Product Description

Some of the oldest art in the world is the subject of this riveting and beautiful book. Paul Bahn and Jean Vertut explore carved objects and wall art discoveries from the Ice Age, covering the period from 300,000 B.P. to 10,000 B.P., and their collaboration marks a signal event for archaeologists and lay readers alike.
Utilizing the most modern analytical techniques in archaeology, Bahn presents new accounts of Russian caves only recently opened to foreign specialists; the latest discoveries from China and Brazil; European cave finds at Cosquer, Chauvet, and Covaciella; and the recently discovered sites in Australia. He also studies sites in Africa, India, and the Far East. Included are the only photographic images of many caves that are now closed to protect their fragile environments. A separate chapter in the book examines art fakes and forgeries and relates how such deceptions have been exposed.
The beliefs and preoccupations of Paleolithic peoples resonate throughout this book: the importance of the hunt and the magic and shamanism surrounding it, the recording of the seasons, the rituals of sex and fertility, the cosmology and associated myths. Yet enigmas and mysteries emerge as well, particularly as new analytical techniques raise new questions and cast doubt on our earlier suppositions.
A comprehensive, up-to-date analysis of all that has been discovered about Ice Age art, Bahn and Vertut's book offers a visually rich link with the past.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1862407 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From Library Journal
This publication updates Images of the Ice Age (Facts on File, 1988) with new discoveries and illustrations. The reproduction of the photographs is greatly improved over the first edition. As with similar popular books on ice age art (for example, The Cave Beneath the Sea: Paleolithic Images at Cosquer, Abrams, 1996), the strength is photographs taken by Vertut. This work is too detailed for general readers, though it is very readable overall, covering many aspects of various art forms, their creation and meaning, dating techniques and results, forgeries, and their history and discovery. The text reflects Bahn's experience with compiling popular and reference works on archaeology. As it is very up-to-date, informative, and beautifully produced, including a scholarly bibliography, it is recommended for art lovers, archaeology fans, and libraries with collections of any size in art, archaeology, and anthropology.?Joyce L. Ogburn, Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, Va.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Bahn's conclusions about Paleolithic art are revealing and humble in understanding our ancestors."--"Sacramento Bee

Ingram
Some of the oldest art in the world is the subject of this riveting and beautiful book. Bahn and Vertut explore carved objects and wall art discoveries from the Ice Age, covering the period from 300,000 B.C. to 40,000 B.C., and their collaboration marks a signal event for archaeologists and lay readers alike. 150 full-color illustrations, 50 b&w illustrations.