Monday, February 13, 2012

Cave Paintings - 35,000 years ago

What are cave paintings?
Beautiful, detailed, and colorful representations found on the inside of cave walls and ceilings
Name several common themes found in cave paintings?
 Large animals such as bison, horses, and deer
Tracings of human hands
Abstract paintings
How were these paintings created (tools, pigments)?
 Made from mixing water, plant juice, animal blood, soil, charcoal, and hematite, a form of iron oxide. Brushes were put together from sticks, stones, leaves, and animal hair
What is the most famous cave painting site? When was it discovered and by whom?
Lascaux is the most famous cave painting site. It was discovered in 1940 by four teenage boys on accident. Cave paintings are about 16,000 years old
Post an example of cave painting(s) from this cave.
 








Why did this cave have to be closed? What was done to satisfy public curiosity?
It was closed in 1963 because the paintings were being damaged by the carbon dioxide emitted from the tourists. French government created Lascaux 2 that is a man made replica made to look like the original
Post an example of cave painting(s) from Altamira cave.

 







In Altamira cave, why do most of the paintings have a red hue?
It is caused by the red clay in the soil
Who discovered this site? How old are the paintings confirmed to be?
 Discovered bu Marceline Sanz De Sautoula and his daughter Maria. It was confirmed to be painted about 19,000 years ago
What is the oldest known cave painting site? When was it discovered and by whom?
Post an example of cave painting(s) from this cave. 










Chauvet- Point Arc which was discovered in the year 1994. Discovered by three speleologists, Eliette Brunell Deschamps, Christian Hillaire, and Jean- Marie Chauvet
What was different about the painting techniques at this site?
Walls were scraped clear of debris and a 3D effect was created by etching around the edges. Found fossilized remains and items such as sticks and small stones which appear to have been fashioned into paint brushes
What is "speleology"?
Speleology is tge study of caves and other karst figures, their makeup, structure, physical properties, history, life forms, and the processes by which they form and change over time
What three reasons do archeologists and historians believe prehistoric man created cave paintings?
To tell a story or recount an event that already happened, as an instructional visual aid to help teach about hunting techniques, created for magical or religious reasons that if an image or desired event were painted it might come true