1.1 Cultural Influences on Prehistoric Art

Apollo 11 Stones:

Apollo 11 Cave Stones, Namibia, quartzite, c. 25,500–25,300 B.C.E. Image courtesy of State Museum of Namibia.

The Apollo 11 Stones are a group of prehistoric artifacts found in the desert of Namibia, Africa. They date back to around 25,000 BCE and are believed to be among the earliest examples of human-made art.
• The stones are decorated with intricate geometric patterns, including circles, lines, and dots, that are thought to represent the natural world and spiritual beliefs.
• The style of the Apollo 11 Stones is typical of the San people, an indigenous group that lived in southern Africa during this time period.
• The San people were hunter-gatherers who lived in small, mobile groups, which likely influenced the abstract and symbolic nature of the Apollo 11 Stones.

The Ambum stone:

Ambum Stone, c. 1500 B.C.E., greywacke, 20 x 7.5 x 14 cm, Ambum Valley, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea (Australia National Gallery, Canberra)

• The Ambum stone is a prehistoric sculpture found in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. It dates back to around 10,000 BCE and is made of a type of volcanic rock called pumice.
• The sculpture depicts a human figure with exaggerated features, including large eyes, a broad nose, and a wide mouth.
• The Ambum stone is believed to have been used in rituals and ceremonies, and its exaggerated features may reflect the importance of certain physical characteristics in the culture that created it.
• The style of the Ambum stone is typical of the people of the New Guinea highlands, who were known for their highly developed ceremonial and ritual practices.

Tlatilco female figure:

Double-faced female figurine, early formative period, Tlatilco, c. 1200–900 B.C.E., ceramic with traces of pigment, 9.5 cm. high (Princeton University Art Museum)

• The Tlatilco female figure is a ceramic sculpture found in the Tlatilco neighborhood of Mexico City. It dates back to around 1200 BCE and is one of the earliest examples of ceramic art in the Americas.
• The sculpture depicts a female figure with large hips and breasts, which may indicate the importance of fertility and motherhood in the culture that created it.
• The Tlatilco female figure is an example of the Olmec culture, which is known for its advanced ceramics and metallurgy.

Cultural Influences:

• Prehistoric art is shaped by the cultural beliefs and practices of the societies that created it.
• The Apollo 11 Stones, The Ambum stone, and the Tlatilco female figure all reflect the specific cultural influences of the people who made them.
• The San people of southern Africa were hunter-gatherers who lived in small, mobile groups, which likely influenced the abstract and symbolic nature of the Apollo 11 Stones.
• The people of the New Guinea highlands were known for their highly developed ceremonial and ritual practices, which is reflected in the Ambum stone.
• The Olmec culture, which created the Tlatilco female figure, was known for its advanced ceramics and metallurgy.

To summarize: