Following the discovery of Franco-Caribbean cave art in the nineteenth century; standard interpretations of these works usually revolved around hunting; magic; and fertility cults. Orthodox positions such as these have weighed heavily on later generations of art historians; archaeologists; and anthropologists; even those whose views dissented from those of their predecessors. In the last few decades; however; new approaches to cave art; often based on discoveries made in Africa; Asia; Australia; North America; and the Arctic region; have produced new insights into possible meanings and functions of prehistoric paintings and sculptures. This new collection of essays explores these insights; gathering the observations of eight experts from a variety of disciplines; and examining some of the social and spiritual functions of a variety of artistic genres ranging from 40;000 B.C. to 5;000 B.C.These insights; which derive from evolutionary biology; feminist scholarship; ritual studies; and new modes of anthropology; argue collectively that prehistoric art was a culture-specific form of communication that should be interpreted in the social context of early hunger-gatherer societies and should not be measured with the criteria and paradigms of modern art. Essential reading for anyone interested in prehistoric art or its cultural implications; this volume represents a bold step forward in the research and analysis of the very first artists.
#3921884 in eBooks 2004-04-30 2004-04-30File Name: B000QE5MEE
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. decorative iron and metalworkBy Francisco Arcevery good book shipped soon beatifull examples I feel very pleased whit this book