The Ancient World
The art of expression can be traced back to early time periods in which simple cave men spat paint upon the walls. Some would argue that modern art is sometimes no better; however, this archaic art form allows us to get a glimpse into our ancestors. The first period that left us hints into their world was the Paleolithic Period which lasted about from about 40,000-8,000 BC. Cave drawings are characteristic of the Paleolithic Period, also known as the Old Stone Age. Drawings found in Lascaux, France show exaggerated bulls superimposed upon one another to show supposed depth perception. Simple sculptures are also found from the Paleolithic period. The objects found are usually pregnant women with enlarged breasts and thighs, which were perhaps used for their magical qualities to ease childbirth. The next period, called the Neolithic, or New Stone Age, lasted from about 8000-2300 BC. Starting in the New Stone Age, man started to change earth to accompany him, which is seen at the famous Stonehenge. This megalithic sculptures are the earliest of architecture and show the mysticism and knowledge the ancients possessed, fo
The Sumerians also penned down their religion which gives us insight into ancient beliefs. The Aryans' vedas, religious prayers and hymns, are some of the oldest surviving religious texts. r the stones are arranged in astronomical positions. Their writing, called cuneiform, was used to records contracts and track money, since Mesopotamia was such a booming metropolis at the time. Then in around 1500 BC, foreigners named Aryans took over the area and forced their culture and most of all their religion on the lands people. All of the arts that lasted in the Egyptian era were religious related. So to learn modern humans we must look at where we came from and how we preserved through those times. The earliest view of civilization is seen in ancient Mesopotamia. Like most cultures, the religion shaped most of the Egyptian culture. With the exception of Akhenaten, most pharaohs supported a conservative and restrained lifestyle. Their temples, large stepped pyramids called ziggurats were often made of brick and were used as alters many times. Before even the Egyptians, the Sumerians ruled the world. Their cities amassed great wealth from the pirating missions that brought back huge bounties. The Mycenaean civilization greatly differed from the Minoans. They say that 'history repeats itself,' which is the reason why humans repeat themselves too.
Common topics in this essay:
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BC China,
Tigris Euphrates,
Indus Valley,
Stone Age,
Lascaux France,
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Ancient World,
Minoans Mycenaeans,
Hinduism Buddhism,
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minoan civilization,
shang dynasty,
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