#AP Art History: Unit 1 - Prehistoric Art 🚀

Hey there, future art historian! Let's get you prepped for Unit 1. This unit covers prehistoric art, and while it might seem like ancient history, it's super important for understanding the foundations of art. We'll go through each work, focusing on the FFCCs (Form, Function, Content, Context) and making sure you're ready to ace those questions.

#🧭 Unit 1 Overview: Global Prehistory

This unit explores art from the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, focusing on how early humans used art for survival, storytelling, and ritual. Remember, this unit lays the groundwork for understanding later artistic developments. This unit is a foundation for understanding human artistic expression and its evolution, so don't skip it!

#🔗 Quick Links

• Apollo 11 Stones
• Great Hall of Bulls
• Camelid Sacrum in the Shape of a Canine
• Running Horned Woman
• Bushel with Ibex Motifs
• Anthropomorphic Stele
• Jade Cong
• Stonehenge
• Ambum Stone
• Tlatilco Female Figurines
• Terra-Cotta Fragment
• Final Exam Focus
• Practice Questions

#🖼️ Works of Unit 1

Let's dive into the artworks, one by one. Remember, it's all about understanding the FFCCs!

# 1. Apollo 11 Stones

Image Courtesy of the State Museum of Namibia.

• Form: Charcoal on stone. 🌑
• Function: Unknown, possibly for storytelling or animal worship. Being portable suggests a nomadic lifestyle.

* **Content:** Depicts a four-legged animal or a **therianthrope** (part human, part animal) in profile. The therianthrope theory suggests a shamanistic connection. * **Context:** Discovered in 1969, named after the Apollo 11 moon landing. One of the oldest known artworks in the world. 🌎

# 2. Great Hall of Bulls

Image Courtesy of Smarthistory.

• Form: Natural pigments on rock. 🎨
• Function: To represent the importance of animals for hunter-gatherers, possibly used in rituals or storytelling.

* **Content:** Depicts various animals, with women gathering and men hunting, showing **stratification of labor** by sex. The large animals show respect and importance. * **Context:** Located deep in a cave, suggesting a sacred or ritualistic space. Overlapping images (**superimposed**) show long-term use by **nomadic** peoples. ⛰️

# 3. Camelid Sacrum in the Shape of a Canine

Image Courtesy of Obelisk Art History

• Form: Carved bone from the sacrum of an extinct camelid. 🦴
• Function: Unknown, possibly representing a canine or fertility due to its location near sexual organs.

* **Content:** Carved to resemble the face of a canine. * **Context:** The sacrum was considered sacred by later Mesoamerican cultures. 🐕

# 4. Running Horned Woman

Image Courtesy of Khan Academy.

• Form: Pigment on rock. 🔴
• Function: Symbolizes survival, the relationship between humans and animals, or a religious figure.

* **Content:** A **pictograph** of a woman in **profile perspective** running, with **animalistic** horns. Covered in white dots, possibly body paint or **ritual scarification**. * **Context:** Located in an elevated, secluded area, possibly a religious sanctuary. Her clothing and accessories are likely **symbolic**. 🏃‍♀️

# 5. Bushel with Ibex Motifs

Image Courtesy of the Louvre Museum.

• Form: Painted terra-cotta. 🏺
• Function: A funerary item, buried with the deceased.

* **Content:** Decorated with animal **motifs**, including an ibex, dogs, and birds. The curved horns of the ibex contrast with the **geometric** designs and linear necks of the birds. * **Context:** Found in Susa, Iran, a Neolithic settlement near a fertile river valley. 🏞️

# 6. Anthropomorphic Stele

Image Courtesy of the National Museum, Riyadh.

• Form: Sandstone. 🪨
• Function: Possibly used for good luck during travel.

* **Content:** An **anthropomorphic** figure (human-like but not human). * **Context:** Found along a trade route, suggesting portability and importance to travelers. 🚶

# 7. Jade Cong

Image Courtesy of OHS APAH.

• Form: Carved jade.💎
• Function: Funerary items, possibly for protection in the afterlife. May represent a connection to nature.

* **Content:** Decorated with lines and circles, believed to be faces of ancestors or religious **deities**, possibly showing **ancestor veneration**. * **Context:** Found in the Yangzi River Delta of China, where agriculture (rice) had begun. 🍚

# 8. Stonehenge

Image Courtesy of Visit Wiltshire.

• Form: Standing sandstone pillars in a post-and-lintel construction. 🗿
• Function: Possibly a burial site or an astronomical observation center/temple for sun worshippers.

* **Content:** Vertical rocks (**posts**) supporting horizontal ones (**lintels**). * **Context:** Built over 500 years, starting in 3100 BCE, during the **Bronze Age** in England. ☀️

# 9. Ambum Stone

Image Courtesy of Khan Academy.

• Form: Greywacke. 🪨
• Function: Possibly religious, as anteaters were considered sacred, or used as a pestle.

