Prehistoric/Stone Age Art
Prehistoric / Stone Age Art
25,000 – 2,000 B.C.E.
T
he study of pre-historic man and his ancient
remains began only about 200 years ago, and
“Stone Age” man was so named because of the wealth
of stone tools, weapons and figures found by anthropologists at ancient living sites. Although remains of
early man have been found on all continents (except
Antarctica), the focus of this unit is the early man who
lived in northern Europe during the Ice Age, from
about 40,000 to 2,000 B.C.E. He was a nomadic hunter,
dependent on animals for food, shelter, clothing, and
tools. His art is fascinating not only for its beauty, but
also for the clues it gives us about the man who created it so long ago.
The first art objects were created out of an attempt to
control or appease natural forces. Stone Age man created three main types of art—cave paintings, statues
and engravings—which pictured stylized symbols of
animals and people that were believed to have supernatural significance and magic powers. The style of art
evolved very slowly over thousands of years from simple, monochromatic outlines of animal heads to multicolored, full-length figures that suggest movement.
Why did pre-historic man make art? Whether it was
magic, or narrative storytelling, or for historical recordkeeping, we may never know its true purpose. We can
only marvel at the rare beauty that Stone Age man was
able to create.
Vocabulary
Fertility Symbol—Also called “Venuses,” fertility
symbols were female figurines with plump or exaggerated proportions likely created to enhance the fertility of the tribes or to insure the abundance of food
and game.
Pictographs—A picture representing a work or an
idea; picture writing.
Relief Sculpture—A picture made by cutting or
scratching into a surface, so that it projects out from,
and is attached to, a flat background.
Stylize—To use a simplified form to graphically represent a real object.
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This Month in
Art Literacy
Art Elements
Line—Line is a mark made by a pointed tool—brush,
pencil, stick, pen, etc.—and is often defined as a moving dot. A line is created by the movement of a tool and
pigment, and often suggests movement in a drawing or
painting. Contour lines outline the edges of forms and
shapes and actually describe shapes and forms in the
simplest way. Gestural lines indicate action and physical movement. Stone Age man used both contour and
gestural lines in their paintings of animals.
Color—The sensation resulting from reflection or
absorption of light by a surface. Color has three properties: hue, which is the name of the color; value, which
is the lightness or darkness of the color; and intensity,
which refers to the purity of the hue. Stone Age man
used colors found naturally in the environment, such as
black, browns, reds, and yellows, derived from natural
sources, such as charcoal, minerals and animal blood.
Early cave paintings were monochromatic—done in
different shades and tints of one color. Later works
became polychromatic—painted in many different colors.
Art Principles
Emphasis—Artists create dominance and focus in
their works by the use of emphasis. Emphasis exists
when one element in a work of art differs from the others. Emphasis can be created by contrasting elements
(large and small shapes played against each other, dark
and light colors used together); by isolating elements
(separating one item from a group of elements); or by
exaggerating the scale (or size) of different elements.
Visual emphasis was achieved by Stone Age artists
through contrasting, isolating or exaggerating color,
value, and shape in their simple works of art.
Movement—Visual movement is used by artists to
direct viewers through their work, often to focal areas.
Such movement can be directed along lines, edges,
shapes and colors within the works, but moves the eye
most easily on paths of equal value. Movement can
also be suggested by the repetition of figures.
Additionally, movement is influenced by our experience and memory, which tells us that some things move
and some do not. There is suggested movement in the
animal cave paintings of Stone Age man created with
the use of line, position, and the repetition of figures.
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Prehistoric/Stone Age Art
S
cientists know that humans have inhabited the
earth for hundreds of thousands of years. The
term “Stone Age” is used to designate the period in
prehistory when people used stone, rather than metal
tools. The prehistoric, or Stone Age, people date from
about 40,000 B.C.E., when massive ice sheets covered most of Europe. Around 2,000 B.C.E., a more
temperate climate resulting from the receding glaciers
allowed early man to develop a more settled society.
Remains of prehistoric living sites have been discovered on all continents except Antarctica.
