ANCIENT ART (20000BC-0)

Click here for a sample collection to use with instructor's lecture

Student collection of ancient art. Evaluation:

Uses a minimum of two works (Can not use works seen in teacher collection) to illustrate each of the major themes talked about in the lecture. (Body adornment, ritual, utilitarian work, pattern/repetition, cultural heritage, ...)

Brief paragraph (in the student’s own words) about each work including date, culture/geographic location, the work’s purpose, interesting fact(s), attribution information (where the work was found, MIA, WAC, Tweed museum of art, etc.). The student’s opinion of the work. What the student likes, what the student dislikes and why.

Correctly created an art collection, placed images in chronological order, published and turned in the URL to teacher.


Debate: Is it art or is it utilitarian?
Although the works are not from this era, Surrounded by Beauty may be an interesting way to introduce the debate between art and utility. Surrounded by beauty can be found at: http://www.artsmia.org/surrounded-by-beauty/index.html

Questions:
1. What do all the works of art shown here have in common? (Each was made by human hands)
2. Why do we consider an ancient bracelet to be art?
3. Would we consider the bracelets we wear today art? Why or why not?
4. Just because we dig up something made by humans from eons ago does it become art? (artifact vs. art)
5. In languages sometimes there is no difference between word “art” and “utility”.

Possible ideas to be covered in the Geology lesson:

How do natural processes preserve artifacts?
How do natural processes effect the site?
How do scientists find archaeological sites?
How are pieces recovered?
How are artifacts distributed? Bones to science museums, artwork to art museums?
How are things transported?
Who works on sites/ Career opportunities/ education required to do that type of work?