Question 1, Test 1

The Paleolithic period was the earliest time period in which we have been able to find art. Some notable discoveries from the Paleolithic period include the Woman from Willendorf, Wall Painting with Horses, Rhinoceroses, and Aurochs in the Chauvet Cave, and Bison in Spain. These were cave paintings and sculptures. The sculpture Woman from Willendorf is a very crude sculpture, emphasizing the fertility of women through its proportions. The cave paintings were made from a mix of charcoal and animal fat and have remained preserved for thousands of years, often in air tight caves. After the Paleolithic Period came the Neolithic period in which pieces such as New Grange and Stonehenge were created. These places puzzled archaeologists as they struggled to understand how such places were carved and created with such primitive tools. The next time period in which art was found from, was Sumer. Both in its first and second period. Art from these periods showed the advancement of sculpture and the use of paint to color sculptures such as The Great Lyre with Bull’s Head in Iraq. The Babylon period while under the control of Hammurabi yielded The Stele of Hammurabi in Iran; a detailed carving into stone. Through the Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods one can see the advancement of sculpture and masonry as well as mastering the use of paint on these surfaces. The Egyptians after them continued this advancement of stone as they created great pyramids and the Giant Sphinx. During this time in Crete the “Palace” and the Bull Leaping were created in Crete. The “Palace” inspired by the myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth. In the Helladic culture stone was being used for building and people made jewelry and reconstructions of the face in gold. Through these periods art and architecture has advanced from simple charcoal drawings to painted detailed sculptures and giant buildings that we would struggle to create today.