During the early Stone Age, people were nomadic
hunters, dependent on animals for food, clothing,
shelter and tools. Because these primitive people
lived before the development of written language,
they created another form of communication: the
visual arts. Many examples of sculpture, painting,
architecture and other arts have survived over thousands of years providing insights into the lives of their
makers. Although there is no way to be sure, it is
thought that the art of Stone Age people was used in
special ceremonies to ensure bountiful game during
the hunt, and for fertility and proliferation of the tribe.
Stone Age people created three main types of art: cave
paintings, statues, and engravings. The style of art
evolved slowly over thousands of years from simple,
monochromatic outlines of hands and animal heads,
to multi-colored, full-length figures that suggest
movement, volume and depth. Perspective, however,
was not accomplished. Subjects were placed next to
and above each other. Over time, paintings were actually superimposed over earlier ones suggesting generations of people used the same caves. This also suggests that once the painting was finished and the ceremony was over, the painting had no further value
or purpose.
The earliest cave art that has been found dates back to
34,000 B.C.E. Most cave art has been found in
Europe, although a few examples have been found in
Asia, Africa and Australia. Typically, the paintings are
found deep within the caves, far removed from the
area of the caves where people lived. In some cases,
art chambers are located as far as a mile from the
entrance of the cave. Some art chambers are accessible only by crawling through very narrow passages.
Because of their extremely inaccessible locations
deep within the caves, it can be assumed that secrecy
was desired adding to the theory that this type of art
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Background
had a magical ceremonial purpose. Also, the remoteness of the art within the caves has served to preserve
it by protecting it from the elements.
The study of primitive cultures in recent years (such
as Australia’s Aborigines) has also given insight into
the motivation behind Stone Age art. Much like the
American Indian, Stone Age people had a deep reverence for the natural forces that ruled their world, particularly for the animals on which they were dependent for food, clothing and shelter. The principal subjects of the cave artists were the creatures of the hunt:
auroch (wild cattle), stag, ibex, wild horse, bear, wild
boar and others. There are almost no examples of
human figures in the cave paintings of the Paleolithic
Period (from the Greek paleo-, “old,” and lithos,
“stone”). However, human hand prints appear frequently amid the paintings: positive images (made by
painting within a shape); and negative images (made
by painting around a shape). These positive and negative hand prints are thought to be some form of identification for particular clans.
The act of creating the cave paintings, and the supposed ceremony that went with it, seems to have had
more significance than the finished work. Stone Age
man may have believed that the magic was in the
process of painting itself, and once completed the pictures may have lost much of their value. This could
help to explain why many paintings are superimposed
on older ones and why there does not seem to be any
systematic regard for composition.
Because of the skill evident in the paintings, it is
thought that the tribes had a few master artists who
created the paintings. The paintings were created by
torch or stone lamp light. In some cases the paintings
are done on the ceilings of the caves and required the
use of scaffolding. Cave people had only the simplest
tools to work with, usually made of stone and other
readily available materials. Carving or engraving
tools were usually made of flint. Color could be
applied with the use of fingers, lumps of colored minerals, feathers, animal hair paint brushes, straws, hollow reeds or hollow bones through which to blow
paint. Paints were made from colored soil and minerals which were often ground into a powder and mixed
with water, urine or animal fat to form a liquid or
paste consistency. The colors used were primarily
those naturally occurring in earthen materials—
blacks, browns, reds and yellows.
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Prehistoric/Stone Age Art
The mastery of the cave artists of the later Paleolithic
period (15,000 to 10,000 B.C.E.) can be seen in their
remarkable use of line and color. In some cases, the
paintings are quite large (some characters are 20 feet
long) and are done on irregular surfaces. It would
have been impossible for the artists to see the head of
the animal while painting the tail. In some cases,
artists used the natural contours of the caves to suggest the shape of some part of the animal, resulting in
a sort of painted relief sculpture. There is also a sense
of movement of the animal characters, achieved by
the repetition of figures.
