Powerpoint Version Lascaux

8/12/2019 Powerpoint Version Lascaux

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Upper Paleolithic Age

Late Stone Age

third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic orOld Stone Age

between 50,00010,000 years ago


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Upper Paleolithic Age

coincides with appearance of behavioural

modernity, before the advent of agriculture

Artistic work blossomed, with... cave paintings,

carvings and engravings on bone or ivory.


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Lascaux and Magdalenians

hunters and gatherers

showed signs of intelligence in the tools thatthey used to hunt, garden, and build

The Magdalenians that settled at Lascaux Cave

discovered an area rich in game and fertile soil


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Lascaux and Magdalenians

The cave provided these people with shelter but

was not their permanent home.

"The Lascaux Man shared our form, our look,

and had what we recognize as creativegenius."


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Images depicted in the cave

Lascaux has 600paintings and 1,500 etchings on

its walls.

2 main types of images:

(1) animals and (2) symbols


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Animals (example)

1. Bison

17 depicted in Lascaux

most famous of which is found at the bottom of the

Shaft

implications: very important in the lives of

Magdalenians

hunted for food, fur, bones, horns, and hooveseverypart of the bison was utilized

important for diet and religion


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Animals (example)

2. Horses

most frequently depicted animals

hard for the Magdalenians to hunt, but once killed

provided these early humans with hide used for shoesand bags and teeth for ornaments

The horse is only depicted in certain areas of the cave

suggesting that it was perhaps a big part in the

religious lives of these people.


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Animals (example)

Other animals: equines, bulls, stags


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Symbols

400 signs and symbols in the cave

Straight linesspear Parallel linesmost frequently depicted

symbol; meaning remained unexplained

Dotsno supported meaning (constellations)

(see site)


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Human form in Lascaux

The Scene of the Dead Man.

Only one human-like form depicted atLascaux.

No depictions of any females.

Common aspect of Upper Paleolithic Art Meaning still obscure to researchers.


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Why?

4 theories:

(1) Art for arts sake theory(2) Death Ritual Theory

(3) Sympathetic magic theory

(4) Religious/Spiritual theory


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Art for arts sake theory

Questions:

Are they just created for the pleasure of being

enjoyed by the viewer?

Are they something that that the Magdalenians

did in their spare time for the purpose of amusing

themselves?

analogous to someone doodling


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Death ritual theory

Death is an important aspect of the life of the

Magdalenians.

It appears as though certain parts of the cave

were used as burial sites.

Theory based on the idea that the mystery of

death inspires man to create.


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Sympathetic magic theory

proposed by one of the leading researchers of

prehistoric art, Abbe Henri Breuil

Basis of theory: artist created the art in an

attempt to put animals under a spell and put

them at the mercy of the hunter.

Animals shown wounded and hurt supports

this idea.


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Religious/spiritual theory

the best explanation for the art

Leroi-Gourhan came up with the idea that the

cave was really a place where religious and

initiation ceremonies were performed.

Decorated sanctuary


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Proofs that strengthen theory:

Cave being private or isolated from the rest of the

world: perfect place to conduct religious and

initiation ceremonies.

Ceremonial artifacts found in some areas of the

cave


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Proofs that strengthen theory:

Fewer footprints and images at the rear of the

cave: suggests that the place was for special

initiations, and thus sacred

"The repetition of similar schemes over several

thousand years suggests the existence of an

enduring, structured religious system bases on

central myths that had been handed down from

generation to generation"


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SIGNIFICANCE

1. The Lascaux cave paintings, or Upper PaleolithicArt, in general, provided evidence for behavioralmodernity.

can be seen in the materials used to paint artisticcreativity

2. Through these early achievements in

representation and abstraction, we see a

newfound mastery of the environment and arevolutionary accomplishment in the intellectualdevelopmentof humankind..


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SIGNIFICANCE

3. Lascaux represents a fine example of the

world's oldest art.

4. The cave paintings provided man a glimpse

into the past and the early peoples way of life.


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SOURCES!

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lasc/hd

_lasc.htm

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobins

on.htm


on.htm


on.htm
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lasc/hd_lasc.htmhttp://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lasc/hd_lasc.htmhttp://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobinson.htmhttp://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobinson.htmhttp://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobinson.htmhttp://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobinson.htmhttp://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobinson.htmhttp://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobinson.htmhttp://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobinson.htmhttp://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobinson.htmhttp://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobinson.htmhttp://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobinson.htmhttp://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobinson.htmhttp://www.ruf.rice.edu/~raar/regions/jrobinson.htmhttp://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lasc/hd_lasc.htmhttp://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lasc/hd_lasc.htm

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