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Jamie Bohr
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Jamie Bohr
Professor Butterworth
ART114.0001
07 November 2021
Cave Paintings of Altamira
Found in Northern Spain near the village of Antillana del Mar in 1868 by a hunter named
Modesto Peres who was actually just looking for his lost dog. These cave paintings are one of
seventeen different cave units around the Northern Spanish area. We have found over 100
different cave paintings, rock engravings, and drawings within the vast caverns on-site stretching 270 meters long. These are some of the most
important pieces of artwork to ever be created
because this is our starting point. This is where we began.
Unfortunately when first discovered, little was made note of the new findings. It wasn’t
until a nobleman by the very long name of Marcelio Sanz de Sautuola and archeologist Juan
Vilanova y Piera studied these cave paintings back in 1879 that people started to look into the
paintings. The two wrote a report on their findings and at first it faced criticism from other
experts. Fortunately after copies of the paintings started to be passed along through the
community did not only the historical community understand the gravity of these findings but the
rest of the world as well. Altamira was soon to become of the world’s largest exhibits of
prehistoric art. The prehistoric aspect of this art is truely what makes it so special. To know that
for thousands of years we have always found a way to express ourselves through art and similar
mediums is comforting in a way. Humanity was still in its infancy when all of this happened and
the creativity and ingenuity that these people show is astonishing in where they created these
paintings, the mediums in which they used and the realism within these art pieces goes to show that while we have progressed from crushing
berries to digital art, there is always a piece of our
roots that still shows to this day.
What is truely asstounding is when dating the artwork came into play. At first french
scientists Andre Leroi-Gourhan and Annette Laming used what is called carbon 14 dating or
radiocarbon dating where they study the rate of decay from carbon to nitrogen to estimate when
an organism either died or was created. When doing this they found that two of the cave paintings dated back to between 15,000 BCE and
12,000 BCE during the Magdalenian period.
Then in 2004 researchered studied the cave rock itself, taking samples from the floor, and dated
those to be between 12,000 BCE and 13,500 BCE, also in the Magdalenian period and two more
paintings were found to have been created between 15,200 BCE and 17,630 BCE. And again when dating studies began again an 8th level was
detected and dated all the way back to the
Gravettian period around 20,000 BCE.
Then in 2008 british scientists used a different dating strategy using the
Uranium/Thorium (U/Th) method, which is similar to carbon dating but is using different
elements. With this new method they were about to determine that other artworks were able to be
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dated back to be between 23,000 BCE and 33,000 BCE. And most recently in 2012 they were
able to date a painting back to 34,000 BCE. What is most amazing about these findings is that
there is clearly a generational retelling of these people. With different paintings having different
dates we know that they were not all created at the same time, meaning that there was a
stationary civilization here or that generation after generation the same tribe was coming back to these caves and painting their knowledge for
the future generations to find and learn from.
To conclude the findings, it is apparent that when looked at closely these paintings are
some of the most important pieces of work ever created. Some may argue and say that they
aren’t really art or that a child could draw them. That though is not the point. These early
humans, our ancestors were about to find and use the environment around them to inivativly
create and use as paint to create and teach. Time and time again over who knows just how many
generations these people either came back to or never left these cave dwellings and would use art
and their environment to teach the younger ones the things they have learned and what the older generations have learned to further them in
the world as we do with our children now.
Works Cited
“Altamira Cave Paintings: Dating, Layout, Photographs.” Altamira Cave
Paintings, www.visual-arts-
cork.com/prehistoric/altamira-cave-paintings.htm.
Accessed
8 Nov. 2021.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Altamira". Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Sep. 2010, https://www.britannica.com/place/Altamira. Accessed 7 November 2021.
“Did Humans Make These Ancient Cave Paintings? | National Geographic.”
YouTube, 30 Dec. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUNODUpkT2o.
Kleiner, Fred. Gardners’ Art through the Ages: A Concise Global
History. 4th
ed., Cengage Learning, 2016.