Although human forms were not found in the early
cave paintings, the female form was often represented
in small hand-held carvings or sculptures called
“venuses.” These figurines had no facial features, no
arms, and legs that usually came down to a point. The
emphasis of these figures was on the reproductive
capacities of women, with stylized, exaggerated representations of the female form. It is thought that
these figures were created to enhance the fertility of
the tribes.
Background
Bibliography:
Places in Time: Exploring Prehistoric Europe, by Chris
Scarre, ©1998 Oxford University Press, Oxford, England
Early Europe: Mysteries in Stone, by the Editors of TimeLife Books, ©1995 by Time Life Books, Alexandria,
Virginia
The Annotated Mona Lisa, A Crash Course in Art History
from Prehistoric to Post-Modern, by Carol Strickland,
Ph.D., ©1992 by John Boswell Management, Inc., Andrews
and McMe el, a Universa l Press Syndicate C ompany,
Kansas City
Prehistoric Art: Slide Guide, by Dorinda Davis, ©1998
Universal Color Slide Co., Sarasota, Florida
The art of prehistoric or “Stone Age” man offers
intriguing clues into the character of early humans.
The answers to the question “why did they create their
art?” are uncertain. But the descendants of these early
people later built great stone structures, such as
Stonehenge. They learned to use copper and later
bronze—the metal that gave name to the “ Bronze
Age,” the period from roughly 3,000 to 800 B.C.E.
They became less nomadic and began to farm and
domesticate animals, enabling them to settle and form
communities. They developed methods of writing and
measurement, and the era of pre-history ended when
they began to keep written historical records. These
descendants of prehistoric or “Stone Age” man were
the builders of modern European civilization.
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Prehistoric/Stone Age Art
Scanning
Questions
Scanning Slide
Cave Painting, Left Wall, Hall of Bulls
c. 15,000 —10,000 B.C.E., Lascaux Cave,
Dordogne, France
Art Elements: What you see.
Line
•
•
What kinds of lines do you see in this cave painting? (Contour lines and gestural lines.)
How has the artist used contour lines and gestural lines? (He used contour lines to define the shapes of the
animals, and gestural lines to suggest movement.)
Color
•
•
Where do you see examples of monochrome? (The solid black and brown horses at the bottom of the wall.)
Where do you see examples of polychrome? (The horse in the center, with his black head and mane and
shades of brown through the body.)
Art Principles: How the elements are arranged.
Emphasis
•
•
Why does the animal on the right side of the wall have emphasis? (Because of his size and isolation from
the other animals.)
What gives the “Unicorn” on the left side its emphasis? (Its coloration is unique and not found on any of the
other animals on this wall.)
Movement
•
•
What gives us the sense that these animals are moving? (Their legs are realistically extended as they would
be if in motion.)
How does repetition help add to the sense of motion? (It implies the movement of a herd, which would be in
motion across the countryside.)
Technical Properties: How it was made.
•
•
What did the artist use to create this? (Crushed minerals and pigments mixed with water or animal fats,
possibly using their own fingers to apply the paint, or using brushes made from twigs or hair.)
How did the natural shape of the cave wall affect the painting? (The bulging limestone above limited usable
wall space. A smaller usable space on the left side gave only enough room for painting small animals, while a
larger usable space was available on the right for larger images.)
Expressive Properties: How it makes you feel.
•
•
What do you think life was like for the artists who painted these animals?
What would you feel like if you had to paint this scene in a cold dark cave, without any heat or electric
lights?
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Prehistoric/StoneAge Art
Slide Images
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Prehistoric/StoneAge Art
1.
Slide List
Entrance to Lascaux Cave
Dordogne, France, photo c. 1940
The Lascaux (pronounced “las CO”) Cave was discovered in September, 1940, by four
young men who were hunting in the area. The romantic version of the story is that their dog
disappeared down a hole full of brambles. After a time, when the dog did not reappear, the
dog’s owner volunteered to go down the hole himself. Once inside, what he found was a vast
underground chamber full of thousands of engravings and paintings on the walls. (The truth
of the story is that the young man had actually discovered the hole several days earlier, but
covered it up until he had time for a more thorough exploration. When he returned on that
day with his friends, he was armed with an improvised lamp and some rope.)
