Art 02

Which of the following reasons BEST explains why modern art historians focus more on ancient Egyptian art than ancient West African art?

• Most ancient West African civilizations intentionally destroyed their artifacts to symbolize life’s transience

• Egypt’s climate allows ancient art to be preserved for much longer than in West Africa

• Modern art historians consider ancient Egyptian art to be objectively higher in quality than ancient West African art

• Art historians have historically considered ancient Egyptian art to underly Greek and Roman traditions.

• Ancient Egyptian art has lasted in greater quantity since it is secure within royal tombs that were almost always impervious to robbery.

Answer explanation

Art historians often struggle to study ancient civilizations that operated in climates that were not conducive to the preservation of cultural artifacts. This is certainly the case in much of West Africa, where high levels of humidity hurt the chances of art surviving into the present. In contrast, the dry climate of Egypt is incredibly well-suited to longterm preservation. [9,1,0]

The Chauvet Cave paintings are found in modern-day

• Germany

• Spain

• France

• Switzerland

• Italy

Answer explanation

The Chauvet Cave paintings are prime examples of Paleolithic art. These paintings are roughly 30,000 years old, and are primarily ochre and charcoal depictions of animals that would have been familiar to the hunter-gatherers who created the work. [9,1,1]

Which of the following animals do NOT often appear in the cave paintings at Lascaux and Altamira?

• elephants

• lions

• bison

• horses

• mammoths

Answer explanation

The cave paintings at Lascaux and Altamira commonly feature horses, lions, bison, mammoths, and rhinoceros. [9,1,1]

Which of the following functions did the statue The Venus of Willendorf likely serve?

• primitive sundial

• tool in domestic labor

• fertility figure

• meeting place

• symbol of military victory

Answer explanation

The Venus of Willendorf is an Old Stone Age statue that was likely used as a fertility figure. However, specifics surrounding its use are impossible to know given its prehistoric creation. [9,2,0]

Which of the following developments FIRST caused Europeans in the Middle Stone Age to move away from cave dwellings?

• These peoples developed technologies that allowed for complex house

• New religious beliefs associated caves with evil power

• An increase in temperatures prompted a transition to rock shelter

• A series of earthquakes destroyed many of the former cave site

• The groups that remained in caves tended to succumb to disease

Answer explanation

A warming in the Middle Stone Ages allowed for European populations to move towards rock shelters. The art produced at these sites both continues Paleolithic trends while also innovating in style and subject matter. [9,2,1]

Stonehenge is a classic example of artistic production from the

• Old Stone Age

• Bronze Age

• Iron Age

• Middle Stone Age

• New Stone Age

Answer explanation

The Neolithic (or New Stone Age) art of Europe that is most famous today is Stonehenge in modern England. This site is one example of the general New Stone Age trend of large stone constructions. [10,1,1]

The sarsen at Stonehenge is a type of

• sandstone

• granite

• shale

• limestone

• marble

Answer explanation

The sarsen stones at Stonehenge comprise much of the famous construction, including the heaviest stones in the site’s outer ring. Sarsen stones are a type of sandstone. [10,1,1]

Why did ancient Mesopotamia witness more invasions than ancient Egypt?

• Mesopotamia lacked Egypt’s natural protection

• Egyptian dynasties would pay potential invaders to attack Mesopotamia

• Foreigners viewed Egypt as barren in comparison to Mesopotami

• Egyptian dynasties focused more on defense than their Mesopotamian

• counterpart

Answer explanation

Mesopotamian civilization centered on a valley and did not have mountains or deserts as a deterrent to potential invaders. As a result, conquest occurred much more frequently there than in Egypt. [10,2,3]

Ancient Sumerian ziggurats were both temples and

• economic hubs

• restaurants

• palaces

• theaters

• sports arenas

Answer explanation

Ziggurats expanded from places of worship into governmental and economic hubs. They can be seen as at the heart of Sumerian life. [11,1,1]

Hammurabi is known MOST today for his surviving

• royal palace

• hunting bow

• hanging gardens

• poetry collection

• law code

Answer explanation

The Code of Hammurabi is a law code from nearly 4,000 years ago which still survives as an inscription on stele. Hammurabi ruled the Babylonians in the 18th century BCE. [11,2,0]