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Jaiden Goss
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Jaiden Goss
Dr. Jenny Butterworth
Art 114.0001
November 7, 2021
Parthian Earring
The Earring is a golden piece of jewelry decorated with three rows of arched perforations,
five pomegranates (originally seven), and indicates that a pendant previously hung from the bottom during it’s time of use (The MET). This
earring originated from the Parthian Empire in the 1st or 2nd century and is now located at The MET Museum in the Ancient Near Eastern
Department. In the Parthian Empire, the Earring functioned as a piece of jewelry either worn for iconographic purposes or in funeral portraiture.
Other examples of this type of Earring were found in portraits in Palmyra and statuary in Hatra (The MET), showing us that golden jewelry has
been revealed to be worn in many locations during the Ancient Near Eastern times and with many purposes. This Parthian earring portrays
power of the owner because of its precious material, the purpose of its iconography, and because of its use in Parthian funeral portraiture.
The Earring is made of pure gold, which in the Parthian Empire was an expensive material
that displayed power in its context. This empire is directly in between the East and West trading
routes, also known as the Silk Road, so it is very likely that the citizens here could access high end
materials in certain instances. Gold was most likely not unattainable; however, it is stated that it
was most worn by nobles or those in the military. “It appears gold was abundant enough, even the
reins of some warhorses were studded with gold.” (Smith). From this statement, it is obvious that
gold was used for decoration in wars to also show power in battle too. Despite the abundance of
gold in this empire, it’s very unlikely that the working citizens would have gold in their possession
if not for the purpose of trading or making a living in their time. This earring was still a very treasured and luxurious item mostly used by those
in higher status, so for these reasons it displayed
power through its material.
Those who used this golden Earring demonstrate power through its iconography as well.
Since it is stated that nobles were often the owners of golden material, it’s important to look at
what’s shown on this earring and why the nobles may want certain imagery to be placed on their
jewelry. This earring has 5 pomegranates, originally 7, placed around the bottom edges and
dangling on display for those who lay eyes on it. It is also noticeable that Parthian art employs
styles and motifs from older Ancient Near Eastern traditions (The MET) which can give us context on the iconographic purpose these
pomegranates may hold for the owner. Researcher Federica
Spagnoli states, “In ancient Mesopotamian art pomegranates are often represented with the deities
of fertility, fecundity, and abundance.” (Spagnoli) and at this Earring’s Museum, The MET, it is
also said that this earring may have been associated with fertility. To receive an earring made of
golden material, solely for the purpose of receiving good health for fertility, that alone shows that
the owner holds a certain level of privilege that others may not have the chance to receive. If a
citizen of Parthian would like to receive good health in fertility, they may not have the money or recourses to receive a golden earring for only
this purpose. Only those who hold power can possess
this type of Earring for this reason, and for other reasons as well.
The Earring and other gold jewelry found from the Ancient Near East can be seen in many
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funerary portraits from Palmyra. Funerary portraits have many intended purposes, but one mostly
being to guide the diseased to their next life. The Earring being placed on a funerary portrait shows
that the individual it was on was most likely of high status and wanted their power to be displayed
by the jewelry they wore before their passing. It is not uncommon for gold jewelry to be on these
funerary portraits of Palmyra; Rubina Raja, a Palmyra researcher, describes another portrait
“Beauty of Palmyra” as lavish and unique. “The jewelry is extremely detailed: the bust is wearing
seven necklaces, and they are all different. The same goes for the headgear, so there are lots of
different jewel[s] attached to the headgear and textiles.” (Raja). It is very likely that the Earring may have been placed on another portrait
displaying this much precious jewelry as well. This
could be placed on an owners portrait who hoped for a wealthy and powerful next life.
