GE 6

ART IN EARLY CIVILIZATION

STONE AGE – Is a term used to describe a period of history when stones were used to make tools
for survival.
•Stone Age roughly span the 14,000-2,000 BCE.
THREE PERIODS OF STONE AGE
°PALEOLITHIC – the late years of the old Stone Age.
°MESOLITHIC – Middle Stone Age.
°NEOLITHIC - New Stone Age.
o Works of art from the stone age include cave paintings, reliefs, and sculpture of stone, ivory and bone

o In unearthing of archeological artifacts and remains provides modern society a glimpse of the beliefs,
practices, and activities of early civilization. The motives and reasons behind the creation of ancient
materials such as sculptures, painting, and architectural structures may not be clearly defined.
Nevertheless, the early people produced such material that reflect their attitudes and belief system on
spiritual, social, political, and economic matters.
o As the early humans started to transition from being nomads to permanent settlers, their everyday
activities also had some changes, which is evident through the materials and even the works of art
they have created. Despite changes as a result of adapting to their environment, there are central
themes in their artworks. Most ancient artworks depict religious symbols, a wide array of organisms
from nature and activities of everyday life.
 Prehistoric Art
Archaeological explorations reveal that there has been a gradual shift from a nomadic lifestyle of
early humans to those permanent settlements, paving the way for the rise of early civilizations.
The Stone Age has witnessed how humans were able to lead more stable lives and eventually come
up with permanent shelters and tools for survival.To complement this stability and sense of
Permanence, early humans also turned to the Creation of paintings and sculptures that depict
humans, animals, and their natural habitats.
1. PALEOLITHIC ART is a product of climate change. As the climate got colder, part of the early
humans’ instinct is to look for shelters that would provide them will warmth. Caves became
protective havens for the early humans and these caves paved the way for the birth of their first
attempt to create art.

2. MESOLITHIC ART
 The Middle Stone Age began with the final retreat of the glaciers
 Wall paintings and stone sculptures that were more abstract and highly stylized.
 Mesolithic artists concentrated more on the human figure.
 Subjects ranged from warriors to ceremonial dancers.
The “Women of Willendorf.”
• Discovered in 1908
• Carved from limestone, not native to the area, and originally colored in red ochre.
• This figure is a highly abstracted woman from highlighted body parts associated with fertility.
• The representation may show the importance of taking care of these body parts for
procreation and consequently the survival of species.
• Woman of Willendorf, previously dubbed the Venus of Willendorf by academics predates her
mythological namesake by millennia

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3. NEOLITHIC ART
• Began about 8000 BCE
• Plants and animals were domesticated and life became more stable.
• The purpose of this fascinating edifice remains a mystery up to this day age. Some regard it
as a temple while others see it as complex calendar the tracked the movements of both the
Sun and Moon. Others ascribe some magical element to it by associating it with Merlin the
Magician from King Arthurs’s story.
Megalith Stones
• Powerful religious figures and beliefs was impetus for this massive building projects.
Two types
1. Dolmen – large vertical stones with a covering slab like a giant table (mounded over with dirt
to form a cairn). Also called ‘Chamber tombs’ usually contain one or more chambers or rooms
in which the dead were buried. Some dolmens also contain long, stone chambers or halls
which connect different rooms. These long chambers also are referred to as ‘ Long tombs’’
and ‘passage-graves’ .

2. Menhir –Are large standing stones, or groups of standing stones, arranged in circles, or
cromlechs, and henges.
• Menhirs found in Ireland, Scotland, England and France.
Alignment – in rows

PREHISTORIC SCUPTURE IN EGYPT

Sculpture is regarded as the oldest art. The earliest being the carved drawing on rocks of
caves. It is believed that these carving were manifestations of spiritual and manner of worship. The
first recorded primitive sculpture was the fertility statue which gave emphasis on the female sexual
attribute in the form of wide hips and opulent breast.

EGYPTIAN SCULPTURE

Among the oldest Egyptian sculpture is a piece of slate carved in low relief, known as the
Palette of King Narmer. It portrays the victory of Upper over lower Egypt, depicting kings, armies,
servant, and various animals.
Within the periods, Egyptians sculpture evolved in the following form:
1. Palettes—shield shaped pieces of stone with relief carving.
2. Wall Carving--which are either in bust or high relief, usually found in walls of tombs.
3. Statue—life –size figures of men and women sitting or standing positions.
The most popular piece of sculpture and site of tourism destination in Egypt is the Sphinx. This is in
the form of gigantic figures with the human head and the body of the crouching lion symbolic of the
grandeur of Egypt.

