ANTH 305

ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE ARTS

Section 01--9:00-11:50am (TTh)
Intersession 2008

[ANTH 305][Lectures][Bottom]

With the dating of the paintings from Chauvet Cave, near Avignon in southeast France, we now know that rock-art existed as long ago as some 30,000+ years ago.  Rock-art is found throughout much of the world--as  painted figures (pictographs) and as pecked figures (petroglyphs).   Sometimes they are of a solitary image; at other times, they are part of a gallery or mural of multiple images.  When we use the word “art” in reference to these visual expressions, what do we mean?  Are we speaking about a certain aesthetic?  If so, does this differ from area to area?  Are these differences defined culturally, environmentally, etc.?  Is rock-art a form of communication?  Among First Nations people, rock-art is referred to as writing on rock, or picture writing.

The format of instruction is a combination of lecture and seminar-style discussion.  For this reason, students are to be fully prepared (readings) in order to participate.  This participation accounts for 20% of the grade. The rest of the grade will consist of one exam (20%), one in-class response to a film (10%), a website critique (15%), an annotated bibliography (10%), and a presentation or poster (25%). The latter two items are all focused on the same topic; this is to encourage you to work on your chosen project from the start. It also allows you to be graded in stages in order to get feedback on your work. Topics for posters or presentations must be approved.

Not attending an exam or submitting an assignment will result in an “F”; your final grade is based on completing ALL course work.

Required text:
There is no one comprehensive book covering this topic; readings will be from two texts.  In addition, there are articles available on reserve.

Chippindale, Christopher and Paul T.C. Taçon (Eds.) [ARA]
1999   The Archaeology of Rock-Art.  Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.  (ON RESERVE, GN 799 P4 A73 1998, two copies)

Whitley, David S. [Whitley Intro]
2005   Introduction to Rock Art Research. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press. (ON RESERVE, GN 799 P4 W45 2005)

Additional Readings (2-hour loan):
Anderson, Richard L.
1989   Art in Small-Scale Societies. 2nd Edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. (ON RESERVE, N 5311 A52 1989)

1990   Calliope's Sisters: A Comparative Study of Philosophies of Art. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
(ON RESERVE, BH 39 A57, two copies)

Berlo, Janet Catherine and Lee Anne Wilson (Eds.)
1993   Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas: Selected Readings. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. (ON RESERVE, N 5311 A78)

Dowson, Thomas A. and David Lewis-Williams (Eds.)
1994   Contested Images: Diversity in Southern African Rock Art Research. Johannesburg, SA: Witwatersrand University Press.
(ON RESERVE, GN 865 S5 C66 1994)

Keyser, James D. and Michael A. Klassen
2001   Plains Indian Rock Art. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press; Vancouver, BC: UBC Press. (ON RESERVE, E 78 G73 K49 2001)

Whitley, David S. (Ed.)
2001   Handbook of Rock Art Research.  Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press.
(ON RESERVE, GN 799 P4 H333 2000, two copies) 

Young, M. Jane
1988   Signs from the Ancestors: Zuni Cultural Symbolism and Perceptions of Rock Art. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press.
(ON RESERVE, E 99 Z9 Y68)

Please review the assigned reading(s) prior to the week's lecture to facilitate discussion.

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Note:

Final grade assignment:
Grades will be assigned according to the following scale: