The Paleolithic

Period
College of Architecture and Fine Arts

History of Architecture 1

Jazzphen Ian Sequitin

2018-04544-MN-0
 Introduction
to Paleolithic Period
Paleolithic Architecture

The oldest examples of Paleolithic dwellings are

shelters in caves, followed by houses of wood,
straw, and rock.
KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points
– Early humans chose locations that could be defended against predators and rivals and that
were shielded from inclement weather.
– Weather, water, and time have destroyed the majority of campsites; our understanding of
Paleolithic dwellings is therefore limited.
– Caves are the most famous example of Paleolithic shelters.
Key Terms
– Mammoth:Alarge, hairy, extinct elephant-like mammal of the taxonomic genus Mammuthus.
– Hut:A small wooden shed, a primitive temporary dwelling.
– Paleolithic:Early stage of the Stone Age, when primitive stone tools were used.
The Paleolithic Age, or Old Stone Age, spanned from around 30,000 BCE until 10,000 BCE
and produced the first accomplishments in human creativity. Due to a lack of written
records from this time period, nearly all of our knowledge of Paleolithic human culture and
way of life comes from archaeologic and ethnographic comparisons to modern hunter-
gatherer cultures. The Paleolithic lasted until the retreat of the ice, when farming and use
of metals were adopted.
Paleolithic Societies

A typical Paleolithic society followed a hunter-gatherer economy. Humans

hunted wild animals for meat and gathered food, firewood, and materials for their
tools, clothes, or shelters. The adoption of both technologies—clothing and
shelter—cannot be dated exactly, but they were key to humanity’s progress. As the
Paleolithic era progressed, dwellings became more sophisticated, more elaborate,
and more house-like. At the end of the Paleolithic era, humans began to produce
works of art such as cave paintings, rock art, and jewelry, and began to engage in
religious behavior such as burial and rituals .
Dwellings and Shelters

Early men chose locations that could be defended against predators and rivals
and that were shielded from inclement weather. Many such locations could be found
near rivers, lakes, and streams, perhaps with low hilltops nearby that could serve as
refuges. Since water can erode and change landscapes quite drastically, many of these
campsites have been destroyed. Our understanding of Paleolithic dwellings is therefore
limited.

As early as 380,000 BCE, humans were constructing temporary wood huts .

Other types of houses existed; these were more frequently campsites in caves or in the
open air with little in the way of formal structure. The oldest examples are shelters
within caves, followed by houses of wood, straw, and rock. A few examples exist of
houses built out of bones.
Temporary wood hut: An artist’s rendering of a temporary
wood house, based on evidence found at Terra Amata (in Nice,
France) and dated to the Lower Paleolithic era.
Caves

Caves are the most famous example of Paleolithic shelters, though the number of caves
used by Paleolithic people is drastically small relative to the number of hominids thought to have
lived on Earth at the time. Most hominids probably never entered a cave, much less lived in one.
Nonetheless, the remains of hominid settlements show interesting patterns. In one cave, a tribe
of Neanderthals kept a hearth fire burning for a thousand years, leaving behind an accumulation
of coals and ash. In another cave, post holes in the dirt floor reveal that the residents built some
sort of shelter or enclosure with a roof to protect themselves from water dripping on them from
the cave ceiling. They often used the rear portions of the cave as middens, depositing their
garbage there.

In the Upper Paleolithic (the latest part of the Paleolithic), caves ceased to act as
houses. Instead, they likely became places for early people to gather for ritual and religious
purposes.
Tents and Huts

Modern archaeologists know of few types of shelter used by ancient peoples other
than caves. Some examples do exist, but they are quite rare. In Siberia, a group of Russian
scientists uncovered a house or tent with a frame constructed of mammoth bones. The great
tusks supported the roof, while the skulls and thighbones formed the walls of the tent. Several
families could live inside, where three small hearths, little more than rings of stones, kept people
warm during the winter. Around 50,000 years ago, a group of Paleolithic humans camped on a
lakeshore in southern France. At Terra Amata, these hunter-gatherers built a long and narrow
house. The foundation was a ring of stones, with a flat threshold stone for a door at either end.
Vertical posts down the middle of the house supported roofs and walls of sticks and twigs,
probably covered over with a layer of straw. A hearth outside served as the kitchen, while a
smaller hearth inside kept people warm. Their residents could easily abandon both dwellings. This
is why they are not considered true houses, which was a development of the Neolithic period
rather than the Paleolithic period.
Paleolithic Artifacts