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 EGYPTIAN ART
The Egyptian civilization can be divided into three periods: Old, Middle, and New Kingdom. Looking at
the three periods, it can be noticed that for the Egyptians, art should be something religious and spiritual. There
may have been differences in the techniques used and style emphasized, but there are common denominators
among the artworks created during their respective time periods.
The Three Major Periods of Egyptian History
The history of Egypt can be divided into three periods: the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the
New Kingdom, or Empire. Each kingdom is further divided into dynasties. A dynasty was a period during
which a single family provided a succession of rulers.
One reign ended with the death of a pharaoh and another began with the crowning of a successor from the
same royal family. For this reason, every precaution was taken to keep the blood of the family pure. One of
these precautions was to forbid the pharaoh to marry outside of the immediate family.
1. The Old Kingdom
The earliest dynastic period began around J100 B.C. when. Upper and Lower Egypt were united by a powerful
pharaoh named Menes. Menes established his capital at Memphis and founded the first of the 31 Egyptian
dynasties. The Old Kingdom dates from the start of the third of these dynasties, in about 2686 B.C. It ended
about 500 years later, when the strong centralized government established by the pharaohs was weakened by the
rise of a group of independent nobles. These nobles split the country into small states. Civil war and disorder
soon broke out between these states, and the authority of the reigning pharaoh collapsed.
Carved Image of King Narmer, also known as Menes
2. The Middle Kingdom
After a long period of turmoil, the nobles in Thebes, a city on the upper Nile, were able to gain control of the
country.
They managed to unify Egypt once again into a single state, and order was restored to their troubled land. The
success of these nobles marked the beginning of the Middle Kingdom, a period of about 250 years from around
2050 to 1800 B.C.
The Middle Kingdom was a time of law and order and prosperity in Egypt. This was true even though the
pharaoh, while still the supreme head, was not as powerful as pharaohs had been during the Old Kingdom.
Around 1800 B.C., Egypt was overrun for the first time by foreign invaders. Using horses and chariots, the
Hyksos from western Asia swept across the country. They easily defeated the Egyptians, who fought on foot.
The Hyksos inhabited Lower Egypt and for 200 years forced the Egyptian people to pay them tribute. Finally,
the Egyptians, having learned how to use horses and chariots, drove the invaders from their country and
restored independence.
3. The New Kingdom
The third and most brilliant period of Egyptian history, which began in 1570 B.C., is known as the New
Kingdom, or Empire. Warrior pharaohs used their expertise with horses and chariots to extend Egypt's rule over
neighboring nations.
Under one of these pharaohs, Amenhotep III, the New Kingdom reached the peak of its power and influence.
Thebes, the royal capital, became the most magnificent city in the world. Suddenly Amenhotep's son and heir,
Amenhotep IV, broke with tradition. He tried to bring about changes in Egyptian religion that for centuries had
recognized many different gods. Amenhotep IV moved the capital from Thebes to Tel el-Amarna. There he
established Aton, symbolized by the sun disk, as the one supreme god. In honor of his god, Amenhotep IV
changed his name to Akhenaton, which meant "it is well with Aton." Unfortunately, while Akhenaton was
absorbed in his new religion, Egypt's enemies began to whittle away pieces of the once mighty nation.

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Influence of Religion
• Resurrection of the soul of “ka”
• The ‘ka’ (spirit or soul) was born with the body and remained there until death.
• Upon the death the ‘ka’ would leave temporarily but late return to the body and travel to the next life.
• The body would be embalmed, wrapped and stored in the pyramids until the ‘ka’ returned.
• Assurance against final death
• Ra- the sun god, represented by the falcon,
• Osiris- the god of the Nile and ruler of the underworld
• Isis- The great mother god