Today the Dordogne (pronounced “dor DOAN”) region of France, where Lascaux is situated, is a pleasant countryside of rolling hills, meadows and woodlands, but 17,000 years ago,
Lascaux lay in a cool, dry setting that was harsh and inhospitable. The people who lived in
this area were nomads, following the seasonal migrations of fish and game animals. The
limestone geology of the region formed many caves and rock overhangs that provided
improvised shelter for these nomadic people, although it is not believed that the creators of
the cave paintings actually lived in the areas where the paintings were found. The art works
were found deep in the cave, nearly 80 feet from the entrance and far from natural light.
What do you think
this person will find
when he enters
the cave?
The Lascaux cave was painted around 17,000 years ago, a fact confirmed by the radiocarbon dating of charcoal recovered from sediments on the cave floor. The charcoal is presumed to have come from lamps and torches that were brought into the cave to light its dark
recesses, but it was also a source of pigment for the black outlines on the paintings themselves.
2.
View of the Main Hall, Lascaux Cave
Dordogne, France
The Lascaux Cave is an underground gallery formed by natural processes in the limestone
bedrock. The view in this slide shows the Main Hall, also known as the “Hall of Bulls.” This
chamber is approximately 100 feet long and 32 feet wide. Pre-historic man must have used
a scaffolding to paint the images on the limestone ceiling. Even from this view, we can identify the skill and accuracy of the artists who used line and color to create these painted animals.
No fewer than 158 lumps of coloring materials have been found at several places within the
cave. The bulk of them were black, followed by yellows, reds and white. The colors were
created by crushing readily available minerals into a powder by using stone pestles and mortars, and then mixing them with water to form a paste or liquid.
What colors can
you find in this
painting?
Fun Fact: News of the discovery of the cave in 1940 spread like wildfire, but proper scientific exploration did not begin until after the end of World War II. In 1948, Lascaux was
opened to the public, and for fifteen years it was a popular tourist destination. By 1963 the
pressure of visitors was having a seriously harmful effect on the cave’s environment, raising
the temperature and humidity, encouraging the growth of green algae which began to invade
some of the painted surfaces. The decision was made to close the cave for its own preservation, allowing access only to scholars. However, the French authorities successfully created a
facsimile nearby, known as Lascaux II. Built of concrete and sunk into an abandoned quarry,
it is a painstaking replica of the most famous sections of Lascaux Cave. It is open to tourists.
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Prehistoric/StoneAge Art
3.
Slide List
Cave Painting, Left Wall, Hall of Bulls
c. 15,000-10,000 B.C.E., Lascaux Cave, Dordogne, France
This detail from the Hall of Bulls shows the left wall and ceiling of the chamber from a
better vantage point. Painted high off the cave floor, early man must have used scaffolding to create these images.
The images on this wall overlap each other, and likely were painted at intervals over a
period of hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The largest images are the aurochs (wild
cattle) created by black contour lines. Over these large figures have been painted a number of horses, two of them large and polychromatic, and the rest smaller and solid brown.
All the animals on the left and center are faced towards the right, with their front and rear
legs extended in positions of movement. The repetition of images also suggests movement—we can almost see the herd moving across the countryside.
What makes
you feel that
the animals
are moving?
Although the prehistoric artists likely never intended it, the outline of the auroch on the
right is emphasized because of its size (approximately 11-1/2 feet long), and its isolation
(few other paintings were superimposed over it). The image at the far left also receives
visual emphasis because of the horseshoe shaped markings on its flanks, a coloration that
is different from any of the other paintings on this wall (this creature has become known
as the “Unicorn,” although it clearly has two long, straight horns, which also sets it apart
from the other animals in this grouping).
4.
Cave Painting Detail: First Bull with Red and Brown Horses,
Hall of Bulls
c. 15,000-10,000 B.C.E., Lascaux Cave, Dordogne, France
In this detail, a closer view of the outlined auroch and polychromatic horse from the center of the wall can be seen. Black contour lines define the shape of the creatures, with
color used to create the entire body of the horses. The size and unpainted outline of the
auroch give it emphasis, making it stand out even though the solidly painted animals are
superimposed over its body. The legs of all the animals are extended in poses of obvious
movement.
5.
Where do you
see black
contour lines?
Cave Painting Detail: Frieze of Little Horses
c. 15,000-10,000 B.C.E., Lascaux Cave, Dordogne, France
At another site in the cave can be found the Frieze of Little Horses, from which this detail
is taken. The artist’s contour lines clearly define the recognizable shapes of horses, including details such as ears and manes. The bodies of the animals have been infilled with a
brown earthy color, and the legs of the horses once again are extended, implying movement.
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Why don’t
these horses
look like they are
standing still?
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Prehistoric/StoneAge Art
6.
Slide List
Cave Painting, Running Horse
c. 15,000-10,000 B.C.E., Lascaux Cave, Dordogne, France
This view of a running horse demonstrates the skill of the prehistoric artist. Although not
in perfect proportion, the animal has still been clearly drawn, from his head and hoofs to
his tail. The black contour outline of the horse has been infilled with color—dark brown
on the rump and lighter brown through the body—giving the horse realism. Small detail
lines across the stomach suggest the horse’s shaggy coat.
The lines of the horse’s front legs extend as would occur if the horse was in motion, and
dark diagonal lines across the shoulder further imply movement, suggesting the rippling
muscles on the back of the running horse.
7.
What do the black
lines on the animal’s
back represent?
Cave Painting, Spotted Horses/Human Hands
c. 15,000-10,000 B.C.E., Pech-Merle Cave, Dordogne, France
Handprints have been found in numerous caves in France and Spain, but unlike most animal art, handprints have been found near cave entrances. It is possible they were used as
a form of identification of a clan or tribe. This slide shows the negative images of handprints, where color has been applied, possibly blown through a straw or reed, to leave a
“shadow” of the hand print.
Below the handprints, we see monochromatic, stylized paintings of two spotted horses.
Black contour lines define the shapes of the horses, both of which have solidly painted
heads and necks. The repetition of coloration and the horses faced in opposite directions
combine to suggest movement.
8.
What is the one
color used in this
monochromatic
painting?
Cave Painting, Hands
c. 8,000-3,000 B.C.E., Castellon, Spain
Contrasting with the previous slide, here we see painted hands from a cave painting in
Spain in positive image, where the hand was dipped into color and applied to the wall.
Although we do not know the purpose for the handprints in cave art, they at least convey
a sense of the human who created them and his similarities to today’s modern man.
Do you think
these hand prints
all came from the
same person?
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Prehistoric/StoneAge Art
9.
Slide List
Cave Painting, Deer Hunt
c. 8.000-3,000 B.C.E., Castellon, Spain
By about 7,000 years B.C.E., cave paintings became more sophisticated and more
detailed. This painting from a cave in Spain shows the inclusion of stylized human figures
functioning as agents of their own survival. They are shown wielding weapons of the
hunt—bows and arrows and spears—and successfully striking their animal targets. We
sense the movement of the hunt by the poses of the hunters—the extension of their arms
and legs—and of the animals. Are the animals merely wounded and running, or are they
dead and lying on the ground? No sense of perspective gives us an answer, but we sense
the frenzy of activity between the hunters and animals.
Can you tell if
these animals
are running or
lying down?
The painting was done in monochrome, putting the emphasis on the results of the hunt
rather than the details of the men and animals involved. However, it also appears that the
artist considered the surface of the cave wall as he executed his painting—the whitest
areas of the wall were used as a backdrop for the hunters and a large wounded (or slain)
animal, giving those figures emphasis.
10.
