Origins Of Human Art

Paul Furler

Hist: C061

Sect 003

Prof. Spodek

Origins of Present Human Expression

Homo sapiens sapiens appeared on Earth as early as 120,000 years ago and are still existent in the present day. The earliest discovery of anatomically modern Homo sapiens sapiens (wise wise human) occurred in Africa, which connects Africa to the origin of their existence. "Unlike their predecessors, Homo sapiens sapiens developed forms of symbolic expression, apparently spiritual and cultural in nature, including burial rituals and artwork that is stunningly beautiful and creative." (Spodek 21) The element of expression has remained constant throughout the entire history of Homo sapiens sapiens in various forms of artwork.

Artwork is rare and disputed dating back before 35,000 B.P.. The artwork composed of beads, pendants and incised animal bones. A few of the earliest discoveries of art includes stylized ocher paintings of human beings, dated approximately 25,000 years ago in Tanzania; some figurines and wall paintings, from as early as 30,000 B.P. in Europe; and a series of rock paintings, dating back perhaps 20,000 B.P. in Australia. (Spodek 29) Early European artwork climaxes in approximately 17,000-12,000 B.C.E. which is known as the Magdalenian period. During this period many of the tools used were fashioned to be beautiful as well as practical. Figurines were created with delicately carved features such as the face and hair. These versions of portable art express a desire for beauty and to create and enjoy beautiful things. Other portable art neglects the face and personal features and instead focus on and exaggerate sexual organs and buttocks. These details support the theory that figurines were created as fertility charms rather than representations of beauty. (Spodek 30)

Cave painters primarily used ocher and other natural pigments to produce colors and shades of red, brown, yellow, and manganese oxides for black. European caves rarely depicted images of people; although, in many of these caves, outlines of human hands have been stenciled onto the walls. (Spodek 30) Large animals such as bison, deer, oxen, and horses were very common among European cave paintings. Mammoths, lions, fish, and even some fantasy creatures appear occasionally in these caves, also. However it is not clear how these pigments were applied, but the most common guess is that they were chewed and either spat or blown through a pipe onto the walls. (Spodek 31)

The meaning of these pre-historic cave paintings is not clear. The first popularly accepted interpretation was that the cave paintings were a type of blessing to bring good fortune to the hunters of the animals depicted in the painting. Another theory behind the paintings is that they were created to represent a hope for their fertility so that prey for the hunters may be abundant. Lastly, a popular interpretation suggests that these caves were a meeting place which neighboring bands returned to annually to arrange