Architecture

The Great Pyramid Of Giza

During the old Kingdom, one of the Architectural wonders was also constructed. The pyramids in Giza served
as tombs since their main purpose was to provide a resting place for the pharaohs.
Evolution of the pyramid shape
The pyramid shape developed gradually. Originally, the Egyptians buried their dead in hidden pits and piled
sand and stone over the top. Later this practice changed, and the Egyptians began to use sun-dried bricks to
build mastabas. A mastaba is a low, flat tomb. These rectangular tombs had sloping sides and contained a
chapel and a false burial chamber in addition to the true one hidden deep inside. In time, several mastabas of
diminishing size were stacked on top of each other to form a step pyramid. Finally, they were built without
steps, and a point was added on the top, thus creating the true pyramid form.
Construction of the Pyramids
Thousands and thousands of workers toiled for decades to build a single pyramid. limestone was quarried and
dragged to the construction site and then carefully fitted into place. How the Egyptians managed to lift and fit
these huge blocks of stone, each averaging 2.5 tons, into place remains unclear.
By the time of the Middle Kingdom, the weakened position of the pharaohs and the threat of invasion made
construction of large-scale structures such as the pyramid impractical. Many small pyramids and mastabas may
have been built during this period. However, these were probably made of mud bricks, which soon crumbled
and disintegrated. More permanent tombs prepared for the pharaoh were cut into the rock cliffs of a valley
across the Nile from the capital city of Thebes.
Mastaba – a low flat tomb made of sun-dried bricks.
TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
Temple of Amon
 Temple of the all-powerful chief god of Thebes.
 Entrance way flanked by obelisks, four sided pointed stone shafts.
 Statues of the pharaohs and huge banners opened onto an uncovered courtyard.
 Great halls lie behind the courtyard
 Sanctuary was a small, dark, mysterious chamber where only the pharaoh and certain priests were
allowed to enter
 Built in new kingdom as proof of the genius of the architects

Hypostyle (pillared) hall in the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, Egypt

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Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel, Egypt, c. 1250 BCE, New Kingdom, 19th dynasty

The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Dayr al-Baḥrī, Thebes, Egypt, 15th century BCE.
Sculpture
Despite every precaution taken by the Egyptians, the fortress-like pyramids and tombs of the pharaohs
were soon robbed of their treasures. Frequently the mummified bodies of the pharaohs were mutilated or
destroyed in the process. To make certain the ka still would have a body to unite with, sculptors were ordered to
carve the pharaoh's portrait out of hard stone. These sculptures were placed in the tomb near the sarcophagus,
where they acted as substitutes for the body inside. The Egyptians believed that even if the real body were
destroyed, the ka would be able to enter the stone substitute for the journey to the next world.
Symbolism in Egyptian art
In studying Khafre's portrait, you , may have the feeling that the pharaoh is aware of, but above, the
concerns of ordinary mortals, He looks straight ahead, yet the eyes seem alive to events taking place around
him. It is this quiet aloofness that makes this portrait a symbol of eternal strength and power-befitting a king
and a god.
Look below at some of the uses of symbolism in this sculpture.
1) The pharaoh's throne is inscribed with symbols proclaiming him the king of Upper and Lower Egypt.
2) His right hand forms a fist, which must have once gripped some symbol of his high office.
3) A falcon, which represents Horus, the god of the sky, was placed behind Khafre's head to remind viewers of
the pharaoh's 'divinity. Khafre was considered to be the descendent of Re, the sun god.
Queen Nefertiti
There is emphasis to life-like features of the face like an elongate jaw and thick-lidded eyes.
Most artists created artworks that are natural and seemingly real, highlighting the features of
their subjects. Naturalism was not only used to depict the pharaoh but also was used for members of the royal
family.
The bust of Queen Nefertiti has a long and sensuous neck.

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The Great Sphinx
The massive size of the Great Sphinx was intended to demonstrate the power of the pharaoh.
The strength and dignity that were a trademark of the pyramids also characterized the sculptures produced
during the Old Kingdom.
Perhaps the most familiar and impressive example of Old Kingdom sculpture is the Great Sphinx (Carved from
rock at the site, the Sphinx presents the head of a pharaoh, probably the Fourth Dynasty pharaoh, Khafre, placed
on the body of a reclining lion.) It towers to a height of almost 65 feet.
Sarcophagus

• Most impressive were built for Pharaohs

• The people saw them as gods and expected to be united with other gods
• Body was sealed in a Sarcophagus or stone coffin.
• Placed with treasures in the center of the pyramid.
• To an Egyptian the destruction of the body was the most horrible for of vengeance

King Tutankhamen
He became king at a very young age and died at the age of eighteen. Howard Carter discovered his tomb in
1922. They were astonished to find gold artworks and that the coffin was made out of solid gold.
The body of the young king was eredred in linen and a gold mask covered his face.

