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Question 1
The Lascaux cave consists of about 1800 figures grouped into abstract signs, animals, and human
figures. Most of the images have been painted on the cave using mineral pigments. They detail
various animals such as stags, horses, felines, red deer, and others that appear as mythical
animals. They are estimated to be 15000 to 17000 years old. On the other hand, the paintings at
Altamira consist of various polychrome and charcoal drawings representing human hands and
fauna. They are said to be over 35000years old. In Altamira, there are three forms of art: rock
engravings, colored paintings, and black drawings. The animals represented here are the bison,
horses, deer, and boar. Additionally, the cave consists of various geometric symbols and signs
and anthropomorphic figures, which are eight.
Question 2
The characteristics of the art illustrations suggest that their creators were very much ahead of
time regardless of how primitive they were since they are depicted as being accurate and natural.
This is because the art expresses styles such as the ability to show the movement of animals and
people. Additionally, the creators of the art seem to be advanced and knowledgeable in various
art skills. Since coming up with such brilliant art in those locations, they ought to be skillful and
good in planning. Nevertheless, the illustrations show that the creators were experienced in
painting this because some art appears to have been painted using fingers. In contrast, others
were sprayed out using a hollow bone.
Question 3
The functions that have been identified for these paintings are mainly religious or symbolic
functions, and they were mainly created concerning shamanic practices and beliefs. For instance,
the upper paleolithic paintings had tools such as arrows, bows, and boomerangs. This depicts that
the communities living during those eras engaged themselves in hunting animals for food.
Another function of the paintings was for aesthetic purposes, whereby they represented beauty.
Additionally, the paintings also depict the forms of communication among the early human
beings and if they are connected to language development. The wall paintings were made from
paint created using charcoal mixed with animal spit or fat, and it was done by blowing the paint
through a hollow bone, which led to the distribution of the paint fine in the caves.
Question 4
The discovery of the early cave art at Sulawesi in Indonesia vastly expands our geographical
knowledge regarding the first artists to do cave art. The artists mainly did cave arts that
encompass painting of Babirusa and stencils of hands believed to be the oldest figurative art
globally. Most importantly, the cave art represented huge animal species that are believed to be
very dangerous, and they played a huge role in the people’s belief systems. Most importantly,
through the paintings, we can connect the possibility that the art depicts the exodus of modernday human beings, which is believed to have happened in Africa 50,00years ago.
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