The Paleolithic era has a number of artifacts that

range from stone, bone, and wood tools to stone
sculptures
KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points
– Artifacts dating from the Lower and Middle Paleolithic remain disputed as objects of artistic expression.

– There is some evidence that a preference for aesthetic emerged in the Middle Paleolithic due to the symmetry inherent to discovered artifacts.
– The Venus of Tan-Tan is an alleged artifact found in Morocco that is believed by some archaeologists to be the earliest representation of the human form .

– The Venus of Berekhat Ram is believed by some to be a representation of a female human figure dating from the early Middle Paleolithic, however, the claim is
highly contested.

– A carved elephant bone from Bilzingsleben has been interpreted as an early example of art making.
– The Paleolithic is characterized by the use of stone tools, although at the time humans also used wood and bone tools.

Key Terms

– quartzite:Ametamorphic rock consisting of interlocking grains of quartz.

– ochre:An earth pigment containing silica, aluminum, and ferric oxide

– flint:A hard, fine-grained quartz that fractures conchoidally and generates sparks when struck.

– paleoliths:A stone relic of the Paleolithic era.

– artifacts:Objects that are created by a human being with cultural and historical significance.
 The Paleolithic or Old Stone Age originated around 30,000 BCE, lasting until 10,000
BCE, and is separated into three periods: the Lower Paleolithic (the earliest subdivision),
Middle Paleolithic, and Upper Paleolithic. The Paleolithic era is characterized by the use
of stone tools, although at the time humans also used wood and bone tools. Other
organic commodities were adapted for use as tools, including leather and vegetable
fibers; however, due to their nature, these have not been preserved to any great
degree. Surviving artifacts of the Paleolithic era are known as paleoliths .

The earliest undisputed art originated in the Upper Paleolithic. However, there
is some evidence that a preference for aesthetic emerged in the Middle Paleolithic
due to the symmetry inherent in discovered artifacts and evidence of attention to
detail in such things as tool shape, which has led some archaeologists to interpret
these artifacts as early examples of artistic expression. There has been much dispute
Acheulean hand-axes: Acheulean hand-axes among scholars over the terming of early prehistoric artifacts as “art.” Generally
from Kent. The types shown are (clockwise
from top) cordate, ficron, and ovate.
speaking, artifacts dating from the Lower and Middle Paleolithic remain disputed as
Evidence shows these early hominids objects of artistic expression, while the Upper Paleolithic provides the first
intentionally selected raw materials with conclusive examples of art making.
good flaking qualities and chose
appropriate-sized stones for their needs to
produce sharp-edged tools for cutting.
Disputed Artifacts: Early
Venuses
The Venus of Tan-Tan is an alleged artifact found in Morocco that is believed by some to be the earliest
representation of the human form . The Venus, a 2.3 inch long piece of quartzite rock dated between 300,000 and
500,000 years ago during the Middle Paleolithic, was discovered in 1999 in a river terrace deposit on the north bank of
the Draa River, just south of the Moroccan village of Tan-Tan. There is controversy among archaeologists as to its
nature and origin. Some archaeologists believe it was created by a combination of geological forces as well as tool-
based carving. Visible smudge stains have been interpreted by some as remnants of red ochre pigments. For others,
the rock’s shape is simply the result of natural weathering and erosion, and any human shape is a mere coincidence.
Drawing depicts a stone figurine of the human form.
Drawing of the Venus of Tan-Tan: The Venus of Tan-Tan is an alleged artifact found in Morocco that is
believed by some to be the earliest representation of the human form.
The Venus of Berekhat Ram is a contemporary of the Venus of Tan-Tan, found at Berekhat Ram on the
Golan Heights in 1981. Some believe it to be a representation of a female human figure, dating from the early Middle
Paleolithic; however, the claim is highly contested. The object is a red tufic pebble, about 1.4 inches long, which has at
least three grooves, possibly incised with a sharp-edged stone tool. The grooves have been interpreted as marking the
neck and arms of the figure by some, while others believe these to be purely naturally-occurring lines .
Drawing of the Venus of Tan-Tan: The Venus of Tan-
Tan is an alleged artifact found in Morocco that is
believed by some to be the earliest representation
of the human form.
Mask of la Roche-Cotard