NARMER PALETTE
It was a palette that utilized and applied dark colors around King Narmer’s eyes. The palette was also a
symbol that commemorates the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.

PAINTINGS
Eventually the tomb of every important or wealthy person was enriched with painted relief sculptures.
When it became difficult and costly to carve reliefs on the rough, hard walls of cliff tombs during the Middle
Kingdom, painting came into its own as a separate art form.
First, the walls of the cliff tombs were smoothed over with a coating of plaster.
When the plaster was dry, the artist went to work, drawing a series of horizontal straight lines on the
plastered wall. Figures and animals were carefully arranged along these lines to tell a story, usually an event
from the life of the deceased. The pictures were then colored with rich red and yellow hues, with black and
blue-green added for contrast. Typically, little shading was used, so the figures tend to look fiat, as if they had
been cut from paper and pasted on the wall.

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 This method of arranging pictures in horizontal bands and using bright colors with little shading
resulted in a style similar to that of contemporary comic strips.
Middle kingdom paintings

Nakht and his Wife. The priest and his wife are much larger figures to show that Nakht and his wife are more
important
• During the Middle Kingdom painting became it own separate art form.
• Too expensive to carve stone.
• Tombs were covered with plaster
• Lines were drawn and characters were placed within the lines to tell a story.
• Bright colors were used to keep the walls vibrant.
• This method resulted in a style similar to that of contemporary comic strips.

Egyptian dancing, detail from a tomb painting from Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qurnah, Egypt, c. 1400 BCE; in
the British Museum, London.

Boatbuilding scene, painted limestone relief from Thebes, Egypt, c. 664–634 BCE;
OTHER EGYPIANT ARTS
Mummification
• In the Prehistoric Egypt, bodies were buried in deserts because they would naturally be preserved by
dehydration.
• This process was available for anyone who could afford it. It was believed that even those who could
not afford this process could still enjoy the afterlife with the right reciting of spells. The most classic
and common method of mummification dates back to the 18th Dynasty.
• The main process of mummification was preserving the body by dehydrating it using natron, a natural
material found in Wadi Natrun which is like a combination of baking soda and salt
• This process took 40 days
Hieroglyphics – an early form of picture writing.
• Symbols that communicated information and were included in wall paintings and other art forms to
help tell the story.

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Rosetta Stone

⬗ The Rosetta Stone is a Ptolemaic age granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in
196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient
Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek. Because it
presents essentially the same text in all three scripts (with some minor differences among them), it
provided the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

False Door

⬗ Painted on the walls of the tomb’s was a false door which the ka would pass through in search of
offerings.
⬗ Servants were painted along the side offering food and drink for the ka.
⬗ Outside influences started to encroach on Egypt’s art and near the end it lost its uniqueness.

Rules of Egyptian Art

The carving's unusual features adhere to a strict set of rules followed by all Egyptian artists. These rules
required that every part of the body be shown from the most familiar point of view. For this reason, the head,
arms, legs, and feet were always shown in profile, whereas the eyes and shoulders were presented as seen from
the front. Following these rules meant that paintings and relief sculptures of the body looked distorted and
unnatural. It is a credit to the skill of Egyptian artists, however, that this distortion was kept to a minimum and
did not detract from the appealing appearance of their works.
The Egyptians were greatly concerned about life after death. Paintings and relief sculptures of the dead
were meant to serve as substitutes for the body. When artists created images of the pharaoh, they wanted to
make sure that all parts of the body were clearly shown. This was more important to them than making the
image beautiful or accurate. A complete image was vital. After all, if an arm were hidden behind the body in a
relief sculpture or painting, it would mean that the ka would enter a body that was without an arm. It would then
be forced to spend eternity in a deformed body. Thus, a strict set of rules was developed over the years to make
sure that all parts of the body were shown-and shown correctly-in sculptured and painted images.
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