and cover the paintings. • Calcite crystals also began to cover some of the paintings due to the high temperatures, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels caused by all of the tourists.

Lascaux II • In order to save Lascaux from destruction, the Cave was closed

Lascaux II • In order to save Lascaux from destruction, the Cave was closed to the public in 1963. • In 1983, Lascaux II was opened to the public – technology re-created the original cave and artwork. It is nearby the original site. • Today, only a small number of scientists and researchers are allowed to visit the original Lascaux Cave.

 • Did cave painters live with dinosaurs? • Movies and cartoons often show

• Did cave painters live with dinosaurs? • Movies and cartoons often show early humans and dinosaurs living at the same time. • This is a myth (a popular belief that is false). • The dinosaurs were extinct, or no longer alive, before people lived. The dinosaurs lived 65 million years before humans!

Title: Spotted Horses and Human Hands Date: Horses 25, 000– 24, 000 BCE; hands

Title: Spotted Horses and Human Hands Date: Horses 25, 000– 24, 000 BCE; hands c 15, 000 BCE Medium: Paint on limestone

Title: Hall of Bulls Date: c. 15, 000 BCE Medium: Paint on limestone Size:

Title: Hall of Bulls Date: c. 15, 000 BCE Medium: Paint on limestone Size: length of the largest auroch (bull) 18' Source/Museum: Lascaux Cave, Dordogne, France

Title: Bison Medium: Paint on limestone Size: length approx. 8'3" (2. 5 m) Date:

Title: Bison Medium: Paint on limestone Size: length approx. 8'3" (2. 5 m) Date: c. 12, 500 BCE Source/Museum: Ceiling of a cave at Altamira, Spain