Deck 2: Prehistoric Art

Question 1

Paleolithic artists created pigments by grinding minerals and mixing them with:

A) bone marrow.
B) vegetable oil.
C) animal fat.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The first European Paleolithic cave paintings were discovered in 1879 near
____________.

Answer 2

Altamira

Question 3

Prehistory is defined as the period before:

A) architecture.
B) domesticated animals.
C) writing.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In a tradition characteristic of much of African art,the features of the Nok head are emphatically naturalistic and:

A) strictly realistic.
B) powerfully abstracted.
C) incredibly illusionistic.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 5

The axis at Stonehenge,established through the horseshoe by the heel stone,leads the eye to the point on the eastern horizon where the sun rises on the dawn of the
____________.

Question 6

In cave art,some animal images are shown pierced with spears:

A) as a demonstration to young hunters.
B) for a ritual purpose.
C) to capture the animals' life spirits.
D) to help ensure a successful hunt.
E) all of these.

Question 7

The skill of Paleolithic artists was often remarkable in:

A) fluid execution of the animal forms.
B) rendering of the landscape.
C) exact geometry of the decorative patterns.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 8

The bull figure in the Animal Hunt from Çatal Hüyük was most likely a symbol of:

A) the enemy.
B) food.
C) the male deity.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 9

The construction of Stonehenge probably required the support and participation of:

A) the entire community.
B) a priestly class.
C) the army.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 10

The building up of the walls of a clay vessel by successively adding long ropes of clay and then smoothing the joints is called ____________.

Question 11

The Neolithic period is characterized by:

A) a sedentary lifestyle.
B) domestication of animals.
C) domestication of plants.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 12

In the Middle Neolithic period in China,during the fourth millennium BCE,several cultures began to produce refined jade artifacts,which signaled trends toward:

A) public architecture.
B) craft specialization.
C) social inequality.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 13

Bacchus was the ancient Roman god of ____________ and ____________.

Question 14

The design of the modest clay pot found in the River Thames may be explained by:

A) aesthetic desire.
B) its function as a container.
C) being an aid in firing.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 15

The arrangement of stones at Stonehenge reveals the importance,for Neolithic peoples,of:

A) animal sacrifice.
B) smelting.
C) celestial events.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 16

It is almost certain that the "Great Serpent Mound" had,for its builders,a purpose that was:

A) scientific.
B) religious.
C) decorative.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 17

In the image of Bulls from Lascaux cave,the application of line and color reveals:

A) understanding of the animals' anatomy.
B) careful observation.
C) understanding of the animals' movement.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 18

By 3000 BCE,in parts of Asia and China,a revolving stand for forming clay vessels was in use; this device is called a(n) ____________.

Question 19

If much prehistoric art was used in rituals,then the persons who created the images may have been the individuals who functioned as:

A) kings.
B) shamans.
C) builders.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 20

On the North American continent,the most conspicuous remains from the Neolithic period are:

A) animal heads.
B) cave paintings.
C) giant earth mounds.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 21

In settled Neolithic communities,how did pottery begin and what did it become?

Question 22

The scale of Stonehenge and its construction suggest it was not a setting for religious rituals.

Question 23

Mesolithic rock painting shows scenes of human conflict.

Question 24

What is the most likely explanation for the similar iconography in Prehistoric figurines of woman?

Question 25

During the Neolithic period,why was pottery important to the stabilized living environment?

Question 26

Small figurative sculptures,such as the Statuette of a Woman found at Willendorf,Austria,pose unique problems of interpretation; what are the various functions proposed by scholars to explain these sculptures?

Question 27

What is a pig-dragon from the Hongshan Culture?

Question 28

The term Neolithic means "New Stone Age."

Question 29

The painting of The Mass of Saint Giles shows objects in use during the ritual of the mass,but what is missed by being left out?

Question 30

As at Stonehenge,when placed in a row,menhirs become a cromlech.

Question 31

The Hongshan site at Dongshanzui,China probably served as what for surrounding villages?

Question 32

The term Paleolithic means "Old Iron Age."