Cave Painting, Head of a Stag
c. 15,000-10,000 B.C.E., Lascaux Cave, Dordogne, France
In this detail of a monochrome image from the Lascaux Cave, we see the head and antlers
of a deer. The antlers are elaborately drawn with simple lines, but hugely disproportionate to the stag’s body, giving them emphasis. Although we do not see the entire animal,
the head and the lines of the back and neck are created with solid color rendering a realistic pose.
Drawn below the stag were geometric symbols and a series of dots— markings that appear
throughout the cave paintings. The meanings of these markings is unknown, but possible
theories include tribal markings of the artist’s clan or tallies of animals seen or killed.
What part of
the animal is
emphasized?
How?
11.
Antler with Carved Bison
c. 15,000-10,000 B.C.E., Lascaux Cave, Dordogne, France
Stone Age art was not limited to paintings on cave walls. It also took the form of carved
objects out of bone, stone and ivory. These carved objects were a more portable form of
art that early man could carry with him in his nomadic travels. These small carved pieces
were likely used in rituals or attributed with supernatural powers.
This example of a carved antler shows a relief sculpture, where the surrounding material
was carved away to a certain depth, forming a background that sets off the image of a
bison. Contour lines define the shape of the bison, and additional etched lines add details.
The shape of the antler may have also suggested the shape of the sculpture, as the artist
covered the entire width of the antler with the sculpted bison’s shape.
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What type of lines
define the carved
bison shape?
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Prehistoric/StoneAge Art
12.
Slide List
Bison Carved from Reindeer Horn
c. 15,000-10,000 B.C.E., from La Madeleine near Les Eyzies, France
In this example, the shape of a bison takes up the entire piece of reindeer horn from which
it was carved. Most likely the artist came upon the piece of horn in this basic shape, and
embellished it with the detailed lines which identify the animal. Again, surrounding material was removed to create the relief sculpture of the bison’s head. This is particularly evident above the bison’s eyes, where the background was carved away to show its second
horn. The overall shape of the piece of reindeer horn itself suggests the bison’s body in
repose, and it also suggests the movement of the bison’s head as it stretches back to lick
its flank.
13.
If you could touch
this relief sculpture,
would it feel flat
or raised?
Woman with Bison Horn, relief sculpture
c.25,000-20,000 B.C.E., Laussel, Dordogne, France
This relief sculpture in stone shows one of many images of the female form found in prehistoric art. Because so many female figures have been found, scholars speculate that prehistoric societies were matriarchal, but others believe that they are merely a reflection of
early man’s preoccupation with perpetuating the cycles of life. Birth, both of humans and
animals, ensured the survival of the tribes. Thus these female figures, with the emphasis
on their exaggerated features, have come to be considered fertility symbols.
The prehistoric artist who created this relief sculpture removed material from the stone to
create the contour lines of her shape. He also captured a sense of movement in her pose—
her arm is held out and up to hold the bison horn in her hand.
How did the artist
create this relief
sculpture?
14.
Venus of Willendorf
carved stone, c. 25,000-20,000 B.C.E., Museum of Natural History,
Vienna, Austria
This figurine from a site in Austria is also believed to be a fertility symbol. Portable figures like this one, called “Venuses,” have been found at ancient living sites. The “Venus”
figurines are stylized representations of female bodies, with the exaggerated proportions
of the figure’s breasts and stomach emphasizing the importance of childbearing to the survival of Stone Age peoples.
Venus of Willendorf is made of stone, with no facial features, tiny arms, and the legs
tapered to a point, allowing the sculpture to be stuck into the floor. The contour lines of
her exaggerated shape created a stylized representation of a female figure, emphasizing
the parts of her body associated with motherhood. Because traces of red ochre pigments
have been found on its surface, suggesting that it was originally painted, it is presumed
that color was incorporated into this small, portable figurine.
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Is this sculpture
realistic or stylized?
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Prehistoric/StoneAge Art
15.
Slide List
Stonehenge
c. 2,000 B.C.E., Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England
As the glaciers receded, and the Stone Age gave way to the Bronze Age, early man could
be less nomadic and establish more permanent settlements. They began to construct stone
dwellings and ceremonial monuments out of huge stones that, in some cases, were transported over long distances. Monuments so constructed are known as megalithic (from the
Greek mega-, “large,” and lithos, “stone”) architecture. Of all the megalithic monuments
in Europe, the one that has stirred the imagination most strongly is Stonehenge, in southern England.
Stonehenge is a circle of large, freestanding stones, surrounded by a ditch with built-up
embankments. It was repeatedly reworked to incorporate new elements, and the construction process is believed to have been accomplished through four major building phases
from about 2750 to 1500 B.C.E. In the earliest stage, its builders dug a deep circular ditch,
and used the material removed from the ditch to form an embankment over 6 feet high.
Digging through the turf, they exposed a chalk substratum that is characteristic of this part
of England. Within the ditch a brilliant white chalky circle about 330 feet in diameter was
created. An “avenue” from the circle led outside the embankment to a pointed sandstone
megalith some distance removed. Called the “heel stone,” this megalith stands about 16
feet high, weighs about 35 tons, and was brought from a quarry 23 miles away from the
Stonehenge site.
Do you think any
one stone is more
important than
another in this
isolated arrangement?
Later construction stages saw the horseshoe-shaped arrangement of five trilithons (pairs
of upright stones, topped by a horizontal lintel). This group was then surrounded by a circle of smaller sandstone uprights, capped by a continuous lintel secured by mortise and
tenon joints (a conical projection from the upright fitting in a hole on the underside of the
horizontal piece).
Stonehenge has obvious emphasis because of it’s isolation. No other structures, ancient
or modern, have been built near its site to detract from its solitary and mysterious position
in the middle of open countryside.
The mystery of Stonehenge is not only the transportation of such huge stones from a distance away to this site, or the sophisticated construction techniques used. Because its orientation is clearly related to the movement of the sun (a dawn visitor to Stonehenge on
the summer solstice can stand in the center and see the sun rise directly over the heel
stone), some scholars think it might have been an observatory, helping early astronomers
track cosmic events. Anthropologists believe Stonehenge was an important site for major
public ceremonies. Whatever its function, Stonehenge continues to fascinate to this day.
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Prehistoric/StoneAge Art
Hands-on Project
Stone Age Drawing
Goal
To create a stylized line drawing of cave animals in motion using earth colors simulating the look and feel of the
cave surface.
Criteria
•
•
Outline the animal contour in black.
Show animal in movement.
Materials
•
•
•
•
Fine grained sandpaper
Off-white or tan construction paper
Crayons (black, brown, red, yellow and orange only)—Crayola® Crayons are specified for this project
Examples of cave animal drawings
For Ironing Station (executed by parent volunteers only!)
•
•
•
Iron
Old bath towel
Oven mitt
Procedure
1. Use black crayon to draw the contour lines of an animal on the sandpaper.
2. Go over the lines again to make them thick and dark.
3. Highlight some areas of the body with the other colors. Press hard with the crayon to apply the color very
thickly.
4. Add details with heavy black line.
5. [Parent volunteers] heat iron to medium hot (no steam). Lay out the bath towel on a flat ironing surface.
6. Lay the blank sheet of construction paper on the towel. Position the sandpaper on the construction paper with
the drawing side down.
7. Keeping the papers stationary, iron the image onto the construction paper for about 5 seconds using firm
pressure and slight motion.
8. Lift off the sandpaper to reveal the transferred image. (NOTE: the image will not transfer well if the crayon has
not been applied very thickly. Make sure students really apply the crayon with heavy strokes.)
9. Consider mounting both pieces together or separately for display. Another suggestion would be to create a
mural by ironing all images onto one large mural paper.
Note: Having the students draw their image on the sandpaper gives them the experience of drawing on a textured
surface, such as the wall of a limestone cave. Ironing the image onto a piece of construction paper leaves an imprint
that more closely simulates the look of the ancient cave paintings today. The images can also be ironed onto white
cloth (such as muslin). If the ironing step is not desired, this project can be modified to eliminate that step.
Revised 5/03
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