Cave Art
Some 30,000 years ago throughout Europe an artistic crusade began to commence that would later extend it's roots far into the Eastern and Western world. Through the prehistoric art works discovered, future generations are able to analyze and start to piece together the behavioral patterns of early homo-sapiens. The most prevalent, and possibly the most important artwork to be discovered are the cave paintings located throughout the world. Present study and knowledge of this art is confined to works discovered well over 150 sites throughout Europe. While there are little specifics known regarding cave paintings, specialists have carefully analyzed why so much time and effort was spent on each of the works, and have drawn educated conclusions on their possible purposes and functions. The most convincing clue in which cave art provides us is the fact that early homo-sapiens were beginning to end a life of constant roaming, and begin to settle in more permanent societies. One of the earliest known sites of prehistoric cave paintings was discovered in December of 1994. The site became known as the Chauvet Cave and was located near Vallon-Pont-d'Arc in southern France. The cave paintings themsel
Perhaps one of the most peculiar aspects of the Altamira Cave, however, is the fact that the bison were painted on the ceiling of the cave, far out of the reach of modern homo-sapiens. In this period the population of people and animals increased (Life in the. Also, the paintings were located in the deep recesses of caves in the mountains of Northern Spain, far out of the reach of the destructive forces of wind and water (Altamira Cave Paintings). Marilyn Stokstad suggests that, "Even when their poses are exaggerated or distorted, the animals are full of life and energy, and the accuracy in the drawing of their silhouettes, or outlines, is remarkable" (51). One of the most important caves to this region was the Altamira Cave at Altamira, Spain. It also suggests that the cave was used often by the Paleolithic homo-sapiens. Among the animals represented are the wild horse, bison, mammoth, bear, panther, owl, deer, aurochs, woolly-haired rhino, and the wild goat. The early hunters most have known their prey very intimately in order to create the true to life details of the animals- the curve of the horn, the tuft of the tail or mane, the grace of motion- are obviously the result of close observation (Paintings of Animals). The bison are seen gracefully running along the ceiling of the cave. If the caves had served as a ritualistic meeting ground, it would be used on a routine basis by the creators of the art work. Three major sites in Northern Spain were also discovered to have various cave paintings; presumably painted by the Magdalenian people sometime between 16,000- 9,000 BC. Marilyn Stokstad states that, "Many [people] believed that people created art for the sheer love of beauty" (48).
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Acceptance Essays
