How Art Began: Understanding the Thought Processes of Prehistoric People Through the Study of Cave Art and Experimental Archaeology.

Author(s): Lauren Perrino; P. Nick Kardulias

Year: 2015

Summary

Upper Palaeolithic cave art in the Franco-Cantabrian region is associated with some of the first visible, material, and social production processes of anatomically modern humans. Since art is a component of culture, and culture is a component of human evolution, the integration of evolutionary and cultural theories is key in understanding Upper Palaeolithic cave art. The present study inventories the techniques, materials, and image contexts from Chauvet, Lascaux, and Cosquer caves in France, and Altamira cave in Spain. Evidence from these sites show that animal depictions were thoughtfully chosen and placed in certain areas to be seen by future observers. The cave painting process inherently corresponds to limitations of time, space, and necessary equipment or resources. Experimentation with natural pigments and Palaeolithic pigment application techniques links us directly to environmental consciousness of Upper Palaeolithic people; and ultimately, how human adaptation is derived from this consciousness.

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Cite this Record

How Art Began: Understanding the Thought Processes of Prehistoric People Through the Study of Cave Art and Experimental Archaeology.. Lauren Perrino, P. Nick Kardulias. Presented at The 80th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, San Francisco, California. 2015 ( tDAR id: 397685)

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Spatial Coverage

min long: -11.074; min lat: 37.44 ; max long: 50.098; max lat: 70.845 ;