* **Content:** Depicts an anteater or echidna, blending human and animal features, showing spiritual elements. * **Context:** Created by settled communities in Papua New Guinea during the Neolithic period. 🐜

# 10. Tlatilco Female Figurines

Image Courtesy of Khan Academy.

• Form: Ceramic. 🏺
• Function: Represents fertility, the importance of females, or used in shamanistic rituals.

* **Content:** Female figurines with two faces, possibly reflecting **dualism**, with exaggerated thighs, hips, and narrow waists. * **Context:** From Tlatilco, existing 2,000-3,000 years before the Aztecs. 👩‍🦰

# 11. Terra-Cotta Fragment

Image Courtesy of OHS APAH.

• Form: Incised terra-cotta. 🏺
• Function: Part of a larger cooking pot, possibly used for storage, cooking, or ritualistic ceremonies.

* **Content:** Decorated with anthropomorphic images created using **dentate stamping**. The human face has linear features contrasting with circular patterns. * **Context:** Created by the Lapita people of the Solomon Islands, known for their pottery. 🐚

# 🎯 Final Exam Focus

Okay, you've made it through all the artworks! Here's what to focus on for the exam:

• High-Value Topics:
  • FFCCs: Know the Form, Function, Content, and Context of each artwork inside and out.
  • Function: Pay special attention to the purpose of the artwork in its cultural context. Why was it made? What did it mean to the people who created it?
  • Materials and Techniques: Be familiar with the materials used (e.g., charcoal, terra-cotta, jade) and the techniques (e.g., post-and-lintel, incising, dentate stamping).
  • Themes: Look for recurring themes like fertility, ancestor veneration, animal symbolism, and the relationship between humans and nature. Understanding recurring themes helps in comparing artworks across different cultures and time periods.
• Common Question Types:
  • Multiple Choice: Expect questions that test your knowledge of specific details about each artwork.
  • Short Answer Questions (SAQs): Be ready to compare and contrast two artworks based on their FFCCs, or to explain the significance of a particular feature.
  • Free Response Questions (FRQs): These often require you to analyze a theme or concept across multiple artworks from the unit.

* **Last-Minute Tips:** * **Time Management:** Don't spend too long on any one question. If you're stuck, move on and come back to it later. * **Common Pitfalls:** Avoid vague answers. Be specific and use art historical terminology. * **Strategies:** Read each question carefully and make sure you understand what it's asking. Plan your responses before you start writing.

# 📝 Practice Questions

Let's test your knowledge with some practice questions!

Practice Question

#Multiple Choice Questions

1. The Apollo 11 Stones are significant for being: (A) The earliest known examples of cave paintings. (B) The oldest known portable works of art. (C) The first artworks to depict human figures. (D) The only examples of Paleolithic art found in Africa.

2. Which of the following best describes the function of the Jade Cong? (A) A tool used for agricultural purposes. (B) A decorative item used in daily life. (C) A funerary object placed in graves. (D) A religious icon used for worship.

3. The Running Horned Woman is believed to symbolize: (A) The domestication of animals. (B) The importance of agriculture. (C) The relationship between humans and nature. (D) The development of early writing systems.

#Free Response Question

Prompt: Compare and contrast the function and context of two different artworks from Unit 1: the Great Hall of Bulls and Stonehenge. In your response, discuss how the function of each work is related to its context.

Scoring Breakdown:

• Thesis (1 point): A clear, defensible thesis that addresses the prompt.
  • Example: While both the Great Hall of Bulls and Stonehenge served important functions within their respective societies, the former was a site for ritual and storytelling within a hunter-gatherer context, while the latter was a monumental structure used for astronomical observation and possibly burial in a more settled agricultural society.
• Great Hall of Bulls (2 points):
  • Function: Ritualistic or storytelling space, possibly for shamanistic practices. The paintings may have been used to teach or to record important events.
  • Context: Located deep within a cave, suggesting a sacred or restricted space. The overlapping images indicate a long history of use by nomadic peoples.
• Stonehenge (2 points):
  • Function: Astronomical observation center, possibly used to mark solstices and other important dates. May have also served as a burial site for powerful members of society.
  • Context: Constructed over a long period, suggesting a complex social structure and a settled agricultural society. The monumentality of the site indicates its importance to the community.
• Comparison and Contrast (2 points):
  • Both sites had important functions within their societies, but the Great Hall of Bulls was more focused on ritual and storytelling, while Stonehenge was more focused on astronomical observation and monumentality.
  • The context of the Great Hall of Bulls is a nomadic hunter-gatherer society, while Stonehenge is a more settled agricultural society.
• Conclusion (1 point): A concluding statement that summarizes the main points of the essay.
  • Example: In conclusion, the Great Hall of Bulls and Stonehenge demonstrate the diverse ways in which prehistoric peoples used art and architecture to express their beliefs and understand their world. The functions of these sites were deeply tied to their contexts, reflecting the different needs and values of their respective societies.

You've got this! Go get that 5! 🌟