The Old Stone Age is the earliest and longest period in the development of human culture, 35,000 years ago. In the Paleolithic Age man survived on what was naturally found and lived in caves or used over-hanging rocks for shelter. What is known about this period comes from pointed stone tools and weapons – the Stone Age, or Paleolithic Age, from the Greek word “paleo” meaning “ancient” and “lithos” meaning “stone”.
Evidence shows that early man was both a hunter and an artist. As a hunter he used tools necessary for survival and as the making of these tools required creative thinking, he was an artist. The first tools were created from pebbles and stones and early man linked both “form” and “function” to assure a successful hunt.
As the last Ice Age was nearing an end in Europe hunting and food gathering continued, however a climate change brought vegetation and animals to a once barren land. People moved to areas that were once covered by glaciers and started to hunt bison, deer, bear and horses with the help domesticated dogs. They fished from oceans and rivers and either used nets or spears from wooden boats. Shelter was built from branches and bark and stone axes were used to fall trees.
With the continuous development of village farming, raising crops and livestock that started in the Neolithic period, settlements became more permanent. Two great civilizations arose about the same time: Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers – in the present day Iraq and the other Egypt, united under pharaonic rule. For nearly 3,000 years the two civilizations retained their unique character even though they were in close contact with each other from 4000 BC to 300 BC.
Life in Ancient Egypt focused around the Nile River, which runs from south to north and finally flows into the Mediterranean Sea. A prosperous life continued in this region for centuries due to yearly floods that deposited rich silt on the valley floor, fertilizing the fields of the farmers.
Gradually these small communities came together to form larger cities and the foundation for a new complex and efficient society. They developed bricks made of stone, the knowledge to navigate on water, the invention of the wheel for land travel, the harnessing of animals for heavy work and the training of donkeys to carry man.
Egypt has one of the best preserved histories due to its’ dry climate, and the preservation of ‘after-life’ artifacts found in sealed burial chambers.
Little cultural information was recorded by the Etruscans, who identified themselves as Rasenna. They were called Tusci or Etrusci by their Roman neighbors. They left their homeland of Lydia in Asia Minor- most of modern day Turkey- and settled in the area of Tuscany, between Florence and Rome around 700 BC. They were important maritime traders.
Many of their original towns are now part of the present day Tuscany. The Etruscans never became a unified power, instead they were based on religious rather than political ties.
A king or ‘Lucumon’ ruled each city-state. These separate city-states eventually proved weak and by the end of the third century Rome had conquered all that was inhabited by them.
Three distinct civilizations developed northwest of Egypt and Mesopotamia in the area of the Aegean Sea. The first of these cultures to gain power was on the Isle of Crete, the Minoan. A second on the southern peninsula of Peloponnesus was the Mycenaean. And the Cycladian was the third in the Cyclades Islands between Greece and Crete.
All three developed at different paces and their individual artistic phases often overlapped. Although they were influenced by each other, they developed unique art styles.
Invasions of the Aegean and the Peloponnesus lasted for 100 years. These raids were small, but persistent and invaders finally succeeded in settling in southern Greece. Life returned to a nomadic tradition. Art and the curiosity of learning were replaced with daily survival. Even writing was abandoned for the centuries between 1100-700 BC. The joyful and playful expression of the Minoan art and the realistic character of Mycenean art had disappeared.
In its’ place developed a strict geometric style using lines, dots and geometric forms. Animals and humans were stylized into stick-like figures.
In the 8th century, the Greek civilization changed, City-States grew. A re-vitalization appeared around Athens and trading with the people around the Mediterranean influenced styles of art.
Between the Etruscans on the north and the Greek culture on the south, a city-state was established that was to grow to dominate the Western World for seven centuries. In the lands that the Romans conquered they brought their laws, religion, customs, the Latin language and their superb ability to organize. They developed a literary system that allowed a detailed record-keeping of history.
The Romans had a great admiration for Classical Greece and imported Greek original art. They also copied the artistic characteristics of Greek perfection and Etruscan realism. After the conquest of Greece in 146 BC, sculptures and paintings were shipped to Italy. The beauty and perfection of Classical Greek Art inspired Roman artists, but later in Roman periods, they created new styles.
Much of the Art produced honored Emperors and their greatness. Art was a display and celebration of triumphal moments of leadership. Rome became a city of re-designing and re-modeling that would change the perspective of man for hundreds of years.
The Byzantine Empire- Byzantium-AD 330-1453- is also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire and was the longest lasting Medieval power. Its’ capital was Constantinople, modern day Istanbul, Turkey. The Byzantine Empire ruled land in Italy, Greece, the Balkans, the Levant, Asia Minor, and North Africa. It had enormous influence over political systems, religion, art and architecture. It survived the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and continued to exist for a thousand year until it fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453.
The Empire was the most powerful economic, cultural and military force in Europe. It was founded by Emperor Constantine and became the most important Christian city in the world. The church in the Byzantine Empire was headed by a bishop who was appointed or removed by the emperor. Christianity became a key factor in the joining together of divergent cultures into a united empire. The influence of Christianity remains today in domed churches, impressive basilicas, religious icons, mosaics and other Art forms.
Now that you have developed a curiosity and understanding of how early people, cultures and civilizations have interpreted and designed their world, take a trip through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City representing 5,000 years of art from around the world.
The Met was founded in 1870 with its’ Mission Statement “for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a Museum and library of art, of encouraging and developing the study of fine arts, and the application of arts to manufacture and practical life, of advancing the general knowledge of kindred subjects and, to that end, of furnishing popular instruction.”
Enjoy your exploration and continue your curiosity and understanding of Art.