The Earring founded in the Parthian Empire may, in some eyes, just be a piece of jewelry
worn in ancient times. However, with the knowledge today on Ancient Near East art, we can infer
the greater uses of its power and what purpose the owner intended with this jewelry. Although the
answer will forever be unclear, the material used, the iconography presented in many pieces of art in the Parthian Empire, and the many other
golden jewelry found on Palmyra funerary portraits can
show what kind of power this earring may have held in its time of use.
Works Cited
A., Patrick Scott Smith, M. "Parthian Art." World History Encyclopedia. World History
Encyclopedia, 13 Nov 2020. Web. 05 Nov 2021.
“Ane Today - 201902 - the Golden Pome: The Pomegranate from Its Deepest Roots to Modern
Culture.” American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR), 15 May 2020,
https://www.asor.org/anetoday/2019/02/Golden-Pome.
Bonfitto, Annelisa Stephan and Peter, et al. “Funerary
Portraiture Helps Scholars Reconstruct the
Social History of Ancient Palmyra.” Getty Iris, 2 Nov. 2020,
https://blogs.getty.edu/iris/funerary-portraiture-helps-scholars-reconstruct-the-social-history
of-ancient-palmyra/.
Fowlkes-Childs, Blair, expanded original text by
Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art. “The
Parthian Empire (247 B.C.–224 A.D.).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/part/hd_part.htm
(originally published October
2000, last updated November 2016)
Metmuseum.org, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/328744.
ART 114 MUSEUM PAPER INSTRUCTIONS
Background: Art and Power
Art before the Modern era was almost always functional rather than (or in addition to
being) decorative. Artworks were not created simply to be looked at but were used for
various purposes. One of the major ways that art has functioned in the past (and
continues to function to a certain extent) is to convey ideas of power. Power is a broad
concept, so you are free to interpret power in whatever way makes the most sense to
you.
I want you to look carefully at the artwork and decide what YOU think are the most
important or most effective aspects of the artwork that communicated ideas of power to
viewers at the time and place it was created and then support your claim using your
own descriptions of the artwork itself, information from the museum about your artwork,
information from other museums about similar artworks, information from weekly folders
from this course, scholarly blogs or websites, or published academic research.
Keep your own ideas first and use other sources to support YOUR ideas.
Assignment:
Write a standard 5 paragraph essay, MLA style, examining one artwork from any of the
periods or places covered in this course that expresses power in some way:
Your paper will have 5 paragraphs:
1) Introduction – Introduce your artwork and thoroughly describe when/where it is
from and what it would have been used for. Include your ideas about how it
relates to the concept of power. The last sentence of this paragraph is your
THESIS SENTENCE (tell me what you are arguing)
2) Body Paragraph 1 – Describe and explain in detail one aspect of the artwork that
conveys ideas of power. Include at least one reliable source to support your idea.
3) Body paragraph 2 – Describe and explain in detail a second aspect of the
artwork that conveys ideas of power. Include at least one reliable source to
support your idea.
4) Body Paragraph 3 - Describe and explain in detail a third aspect of the artwork
that conveys ideas of power. Include at least one reliable source to support your
idea.
5) Conclusion – restate your thesis (tell me what you argued) and include
information that makes your work interesting, relatable, or important.
It will also include a works cited page at the end, in which you have listed all of the
sources that you used to support your ideas in the paper.
Outline
Explained the meaning of a good essay
Evaluated, graded, and gave the steps to be followed to improve exhibit a
Evaluated and graded exhibit b
Students name
Instructor’s name
Course title
Date
Evaluation of papers
Introduction
A good essay should have a clear and concise introduction that outlines the essay's main
points. It should also include a thesis statement that states the essay's main argument. The essay's
body should provide evidence and examples to support the thesis statement. The conclusion
should summarize the essay's main points and provide a final thought or opinion. The essay
should be well-structured, with each paragraph logically connected to the next. Finally, it should
be written clearly and concisely, with correct grammar and spelling. This paper gives a concise
evaluation and grading of two artwork essays and explains what the authors should have added
and discarded to make the articles seamless.
