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#6038
Maggie May
Participant

I think that when individuals state that pre-historic art is ‘abstracted’ they may be referring to the lines and forms created, which are simple by modern standards. It could also be that pre-historic art is sometimes labelled ‘abstract’ because as observers, we naturally view all art through the lens of our own experiences with modern life. Pre-historic art is indeed ‘abstracted’ or distanced from our modern world. However, at the time pre-historic art pieces were created, their means of creation were considered complex and elaborate. The art created was a vital part of both Paleolithic and Neolithic societies. It served a variety of purposes, from symbolically communicating fertility and amiability of their peoples (Woman of Willendorf and WOMAN FROM DOLNÍ VÊSTONICE) to providing a place to bury those with status within their societies (NEWGRANGE and STONEHENGE <during certain periods>).For the people of those societies and cultures, their art was far from abstract.