Leading archaeologist Paul Bahn explores the caves, rocks, and objects decorated by our Ice Age ancestors, giving us a unique opportunity to marvel at some of the earliest evidence of artistic expression. Images of the Ice Age provides a visual feast and an absorbing synthesis of this crucial aspect of human history.

Images of the Ice Age, here in its third edition, is the most complete study available of the world's earliest imagery, presenting a fascinating and up-to-date account of the art of our Ice Age ancestors. Authoritative and wide-ranging, it covers not only the magnificent cave art of famous sites such as Lascaux, Altamira, and Chauvet, but also other less well-known sites around the world, art discovered in the open air, and the thousands of incredible pieces of portable art in bone, antler, ivory, and stone produced in the same period. In doing so, the book summarizes all the major worldwide research into Ice Age art both past and present, exploring the controversial history of the art's discovery and acceptance, including the methods used for recording and dating, the faking of decorated objects and caves, and the wide range of theories that have been applied to this artistic corpus. Lavishly illustrated and highly accessible, Images of the Ice Age provides a visual feast and an absorbing synthesis of this crucial aspect of human history, offering a unique opportunity to appreciate universally important works of art, many of which can never be accessible to the public, and which represent the very earliest evidence of artistic expression.

[In Images of the Ice Age ,Paul Bahn] offers a unique opportunity to appreciate universally important works of art, many of which can never be accessible to the public, and which represents the very earliest evidence of artistic expression.

Autorentext

Paul G. Bahn is a leading writer, lecturer, translator, and broadcaster in the field of archaeology. In 2003, he led the team that discovered the first Ice Age cave art in England, at Creswell Crags in Nottinghamshire. He has been freelance since the mid-80s and regularly leads lecture tours to, among other places, the famous decorated caves of Europe.

Klappentext

Images of the Ice Age, here in its third edition, is the most complete study available of the world's earliest imagery, presenting a fascinating and up-to-date account of the art of our Ice Age ancestors. Authoritative and wide-ranging, it covers not only the magnificent cave art of famous sites such as Lascaux, Altamira, and Chauvet, but also other less well-known sites around the world, art discovered in the open air, and the thousands of incredible pieces of portable art in bone, antler, ivory, and stone produced in the same period. In doing so, the book summarizes all the major worldwide research into Ice Age art both past and present, exploring the controversial history of the art's discovery and acceptance, including the methods used for recording and dating, the faking of decorated objects and caves, and the wide range of theories that have been applied to this artistic corpus. Lavishly illustrated and highly accessible, Images of the Ice Age provides a visual feast and an absorbing synthesis of this crucial aspect of human history, offering a unique opportunity to appreciate universally important works of art, many of which can never be accessible to the public, and which represent the very earliest evidence of artistic expression.

Inhalt

• Preface and Acknowledgements

• List of Illustrations

• Introduction

• 1: The Discovery of Ice Age Art

• 2: The Oldest 'Art' in the World

• 3: A Worldwide Phenomenon

• 4: Making a Record

• 5: How Old is the Art?

• 6: Fakes and Forgeries

• 7: Portable Art

• 8: Blocks, Rock-Shelters, and Caves

• 9: Art in the Open Air

• 10: What Was Depicted?

• 11: Reading the Messages

• 12: Conclusion

• Notes

• References

• Index