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Guided Tour of Paleolithic and Neolithic Art
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- Periodically I will be creating guided tours each week from various eras of art. Here is the first.-
The tour we will be undertaking will take us into different phases of prehistoric man and his settlements across the globe. The journey will span thousands of years and 5 continents, following man’s movement and progress.
We will begin our tour in South America in the Paleolithic period. Near the Straits of Magellen, in the valley of R’o Chico, we find our first example of prehistoric art from the Paleolithic period.
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The art found in this location would seem to be of a practical nature. One of the notable discoveries in this area are the Fishtail projectile points found in Fell’s cave.The stone carved tools contain intricate detail,
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but the shape also suggests their use in the day to day activities of the prehistoric settlers there.
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We set our course north, opposite the direction that our settlers moved. The first inhabitants of the America’s are believed to have crossed the Bering land bridge between Siberia and Alaska. On our reverse route towards Russia we stop at an area close to the Texas- New Mexico border. Similarly practical works of art are to be found in Blackwater Draw. Stone spears show evidence of our settlers also. The specimen’s recovered here are remnants of the Clovis culture.
The Clovis spears (who were named after a nearby modern town) are also exquisitely crafted but served the very practical purpose of hunting. Man’s migration to the continents of North and South America was one of preservation. The animals that they hunted migrated from Siberia into the new continent and man “followed the food”
Crossing back over the Bering Strait into Russia and moving towards the eastern part of the country, we encounter what could be considered as more superficial art. In the Kapova Cave located in the Ural mountains we find paintings on the cave walls. Along with the similar artifacts of stone tools, the paintings show art that one could imagine was rendered for the purpose of being displayed. The paintings themselves are believed by some to have been a method of communication and hold a greater function then simply “to be seen”.
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On the western border of Asia close to Africa, our next stop in the Paleolithic era is Eynan/Ain Mallaha. Situated near Galilee, the type of art we find here is both practical and beautiful. The stone figures and carvings here were believed to be an essential part of worship to its inhabitants.
Crossing the border into Africa we enter the Paleolithic destination of Wadi Kubbaniya. Located in the country of Egypt artifacts are found in the Wadi (streambed). Various types of tools and stone workings have been found in sand dunes in this area, giving evidence of its prehistoric occupants.
Leaving Africa we enter a new continent but also a new era in prehistoric art. In the country of Italy we enter the Neolithic era in a tomb near the town of Olbia. Coddu Vecchiu, the giant’s tomb, is a structure estimated to have been built circa 2300 BC. The colossal monument takes up an area of 41ft x 33 ft and is built and carved completely from stone.
Our journey comes to a close as we cross further into Europe into England and come across the well known monument of Stonehenge. The task of assembling the large stones into their arrangement was so great that many theories exist about just who could have created them. These theories extend even into the realm of science fiction with notable inclusions of the monument in alien scenarios.
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