Lascaux Cave Paintings

Cro-Magnon people created some of the worlds first paintings. After reading, your job is to create a product that helps bring pre-historic cave paintings to life.

Display the following in you project/product.
1. The location of Lascaux Caves

The Lascaux cave paintings were discovered by four teenage boys by accident. The cave is in the Lascaux woods in France.

2. The work required to be a pre-historic cave painter
The Pre-Historic Cave painters had to go to great lengths to create the paintings that they did. it must have taken a long time just to make the paint and then the brushes. When they did use brushes, it is thought thta they were made out of some tupes of reeds or bristles.

3. When and why they may have painted
The cave paintings were done in the dark parts of the caves. No one knows why exactly the paintings were done. However, some theories were said to be that they were done during hunting and the painters painted the animals which they wished to catch. Other thoughts on the paintings were that they were a part of religious ceromonies.

4. Lascaux images

The Lascaux Paintings are thought to be about 30,000 to 10,000 years old.

5. Artist techniques used. What is gradation of value?
The paint that was used was made from lumps of clay and soft stone that ground into fine powder. The pigment was then mixed with animal fat or blood. The pigment was then applied to teh smoothest walls with their fingers. At the Altamira they had a more advanced technique. The outline of the animal was scratched into hte wall and filled in with a dark colored pigment. After that, realistic features were added which suggested the artist studied the animals carefully before painting. Gradation of value is a shading technique which uses a slow transition between opposites.

6. Careful attention to the reading is evident

7. The feeling of being a cave artist
To be a cave painter it must have been very difficult. Not only the painting adn making the supplies they needed but being in the cave itself. The only light that they had was provided by stone lamps that were filled with animal fat. Between the smell of the lights and the smell of the pigment used as paint, which also had animal fat and blood in it, the cave probably smelled gross and was just not a fun placee to be in.

Grading (40 points)
A. Strongly reflects the above points
B. Reflects above points with minor flaws
C. Reflects above points with several flaws but consistent effort is observed
D. Reflects above points with several flaws and inconsistent effort observed
F. Does not reflect above points. Little or no effort
** Project grades will be penalized 10% for each day past due.
After five days project grade will be recorded as a zero

Pre-History Blog Assignment

After examining your time line, Human Origins in Africa, class room notes and your life experiences place visuals with captions on your blog that define, give examples of and connect to your world the following.

1. Key differences between humans and other species
There are many diferences between modern
day humans and other species.

For one,
humans walk upright and have oposable thumbs.
Another difference is that humans have
a language that can be spoken as a way of
communication. Humans have technology
and knowledge so they can build things such
as tools and other things necassary for living.
Humans have also used this knowledge and
technologyto change the geography or our world
with buildings, roads, and other human-made
landforms.

2. Lucy


This is a picture of Lucy, an adult female Hominid skeleton that was found
by Donald Johanson in 1974. Lucy was the first species to walk upright. Humans today
also walk upright, like Lucy. If Lucy hadn't been discovered, scientists couldn't make the connections and theories about evolution of other species into
humans today.


3. Homo Habilis


This is a Homo Habilis. Homo Habilis's are a form of hominids. Habilis means
"man of skill". Homo Habilis were thought to use tools to cut meat and to
crack open bones. Today, we have more technology and knowledge than the Homo Habilis did, so we can make more advanced tools to do more with.

4. Homo Erectus




The Homo Erectus, otherwise known as the "upright man", appeared sometime after the
Homo Habilis. Homo Erectus were more intelligent forms of Homo Habilis and adapted
easier. Homo Erectus also used technology to apply knowledge to things that they did.
They slowly became skillful hunters. They were also the first to use fire.
Much like the Homo Erectus, we use knowledge and technology. We have come a long way though. We now have more skills for hunting and more uses for fire.

5. Homo Sapiens



Homo Sapiens, meaning "wise men" resemble Homo Erectus physically but had much larger brains. Today, we are Homo Sapiens. It is said that Homo Sapiens have evolved from Homo Erectus, who also had a huge impact on the Earth. WIth out Homo Sapiens, the Earth wouldn't be like it was today and we wouldn't be here.

6. Neanderthals




This is a Neanderthal. Neanderthals were powerfully built with well developed muscles and thick bones. They also had heavy slanted brows. The Neanderthalls lived between 200,00 and 30,000 years ago. They developed religious beliefs along with rituals. When one died, it was buried. Like modern day humans, they had feelings and cared for each other.

7. Cro-Magnon



CroMagnons emerged about 40,000 years ago. Skeletal remains show that they are identicle to modern day humans. Cro Magnons planned their hunts adn studied animals. Becuase of this they survived easier. The CroMagnons also had an advanced spoken language.Cro Magnons were Homo Sapiens in Europe. They were also the first to make art.