Art History

Prehistoric and Mesopotamian

The oldest art that we have was found in Europe. The fertility goddess from Austria, called "Venus of Willendorf", is one of the oldest pieces of sculpture. Its age cannot be accurately determined. However, it is from the Old Stone Age, or "Paleolithic" period, dating many thousands of years before the first civilization in Mesopotamia. The cave paintings found in France are also some of the oldest art in existence. These also come from the Paleolithic period in Europe.

Venus of Willendorf is probably something like a good luck charm. It depicts a woman who is very well-fed. Since the food supply in prehistoric times was not always constant, the accumulation of fat on the body was a desirable thing. She was also probably supposed to bring good fortune to a woman who owned it in being a prolific child-bearer. The purpose of the cave-paintings is not known. Perhaps they were part of a magic ritual; or perhaps they were just painted because someone wanted to do it.

Stonehenge, found in southern England, was most certainly connected with religious rites. It is well-established that it is oriented toward the sunrise on the first day of summer.

The first civilization on Earth was in Mesopotamia, where present-day Iraq is located. Around 3,500 B.C., walled city-states, ruled by a chief or king, were built. Excavations around the city of Ur have produced many artifacts. Especially productive was the so-called "death pit" of Ur. Here a king was buried, along with many of his subjects, in 2,600 B.C. The subjects were probably killed and buried with the king in order to accompany him to the after-life.