Prehistoric Art and Archaeology

Objective: Explain prehistoric visual culture and cave imagery, distinguish their meanings, and apply them to a described case.

Prehistoric visual culture: Prehistoric visual culture includes varied objects and images from periods without relevant written records. Cave imagery: Cave imagery places marks or representations on rock surfaces in diverse settings. Ancient objects survive unevenly and often outside their original settings. Archaeological context, material evidence, and comparison help establish chronology and possible functions, while uncertainty may remain substantial. Visual conventions are choices within particular traditions rather than failures to imitate modern photographic realism. Greek and Roman reception also changed over time. Avoid assigning a single purpose to all prehistoric art or treating ancient cultures as interchangeable. Application: A cave image is studied through material and archaeological context. This most directly illustrates prehistoric visual culture. A viewer examines animal forms alongside placement and technique. This most directly illustrates cave imagery.

Objective: Explain portable object and archaeological context, distinguish their meanings, and apply them to a described case.

Portable object: A portable object can be moved and used outside a fixed architectural setting. Archaeological context: Context records where and with what material a work was found. Ancient objects survive unevenly and often outside their original settings. Archaeological context, material evidence, and comparison help establish chronology and possible functions, while uncertainty may remain substantial. Visual conventions are choices within particular traditions rather than failures to imitate modern photographic realism. Greek and Roman reception also changed over time. Avoid assigning a single purpose to all prehistoric art or treating ancient cultures as interchangeable. Application: A small carved figure differs from a wall image. This most directly illustrates portable object. An interpretation considers associated deposits and tools. This most directly illustrates archaeological context.

Objective: Explain dating uncertainty and purpose uncertainty, distinguish their meanings, and apply them to a described case.

Dating uncertainty: Dating uncertainty reflects limits in the method and the material dated. Purpose uncertainty: Purpose uncertainty acknowledges competing explanations when evidence is incomplete. Ancient objects survive unevenly and often outside their original settings. Archaeological context, material evidence, and comparison help establish chronology and possible functions, while uncertainty may remain substantial. Visual conventions are choices within particular traditions rather than failures to imitate modern photographic realism. Greek and Roman reception also changed over time. Avoid assigning a single purpose to all prehistoric art or treating ancient cultures as interchangeable. Application: A report distinguishes an estimate from an exact calendar year. This most directly illustrates dating uncertainty. A lesson does not assert one ritual meaning as proven for every cave image. This most directly illustrates purpose uncertainty.