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Chapter 2 – Prehistoric Art
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Prehistory is defined as the period before:
a. architecture.
b. domesticated animals.
c. writing.
d. all of these.
e. none of these.
2. 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.
3. 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.
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4. 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.
5. 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.
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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
Fill–in–the-Blank Questions
16. The first European Paleolithic cave paintings were discovered in 1879 near
____________.
17. The building up of the walls of a clay vessel by successively adding long ropes of
clay and then smoothing the joints is called ____________.
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) ____________.
19. 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
____________.
20. Bacchus was the ancient Roman god of ____________ and ____________.
21. The term Paleolithic means “Old Iron Age.”
22. The term Neolithic means “New Stone Age.”
23. Mesolithic rock painting shows scenes of human conflict.
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24. As at Stonehenge, when placed in a row, menhirs become a cromlech.
25. The scale of Stonehenge and its construction suggest it was not a setting for religious
rituals.
Short Answer Questions
26. During the Neolithic period, why was pottery important to the stabilized living
environment?
27. The Hongshan site at Dongshanzui, China probably served as what for surrounding
villages?
28. What is a pig-dragon from the Hongshan Culture?
29. In settled Neolithic communities, how did pottery begin and what did it become?
30. 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?
Essay Questions
31. 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?
32. What is the most likely explanation for the similar iconography in Prehistoric
figurines of woman?