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Cave Art and Becoming Human

Do Now: Which of the six culture patterns are unique to humans?

Caves were painted in Africa, Asia, Spain, France.

Made from 40,000 BCE to 11,000 BCE

Different locations, different time periods…but the same subject matter and similar “look” How can we explain this?

Mostly animals! Scenes of hunting, of movement

Little human representation No landscape scenes

What does this mean about what was important to this society?

Similarities in Subject Matter

Similarities in the way these paintings looked Animals all seem to have rounded

bellies Legs were thin Outlined in Black Use of the natural cave colors

Artistic Tradition?

Cave painting was a way to represent the world around them and to give order and meaning to their world

That’s what we use culture for today! Modern examples?

Cave painting seems to be a tradition Similar subject matter over a span of 30,000 years

there were long-lasting value and belief systems Painting styles appear similar in all of these caves

common beliefs Evidence of Spirituality?

The Shaft Scene/ religious beliefs? The Unicorn/ common myths Handprint/ritual theory Worshipping animals?

Evidence of a Common Culture!

Finding Cave Art helped anthropologists, archeologists realize that these Ancient Humans were as intellectually sophisticated as we are!

This is the first evidence of humans that not only look like modern humans, but ACT like modern humans as well

Cave Art as a Turning Point!!

The Beautiful Ibex, Niaux

The Shaft Scene, Lascoux

The Hall of Bulls, Lascoux

The Unicorn, Lascoux(Part of The Hall of the Bulls)

Panel of the Dappled Horses