Also known as the Mousterian Protofigurine, the Mask of la Roche-Cotard

is an artifact from the Paleolithic period that was discovered in the entrance of the
La Roche-Cotard cave, situated on the banks of the Loire River in France.
Constructed using flint and bone, the stone is believed to represent the upper part
of a face, while the bone has been interpreted as eyes. While some archaeologists
question whether this artifact does indeed represent a rendered face, it has been
occasionally regarded as an example of Paleolithic figurative artistic expression.
Bilzingsleben

Bilzingsleben is a site of early Paleolithic human remains discovered in

Thuringia, Germany. The area was also the site of discovery of many stone and
bone tools such as hoes, scrapers, points, and gougers. One bone fragment, an
elephant tibia, has two groups of incised parallel lines which some have
interpreted as an early example of art making. The regular spacing of the incisions,
their sub-equal lengths, and V-like cross-sections suggest that they were created at
the same time, with a single stone; however, no conclusive agreement has been
made.
Blombos Cave

Discoveries of engraved stones in

the Blombos Caves of South Africa has led
some archaeologists to believe that early
Homo sapiens were capable of abstraction
and the production of symbolic art. Made
from ochre, the stones are engraved with
abstract patterns, and while they are
simpler than prehistoric cave paintings
found in Europe, some scholars believe
these engraved stones represent the
earliest known artworks, dating from 75,000
years ago. Although, much like the other
pieces, this belief remains contested.
Paleolithic Cave Paintings

Paleolithic cave paintings demonstrate early

humans’ capacity to give meaning to their
surroundings and communicate with others.
KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points
– Cave paintings can be grouped into three main categories: animals, human figures, and abstract signs.
– Animals depicted include familiar herbivores and predatory animals.
– The most spectacular examples of cave paintings are in southern France and northern Spain.
– Interpretations vary from prehistoric star charts, accounts of past hunts or mystical rituals for future ones, and
shamanism .
Key Terms
– chiaroscuro:An artistic technique developed during the Renaissance, referring to the use of exaggerated light
contrasts in order to create the illusion of volume.
– shamanism:A range of traditional beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the spirit world.
– Parietal Art:Paintings, murals, drawings, etchings, carvings, and pecked artwork on the interior of rock shelters and
caves; also known as cave art.
– polychromy:The art or practice of combining different colors, especially brilliant ones, in an artistic way.
The Paleolithic , or Old Stone Age, ranges from 30,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE and produced the
first accomplishments in human creativity, preceding the invention of writing. Archeological
discoveries across a broad swath of Europe (especially southern France and northern Spain)
include over two hundred caves with spectacular paintings, drawings, and sculpture that are
among the earliest undisputed examples of representational image-making. Paintings and
engravings along the caves’ walls and ceilings fall under the category of parietal art .
Themes and Materials

The most common themes in cave paintings are large wild animals, such as bison, horses, aurochs , and
deer. The species found most often were suitable for hunting by humans, but were not necessarily the typical prey
found in associated bone deposits. For example, the painters of Lascaux, France left mainly reindeer bones, but this
species does not appear at all in the cave paintings; equine species are the most common.

Drawings of humans were rare and were usually schematic in nature as opposed to the detailed and
naturalistic images of animals.
Tracings of human hands and hand stencils were very popular, however, as well as abstract patterns called
finger flutings.

