The two prehistoric artifacts I chose to write a formal analysis of are the Lion-Human and the Bird-Head Man with Bison. I was interested in both the Lion-Human and the Bird-Head Man with Bison because of the similar imagery involving human figures with animal heads.
The Lion-Human, above, was discovered in Germany and carbon dating has determined it to be from 30,000-25,000 BCE. Being made from their precious ivory and its “sculpture in the round’ form, the creator effectively communicates the apparent significance of this figure.
One characteristic of the figure is its impressive 11 5/8 inch stature; being made out of mammoth ivory, the figure must have had great importance to the creator’s culture considering mammoth ivory was a precious material that the hunter-gatherers of the day could have used as a resource for any number of more utilitarian purposes such as fashioning tools for example. The aesthetic of the figure being a sculpture in the round makes it an object that can be held and carried, a most likely functional design choice in consideration for their nomadic lifestyle so that the hunter-gatherers could take the figure with them. The sculpture in the round form also allows a potentially more intimate relationship with the figure. Whereas sculptures in relief and paintings are stationary, the Lion-Human may be held and manipulated and in a way more actively appreciated whereas the prior can for the most part only be admired visually without the tactile component of experiencing them. The most distinctive feature is also the origin behind the figure’s name; the lion head atop the human body. Stockstad and Cothren question whether “the figure intended to represent a person (literally) wearing a ritual lion mask? Or has the man taken on the appearance and power of an animal?” (21). Regardless as to whether the representation is of a more literal or mystical happening, the willingness to portray the unordinary man and animal hybrid is testament to the beginnings of mankind’s developing thought and culture in the prehistoric era.
The Bird-Head Man with Bison is another prehistoric artifact I was attracted to because of the hybrid man and animal motif. I found it interesting that the motif of the hybrid man and animal is evident in the prehistoric era at least ten thousand years after the Lion-Human in Germany. Similarly to the Lion-Human, a humanoid form is portrayed with an animal head. The extensive detail on the Lion-Human made it seem like the figure was wearing a mask as well as the possibility of the figure symbolizing someone taking on lion attributes. In theBird-Head Man with Bison painting the detail is limited. Considering the context of location of the piece, Lascaux caves were speculated to be a place of spiritual significance and despite the monadic lifestyle of hunter-gatherers it was a place that they may have frequently returned and the different ages of paintings throughout the caves are testament to that. Given the apparent spiritual atmosphere and function of the caves, I am more inclined to agree with those that claim these seemingly abstract hybrid depictions in prehistoric art defy the idea that prehistoric art was simply decorative. Taking the time to create figures such as the Lion-Human at the cost of precious time and materials such as ivory hint that their art was admired as well as significant to depicting aspects of prehistoric cultures. The hybrid man and animal motif must have had some cultural relevance throughout the prehistoric era considering its recurrence despite thousands of years and miles across Europe from Germany to Lascaux, France.