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Cave Art

By Bruno David
Series: World of Art
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Cave Art by Bruno David explores humanity's earliest artistic expressions hidden deep underground. From portable objects like shell beads signalling early self-awareness, to intricate geometric patterns on ostrich eggshells that symbolised community and communication, to the vivid murals adorning cave walls, the book reveals how these ancient creations connect us to our ancestors. David combines archaeology with storytelling to unlock the secrets of these artworks, showcasing discoveries from Africa’s oldest painting kits to Europe's famous Ice Age murals, illuminating our shared human past.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$6500

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in arts, archaeology, anthropology, and the cultural history of humanity’s earliest creative endeavours.

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An archaeological exploration of the mysterious world of cave art through the ages.

An archaeological exploration of the mysterious world of cave art through the ages

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Deep underground, hidden from view, some of humanity's earliest artistic endeavours have lain buried for thousands of years. The most ancient artworks were portable objects, left on cave floors. Shell beads signal that 100,000 years ago, humans had developed a sense of self and a desire to beautify the body. Ostrich eggshells incised with curious geometric patterns hint at how communities used art, through the power of symbols, to communicate ways of doing things and bind people together.

In time, people came to adorn cave walls with symbols, some abstract, others vivid arrangements of animals and humans. Often undisturbed for tens of thousands of years, these were among the first visual symbols that humans shared with each other. However, as archaeologist Bruno David reveals, we have ways of unlocking their secrets. Sometimes these lie in the art itself, sometimes lying on the ground, or buried beneath where people have left traces of what they did, footprints of the ancestors.

In pictures and words, David tells the story of this mysterious world of decorated caves, from the oldest known 'painting kits', found virtually intact after their use 100,000 years ago in South Africa, to the magnificent murals of the European Ice Age that are so famous today. Showcasing the most astounding discoveries made in the past 150 years of archaeological exploration, Cave Art explores these creative achievements, from our remotest ancestors to recent times, and what they tell us about the human past and ourselves today.

Series: World of Art

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780500204351

Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 16 February 2017

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Thames & Hudson Ltd

Illustration: 15 Illustrations, black and white; 208 Illustrations, color

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 150.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 540g

Pages: 256

Collections

Ancient & Classical History Arts & Culture Bruno David Non-Fiction Series: World of Art

About the Author

Bruno David is Associate Professor in archaeology at the Monash Indigenous Centre, Monash University, Australia.

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