The pigments used appear to be red and yellow ochre , manganese or carbon for black, and china clay for
white. Some of the color may have been mixed with fat. The paint was applied by finger, chewed sticks, or fur for
brushes. Sometimes the silhouette of the animal was incised in the rock first, and in some caves many of the images
were only engraved in this fashion, taking them out of a strict definition of “cave painting.”
Main Examples of Cave
Paintings: France and Spain
France
Lascaux (circa 15,000 BCE), in southwestern France, is an interconnected series
of caves with one of the most impressive examples of artistic creations by
Paleolithic humans.

Discovered in 1940, the cave

contains nearly two thousand figures,
which can be grouped into three main
categories—animals, human figures,
and abstract signs. Over nine hundred
images depict animals from the
surrounding areas, such as horses,
stags, aurochs, bison, lions, bears, and
birds—species that would have been
hunted and eaten, and those identified
as predators. The paintings contain no
images of the surrounding landscape or Cave paintings in Lascaux, France: The most famous section of
the vegetation of the time. the cave is “The Great Hall of the Bulls,” where bulls, equines,
and stags are depicted.
France
Lascaux (circa 15,000 BCE), in southwestern France, is an interconnected series
of caves with one of the most impressive examples of artistic creations by
Paleolithic humans.

The Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave (circa 30,000 BCE) in the Ardèche department of

southern France contains some of the earliest known paintings, as well as other
evidence of Upper Paleolithic life. The Chauvet Cave is uncharacteristically large, and
the quality, quantity, and condition of the artwork found on its walls have been called
spectacular. Hundreds of animal paintings have been catalogued, depicting at least
thirteen different species—not only the familiar herbivores that predominate
Paleolithic cave art, but also many predatory animals, such as cave lions, panthers,
bears, and cave hyenas.
As is typical of most cave art, there are no paintings of complete human
figures in Chauvet. There are a few panels of red ochre hand prints and hand stencils
made by spitting pigment over hands pressed against the cave surface. Abstract
markings—lines and dots—are found throughout the cave.
 Drawings of horses from the Chauvet Cave in France: The Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc
Cave in the Ardèche department of southern France is a cave that contains
some of the earliest known cave paintings.
The artists who produced these unique paintings used techniques rarely found in other cave
art. Many of the paintings appear to have been made after the walls were scraped clear of
debris and concretions, leaving a smoother and noticeably lighter area upon which the artists
worked. Similarly, a three-dimensional quality and the suggestion of movement are achieved
by incising or etching around the outlines of certain figures. The art also includes scenes that
were complex for its time—animals interacting with each other. For instance, a pair of wooly
rhinoceroses are seen butting horns in an apparent contest for territory or mating rights.
Spain
Altamira (circa 18,000 BCE) is a cave in northern Spain famous for its Upper Paleolithic
cave paintings featuring drawings and polychrome rock paintings of wild mammals and
human hands. The cave has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The long cave consists of a series of twisting passages and chambers.

Human occupation was limited to the cave mouth, although paintings were
created throughout the length of the cave. The artists used polychromy—charcoal
and ochre or haematite—to create the images, often diluting these pigments to
produce variations in intensity , creating an impression of chiaroscuro . They also
exploited the natural contours in the cave walls to give their subjects a three-
dimensional effect.
Painting of a bison in the Great Hall of Policromes, Altamira, Spain: Altamira’s famous
Upper Paleolithic cave paintings feature drawings and polychrome rock paintings of
wild mammals and human hands.
Interpretations

Like all prehistoric art, the purpose of these paintings remains obscure. In
recent years, new research has suggested that the Lascaux paintings may
incorporate prehistoric star charts. Some anthropologists and art historians also
theorize that the paintings could be an account of past hunting success, or they
could represent a mystical ritual to improve future hunting endeavors. An
alternative theory, broadly based on ethnographic studies of contemporary hunter-
gatherer societies, is that the paintings pertained to shamanism.
Paleolithic Sculpture

Paleolithic sculptures found in caves are some of

the earliest examples of representational art.
KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points
– Sculptural work from the Paleolithic consists mainly of figurines , beads, and some decorative utilitarian objects
constructed with stone, bone, ivory , clay, and wood.
– “Venus figurines” is an umbrella term for a number of prehistoric statuettes of women that have been found mostly in
Europe, but also in Eurasia and Siberia.
– Venus figurines are characterized by shared stylistic features, such as an oval shape, large belly, wide-set thighs, large
breasts, and the typical absence of arms and feet.
– Also known as the Mousterian Protofigurine, the Mask of La Roche-Cotard is a representational artifact from the
Paleolithic period that was discovered in the entrance of a cave named La Roche-Cotard.
– Discoveries of engraved stones and beads in the Blombos Caves of South Africa has led some archaeologists to believe that
early Homo sapiens were capable of abstraction and the production of symbolic art.
Key Terms
– Eurasia:The largest landmass on Earth, consisting of Europe and Asia.
– flint:A hard, fine-grained quartz that fractures conchoidally and generates sparks when struck.
Venus Figurines

“Venus figurines” is an umbrella term for a number of prehistoric statuettes of women

that have been found mostly in Europe, but also in Asia and Siberia, dating from the Upper
Paleolithic. These figures are all quite small, between 4 and 25 cm tall, and carved mainly in
steatite , limestone , bone, or ivory. These sculptures are collectively described as “Venus”
figurines in reference to the Roman goddess of beauty, as early historians assumed they
represented an ideal of beauty from the time.

The Venus figurines have sometimes been interpreted as representing a mother

goddess; the abundance of such female imagery has led some to believe that Upper Paleolithic
(and later Neolithic) societies had a female-centered religion and a female-dominated society.
Various other explanations for the purpose of the figurines have been proposed, such as the
hypothesis that the figurines were created as self-portraits of actual women.
Stylistic Features

Venus figures are characterized by

shared stylistic features, such as an oval
shape, large belly, wide-set thighs,
large breasts, and the typical absence
of arms and feet. Hundreds of these
sculptures have been found both in
open-air settlements and caves. The
Venus of Hohle Fels, a 6 cm figure of a
woman carved from a mammoth ‘s
tusk, was discovered in Germany’s
Hohle Fels cave in 2008 and represents
one of the earliest found sculptures of The Venus of Hohle Fels: The Venus of Hohle Fels, a 6 cm
this type. figure of a woman carved from a mammoth’s tusk, was
discovered in Germany’s Hohle Fels cave in 2008 and
represents one of the earliest found sculptures of this type.
Stylistic Features

Additionally, the Venus of

Willendorf is a particularly famous
example of the Venus figure. While
initially thought to be symbols of
fertility, or of a fertility goddess, the
true significance of the Venus figure
remains obscure, as does much of
prehistoric art.
The Venus of Willendorf: The Venus of Willendorf is
a particularly famous example of the Venus figure.
Mask of La Roche-Cotard

It is also known as the

“Mousterian Protofigurine,” the Mask of La
Roche-Cotard is an artifact from the
Paleolithic period that was discovered in the
entrance of a cave named La Roche-Cotard,
on the banks of the Loire River in France.
Constructed using flint and bone, the stone
is believed to represent the upper part of a
face, while the bone has been interpreted
as eyes. While some archaeologists
question whether this artifact does indeed
represent a rendered face, it is typically
regarded as an example of Paleolithic
figurative artistic expression.
Blombos Cave

Discoveries of engraved stones

and beads in the Blombos Cave of South
Africa has led some archaeologists to
believe that early Homo sapiens were
capable of abstraction and the production
of symbolic art. Made from ochre , the
stones are engraved with abstract patterns,
while the beads are made from Nassarius
shells. While they are simpler than
prehistoric cave paintings found in Europe,
some scholars believe these engraved
stones represent the earliest known Nassarius shell beads from the Blombos Cave: Discoveries of engraved
stones and beads in the Blombos Cave of South Africa has led some
artworks, dating from 75,000 years ago. archaeologists to believe that early Homo sapiens were capable of
abstraction and the production of symbolic art.