Cave Art Perception And Knowledge

Using the example of prehistoric paintings discovered in the late 19th century in Spain and France Cave Art, Perception and Knowledge inquires into epistemic questions related to images, depicting and perception that this rich material has given rise to. The book traces the outline of the doxa of cave art studies.

Essay from the year 2019 in the subject Archaeology, grade: A, Kenyatta University, language: English, abstract: This essay offers a critical analysis of various explanations that have been suggested for the meaning of European Paleolithic rock art. Rock or cave art has been recorded in Europe, Americas, Africa, Australia and Asia. In Europe, some of the recorded forms of rock art date back some 36000 years ago. However, archaeological findings show that it is until 18000 years ago that the European rock art flourished. This period is linked to the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (22000-19000 years ago) as climatic conditions began to improve i.e. the most critical point of the Ice Age. Nonetheless, Upper Paleolithic rock art disappeared during the transition period between Paleolithic-Mesolithic (12000 years) as Ice Age environmental conditions faded. After over a century of research on cave art, there still exists no consensus on the meanings of these prehistoric arts. Currently, the widely accepted view on interpretation of the Upper Paleolithic art is that most cave images are manifestations of Shamanic rituals mediated through visionary experience of altered states of consciousness. However, the question on how and why art come it being in Upper Paleolithic during the Ice Age remains largely unanswered. Berghaus argued that there is no single answer to the question but rather several layers of answers highlighting the issues and relationships between art and rituals as well as behavioral, social and cognitive issues within the human evolutionary environment.

An archaeological exploration of the mysterious world of cave art through the ages Deep underground, some of humanity’s earliest artistic endeavors have lain untouched for millennia. The dark interiors of caves, wherever they may be found, seem to have had a powerful draw for ancient peoples, who littered the cave floors with objects they had made. Later, they adorned cave walls with sacred symbols and secret knowledge, from the very first abstract symbols and handprints to complex and vivid arrangements of animals and people. Often undisturbed for many tens of thousands of years, these were among the first visual symbols that humans shared with each other, though they were made so long ago that we have entirely forgotten their meaning. However, as archaeologist Bruno David reveals, caves decorated more recently may help us to unlock their secrets. David tells the story of this mysterious world of decorated caves, from the oldest known painting tools to the magnificent murals of the European Ice Age. Showcasing the most astounding discoveries made in more than 150 years of archaeological exploration, Cave Art explores the creative achievements of our remotest ancestors and what they tell us about the human past.

Ernst Cassirer's thought-provoking essay Form and Technology (1930) ascribes to technology a new dignity as a genuine tool of the mind in equal company with language and art. Translated here into English it is accompanied by critical essays that explore its current relevance.

French and Spanish Upper Paleolithic cave art was drawn forty thousand to eleven thousand years ago, and it was motivated by climate change. Kieran D. O’Hara, a geologist and professor emeritus at the University of Kentucky, explains why we know that to be true in this groundbreaking book. His goal isn’t to explore the meaning of cave art but to show why it was done. While many scholars argue that the art depicted in these caves don’t depict the animals of that period, O’Hara argues just the opposite – putting forth the controversial theory that the cave paintings accurately reflect the climate and animals that existed alongside the artists. For far too long, cave art specialists have incorrectly concluded that cave art doesn’t match up with the reality of life at the time because they’ve been comparing archaeological bone remains with cave imagery of a different age. Paleolithic people survived through the most severe swings in climate this planet has experienced in the past two million years, and it was a major factor in what cave artists depicted. Examine the facts, and discover a new interpretation with Cave Art and Climate Change.

Rock art in South America is as diverse as the continent itself. In this vast territory, different peoples produced engravings, paintings, and massive earthworks, from the Atacama to the Amazon. These marks on the landscape were made by all different kinds of peoples, from some of the earliest hunter-gatherers in the continent, to the very complex societies within the Inca Empire. This book brings together the work of specialists from throughout the continent, addressing this diversity, as well as the variety of approaches that the Archaeology of rock art has taken in South America. Constructed of eleven thought-provoking chapters and arranged in three thematic sections, the book presents different theoretical approaches that are currently being used to understand the roles rock art played in prehistoric communities. The editors have skillfully crafted a book that presents the contribution the study of South American rock art can offer to the global research of this materiality, both theoretically and methodologically. This book will interest a broad range of scholars researching in archaeology, anthropology, history of art, heritage and conservation, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students who will find interesting case studies showcasing the diverse ways in which rock art can be approached. Despite its focus on South America, the book is intended as a contribution towards the global study of rock art.

Whitley, one of the world's leading experts on cave paintings, rewrites the understanding of shamanism and its connection with artistic creativity, myth, and religion by interweaving archaeological evidence with the latest findings of cutting-edge neuroscience.

A complex and fascinating question is why do humans have such strong emotional reactions and human connections to art? Why do viewers become scared, even haunted for days, by a movie monster they know doesn't exist? Why do humans become enthralled by distorted figures and scenes that aren't realistic? Why do viewers have emotional attachments to comic book characters? The answer lies in that, while humans know art is human made artifice, they view and decipher art using the same often nonconscious methods that they use to view and decipher reality. Looking at how we perceive reality shows us how we perceive art, and looking at how we perceive art helps show us how we perceive reality. Written by the prominent art historian and philosopher Cycleback, this book is a concise introduction to understanding art perception, covering key psychological, cognitive science, physiological and philosophical concepts.