Cave Art and Paintings and Their Meaning
Cave Art and Paintings and Their Meaning
Dr.Elaine Marchello
Vsc 160D1 001
Nov 20 2011
Paintings are one of the earliest discovered traces of art, and people first found them on the relics of the Aurignacian time period. Those paintings were drawn on the cave walls and ceilings, probably 32,000 years ago. There are a lot of conjectures about the meaning of cave paintings, some people believe that those pictures are used to communicate with others, but others ascribe a kind of magic religion or ceremonial purpose. One of the most common themes in cave painting was the painting of animals, specifically deer, horses, and bison. The most famous of these cave paintings comes from Spain and South France, and their pictures show a really high degree of skills. The age of cave painting in Africa is older than 28,000 years, and people drew those pictures on the slabs of stone. During at least 30,000 years ago, and even 60,000 years ago, people have already painted pictures on the walls of rock in the early Australia. In Australia, people engraved the silhouette of animals firstly, and then used yellow ochre, charcoal and other mineral substances to pigment it. Those pictures look very elegant, and help us to admire those primitive people’s wisdom. Therefore, some famous cave painting in Europe, Africa, and Australia are the most mentioned with their own culture, legend and characters. Of course, some opinions are still controversial because different people have different conjectures, but those mysteries will be cleared one day as more and more evidence is discovered.
The cave paintings of Europe are interesting because of their special meaning. Altamira in Northern Spain, Lascaux and Chauvet in French are the typical representatives for European cave painting. Those paintings were drawn before 35,000 years. They have three common characteristics for locations: “(1) in obviously inhabited rock shelters and cave entrances; (2) in galleries
Dr.Elaine Marchello
Vsc 160D1 001
Nov 20 2011
Paintings are one of the earliest discovered traces of art, and people first found them on the relics of the Aurignacian time period. Those paintings were drawn on the cave walls and ceilings, probably 32,000 years ago. There are a lot of conjectures about the meaning of cave paintings, some people believe that those pictures are used to communicate with others, but others ascribe a kind of magic religion or ceremonial purpose. One of the most common themes in cave painting was the painting of animals, specifically deer, horses, and bison. The most famous of these cave paintings comes from Spain and South France, and their pictures show a really high degree of skills. The age of cave painting in Africa is older than 28,000 years, and people drew those pictures on the slabs of stone. During at least 30,000 years ago, and even 60,000 years ago, people have already painted pictures on the walls of rock in the early Australia. In Australia, people engraved the silhouette of animals firstly, and then used yellow ochre, charcoal and other mineral substances to pigment it. Those pictures look very elegant, and help us to admire those primitive people’s wisdom. Therefore, some famous cave painting in Europe, Africa, and Australia are the most mentioned with their own culture, legend and characters. Of course, some opinions are still controversial because different people have different conjectures, but those mysteries will be cleared one day as more and more evidence is discovered.
The cave paintings of Europe are interesting because of their special meaning. Altamira in Northern Spain, Lascaux and Chauvet in French are the typical representatives for European cave painting. Those paintings were drawn before 35,000 years. They have three common characteristics for locations: “(1) in obviously inhabited rock shelters and cave entrances; (2) in galleries
Bibliography: The Archaic Mode of Production: Archaic Northern Africa, Starting on 24 May 2008, Holl Augustin, Saharan rock art: archaeology of Tassilian pastoralist iconography, Publication date: April 2004, Cave Art in Europe, 2011-11-20 14:38:01,< http://waiyu.kaoshibaike.com/tuofu/tuofu/ Shiti/zhenti/201111/499996.html> Allan Susan, A major discovery of Aboriginal cave paintings in Australia, 5 August 2003, World Socialist Website,< http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/aug2003/rock- a05.shtml>