ARTIFACTS FROM:STONEHENGE, LASCAUX CAVE & ROCK ART OF ALTA

Grade 8 L.Aguilar

What is Rock Art?

Rock art is a universal visual language which is found in many cultures across the world.

It also takes many forms, Stonehenge and actual cave paintings/drawings.

Cave painting at Lascaux of horse.

Stonehenge

Construction began 5,000 years ago. The current site is only part of the original Stonehenge, which suffered damage from both man and weather. The stones are almost perfectly aligned

with the summer solstice. Archaeologists believe the construction of

Stonehenge was done in three stages, Stonehenge I, II, and III.

Stonehenge cont’d…

Predate any known

religion, built as a place

of worship for Neopagans. The bluestones used, were

thought to have healing

powers. Stonehenge I was used for about 500 years

and then abandoned. Stonehenge III is that circle that we see today

and was started in 2,000 BC. (17 of 30 original stones still stand)

Significance of Stonehenge

Affirms interest in the Cosmos.

Very sophisticated calendar tracking the Moon, Sun, planets, and changes of seasons.

4,000 year old grave of archer was discovered.

About 100 different artifacts Stone arrowheads, rare

gold earrings, and stone tools used for butchering carcasses.

Structure of Stonehenge

Lascaux Cave

Discovered on

September 12, 1940

by four boys named

Marcel, George, Jim,

Simon and a dog, Robot.

Abbe Breuil found evidence that humans lived and occupied caves from the dawn of human existence inside the caverns of Lascaux.

Aurochs at Lascaux

Lascaux Cave Cont’d…

“The sole region of Paleolithic mural paintings”

Used as a “sanctuary” or holy place where people would go to draw what they hoped to be a good hunt, instead of pray for one.

Bulls, bison, and horses and some signs of human or semi-human representations.

The human figures are not as richly defined or carefully executed as is the animal art. Animals were as important to early man as life was.

Significance of Lascaux Cave

Cave men and women were once

thought to be primitive but the cave

drawings at Lascaux proved their

fine motor skills and the fact that they

used paints, tools, and brushes to

make these highly detailed animals.

The Lascaux cave allows scientists to learn more about

the land, people, and culture of the late

Aurignacian period. It has also proven itself to be one of the

greatest finds of this time period.

Painting of Giant Deer

Rock Art of Alta

Consists of five different areas: Hjemmeluft, Kafjord, Amtmannsnes, Storsteinen and Transfarelvdalen.

The position of the paintings and engravings with respect to sea level at

different postglacial periods constitutes a dating technique called reverse stratigraphy.

Herd of elk, with two pregnant

females.

Significance of Alta

One the most important pieces of evidence for human existence.

Glimpses into the past and usually symbolize something that humans today cannot immediately recognize.

Transfarelvdalen Messages in honor of gods, mark an event, or

mark their territory. Kafjord

Rock art was used as a communication system, shamans retrieved the messages and kept the balance of their society.

Lascaux Paintings

Carving with animals in fences, proving domestication of animals in Arctic Scandinavia

Man or shaman communicating or fighting with elk.