Kinds and features of art of primitive society

Primitive art, despite its external simplicity and unpretentiousness, is of great importance in the history of mankind as a whole. The development of its various species lasted for millennia, and in some regions of the planet - for example, in Australia, Oceania, some states of Africa and America - it existed in the 20th century, changing its name to "traditional art".

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The most ancient monuments of the art of the primitive world belong to the ancient stone age - the Paleolithic (about 40 thousand years BC). Basically, these were rock paintings on the ceilings and walls of caves, underground caves and galleries in Europe, North Africa and South Asia. The early drawings were extremely primitive and depicted only what the person saw in their daily lives: animals, prints of human hands smeared in paint, etc. For painting, earth paints, ocher, black manganese, white lime were used. With the development of the art of the primitive period, the drawings became multicolored, and the subjects became more complicated.

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In addition, stone, wood and bone carving intensively developed, people learned how to make full-value figurines. Most often depicted again animals: bears, lions, mammoths, snakes and birds. Making such figures, people tried as accurately as possible to recreate the silhouette, the texture of the wool, etc. It is believed that the figurines served our ancestors as amulets, protecting them from evil spirits.

Architecture

After the Ice Age, the so-called Neolithic revolution took place. An increasing number of tribes chose a settled way of life and needed a permanent and reliable home. Depending on the place of residence of a particular people, many new types of houses appeared - on stilts, from dried bricks, etc.

Ceramics

Ceramic products occupy the most important place in the history of the art of the primitive world . They were also first produced in the Neolithic period. The material, clay, that was available and easy to process, people learned long before in the Paleolithic, but they really began to decorate the dishes and other products from it a little later. Gradually appeared more and more new forms (jugs, bowls, bowls and others), almost every object was decorated with the help of painted or carved ornaments. Trypillian ceramics can be considered a vivid example of the art of primitive society . The painting on various products of this people reflected the reality in all its diversity.

The Bronze Age

Considering the forms of primitive art, we should pay attention to bronze casting, which marked the beginning of a completely new era in the history of human development. It was during this period that megalithic constructions appeared (menhirs, dolmens, cromlechs), which, according to historians, carried a religious overtones. As a rule, megaliths were located near the burial sites.

Decoration

During all the stages, primitive people sought to decorate themselves and their clothes. Ornaments were made from all improvised materials: shells, bones of prey, stone, clay. Over time, having learned to process bronze, iron and other metals, including precious metals, people have acquired artfully made jewelry, which to this day shock us with their beauty and elegance.

The art of the primitive epoch is of paramount importance, since it is with its appearance that the strongest leap in evolution is often compared, forever separating man from the beast.