The Humanistic Tradition

1
The Humanistic Tradition

• Introduction

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• Paleolithic Culture
• (ca. 6 million--10,000 B.C.E.)

3
A key issue

• Creation or evolution?

4

• Hominids near human or proto-human
• Homo habilis tool-making human
• Homo erectus upright human
• Homo sapiens symbol-making (e.g. burial rites)

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hominid
http//www.answers.com/topic/hominid
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http//www.wsu.edu/gened/learn-modules/top_longfor
/timeline/timeline.html
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Evolution?
http//www.angelfire.com/tx4/funhouse/pics/evolve2
.jpg
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www.keyvan1.com/ ecard/show.asp?catid8
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• Just kidding!!

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• The Ice Age
• (ca. 3 million--10,000 B.C.E.)

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Food for Thought

• What constitute art in antiquity?
• What were the functions of art in the ancient
  world?

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Lascaux caves, Dordogne, France
http//www.spacetoday.org/SolSys/Earth/OldStarChar
ts.html
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Lascaux caves, Dordogne, France
http//www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/
en/index4.html
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Pech-Merle caves, Lot, France
http//www.bradshawfoundation.com/chauvet/page3.ht
ml
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Venus of Willendorf, Austria
http//almez.pntic.mec.es/jmac0005/Bach_Arte/Teor
ia/Fotos/20.jpg
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The Venus of Laussel, Laussel, France
http//www.angelsandearthlythings.com/d-84.html
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Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England
http//www.gvhs.muhsd.k12.ca.us/Academic_Programs/
Visual_Arts/Teachers/Bolton/images/stonehenge.jpg
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Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England
http//webpages.charter.net/rodpowell/images/Stone
henge.jpg
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• Neolithic Culture
• (ca. 8000-4000 B.C.E.)

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• Major factor the rise of agriculture

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• What changes allowed the transition from nomadic
  to sedentary societies?

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• Birth of Civilization (1)
• --Birth of City
• rural ? urban/commercial
• irrigation system
• --Example
• Sumer in Mesopotamia

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Ancient Mesopotamia
http//www.wwnorton.com/college/history/ralph/rali
mage/map2meso.jpg
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• Birth of Civilization (2)
• --Birth of writing
• pictograph
• --Example
• Cuneiform Sumer
• Hieroglyph Egypt

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Cuneiform ? wedge form
http//www.upenn.edu/museum/Games/cuneiformorigin.
gif
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http//www.bible-history.com/babylonia/cuneiform_t
ablet_writing_close_black.gif
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hieros holy, glyphs carving
http//www.khm.de/mg/grundkurse/textverarbeitung/t
exte/Egypt_Hieroglyphe2.jpg
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http//www.themage.net/Egyptians/hieroglyph20ston
e.JPG
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The Rosetta Stone
http//www.bgst.edu.sg/realia/o17.JPG
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Discovery of the Rosetta Stone

• The Rosetta Stone, which provided the key to
  deciphering the writings of Ancient Egypt, was
  discovered near the town of Rosetta (now Rashid),
  located in the Nile Delta about 40 miles
  northeast of Alexandria, by a Frenchman, Pierre
  Bouchard, on 15 July 1799. Captain Bouchard, an
  engineer officer in Napoleon's expedition to
  Egypt, was supervising the reconstruction of an
  old fort . . . . http//mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/per
  mex/egypt/egypt.htm

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hieroglyphs
Demotic simplified hieroglyphs
Greek
http//www-helix.inrialpes.fr/IMG/jpg/correspondan
ce.jpg
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British Museum, London
http//www.mike-reed.com/images/Travel20Journal/E
ngland/08020-20British20Museum20-20London,20
England20-20Rosetta20Stone.JPG
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• Birth of Civilization (3)
• --Advances in metallurgy
• more durable tools weapons (than stones
  bones)
• --Example bronze casting

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Myth

• 1. Myths are grounded in sensual evidence,
  therefore rich in visual imagery.
• 2. Myths are closely related to morality,
  rituals, and religious beliefs.
• 3. Similarities of earlier myths the genesis of
  first life forms from water

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The Flood Myth

• Some resources
• http//history-world.org/floods.htm
• http//www.talkorigins.org/faqs/flood-myths.html
• http//www.uh.edu/hti/cu/2000/v05/05.htm

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• The End