Question

3.2 art history 101
painting, in western europe and the near east, left the caves and cliffs for good, and became a purely decorative element. the finds of çatal hüyük, an ancient village in modern turkey, show lovely wall paintings (including the world’s earliest known landscape), dating from c. 6150 bc.
as for pottery, it began replacing stone and wood utensils at a rapid pace, and also become more highly decorated.
what are the key characteristics of neolithic art?

• it was still, almost without exception, created for some functional purpose.
• there were more images of humans than animals, and the humans looked more, well, human.
• it began to be used for ornamentation.
• in the cases of architecture and megalithic constructions, art was now created in fixed locations. this was significant. where temples, sanctuaries and stone rings were built, gods and goddesses were provided with known destinations. additionally, the emergence of tombs provided unmoving, “visit - able” resting places for the dearly departed - another first.

(image of stonehenge, c. 3,000 b.c.e., salisbury plain, england)
side note: at this point, dear reader, “art history” typically begins to follow a prescribed course: iron and bronze are discovered. ancient civilizations in mesopotamia and egypt arise, make art, and are followed by art in the classical civilizations of greece and rome. after this, we hang out in europe for the next thousand years, eventually moving on to the new world, which subsequently shares artistic honors with europe. this route is commonly known as “western art”, and is often the focus of any art history/art appreciation syllabus. it is both acceptable (if not ideal) and the route we will take here for the time being.
however, the sort of art that has been described in this article as “neolithic” (i.e. stone age; that of pre - literate peoples who hadn’t yet discovered how to smelt metals) continued to flourish in the americas, africa, australia and, in particular, oceania. in some instances, it was still thriving in the previous (20th) century. so noted.
directions: answer the following questions about the neolithic age (answers must be 2 - 3 complete sentences).

1. describe life during the neolithic age (new stone age).
2. explain what kind of art was being created during this time.
3. what was the main theme/imagery of neolithic art?
4. what are key characteristics of neolithic art?

art history a
credit 3

Explanation:

1. Describe life during the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age).

During the Neolithic Age, humans transitioned from hunting - gathering to agriculture, settling in villages. They domesticated plants and animals, which led to a more stable food supply. This new way of life also allowed for the development of crafts like pottery and the construction of more permanent shelters.

Neolithic art was mainly functional, with pottery replacing stone and wood utensils and becoming more decorated. There were also wall paintings (like in Çatal Höyük) and megalithic constructions (like Stonehenge). The art often had a decorative or ritual - related purpose, and human figures in art became more realistic.

The main theme of Neolithic art was humans, with more human images than animal ones. The human figures also appeared more human - like (more realistic). Additionally, art was used for functional or ritual purposes, with themes related to daily life, religion, or community practices.

Answer:

During the Neolithic Age, humans shifted from hunting - gathering to farming, settling in villages. They domesticated plants and animals, enabling a more stable food source, and also developed crafts like pottery and built permanent shelters.

2. Explain what kind of art was being created during this time.