Cave Paintings of Altamira
The introduction explains where the paintings were found briefly. The author needs to
bring out his ideas and connect art with the concept of power. Furthermore, the thesis statement
needs to be clearer and give the reader what to expect in the body of the article. Secondly, the
essay needs to provide more evidence to support its claims. A good essay should always be
supported with credible sources to make the context more factual and believable. Jamie points
out historic records in the body paragraphs but needs to cite credible sources to strengthen the
statements. Thirdly, the essay needs to provide more analysis of the evidence presented. For an
essay to flow, the author must give a complete analysis and only touch on different points after
fully explaining them. That way, the reader understands what the author is trying to convey.
Lastly, the essay needs a clear conclusion that ties back to the main points of the essay. A good
conclusion, as mentioned above, should give a summary of what the article talks about.
Unfortunately, Jamie needs to summarize what is in the paper in the conclusion paragraph.
Although the paper has a reference page, it lacks in-text citations, and I would give it 40 points
out of 100 points.
The 40 points entails the introduction , the body and the conclusion. For the introduction
part I awarded it 6 points because of shallow background information. It lacks depiction of
power and the thesis statement is unclear. The first paragraph has no topic sentence and lacks
intext citation hence I awarded it 9 points. The second paragraph and the third paragraph got 5
and 5 points respectively since it lacks expansive analysis and evidence. The paper has a poor
conclusion which prompted me to award it 3 points. The organization of the paper is poor hence
the 2 points for general writing. Moreover, for the sources part I awarded 7 points.
What should the author have done to improve the essay?
The essay needs a clear structure or organization; the author should start reorganizing its
content logically to support her argument. The essay also needs to provide more evidence for the
arguments; the author should add additional facts and references to that point of view.
Firstly, the concept of power should have been mentioned in the introduction. The author
should have also been more specific on the artwork's origin with the approximate date and
location. To improve the article, the author should give their ideas concerning power and connect
them with the artwork in the thesis statement—that way; the reader will know what to expect in
the essay's body. The first paragraph should contain an idea in the topic sentence supported with
evidence and a clear conclusion. Moreover, the paragraph should at least have an in-text citation
from a credible source to support the claims in the paragraph.
Like the first paragraph, the second and third paragraphs should be cited, and the claims
should be supported with factual evidence. When logical statements and sources support claims,
it makes the essay credible and can be used by other authors as they review concepts of the same
context. A conclusion should be made by summarizing what is present in the whole article. The
author could add their interesting views or recommendation at the end to make the essay
thrilling. Finally, the reference page should have a credible source. After completing revisions,
the author should ask for other opinions from someone knowledgeable about the topic or
experience in writing essays. Significantly, one way to improve the body of an essay is to use a
variety of sentence lengths. Varying sentences help keep the reader focused, as short sentences
are more direct and concise, and longer, slower sentences can be used for explanation or
elaboration. Peer review can also be beneficial in finding errors in writing and identifying areas
of development.
Additionally, thoroughly researching each topic covered in the essay will help provide
more detailed information and efficient support for thesis statements. Incorporating strong
transitions between paragraphs is useful during sentence structure organization, allowing for a
smooth flow throughout the body of an essay. Their feedback can help identify any remaining
errors and further improve the essay.
Parthian Earring
I would give the paper 70 to 80 points out of 100 points .The author has depicted in depth
that she understands the art piece. The introduction gives detailed information about the origin of
the earing and how it is related to power as required in the grading rubric.. The essay is
organized clearly and consistently, offering a comprehensive analysis of the Earring's symbolism.
The use of the Earring in funeral portraiture and its representation in the Parthian Empire are
particularly good examples of how its power was displayed. The conclusion is a sensible
summary of the presented evidence, and the author expresses their interest in the unanswered
questions. The sources used are credible, and the paper contains proper in-text citations in the
body paragraphs.
