Journey Through the Ice Age - Hardcover

Bahn, Paul; Vertut, Jean

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0520213068 ISBN 13: 9780520213067

Publisher: University of California Press, 1997

Synopsis

Some of the oldest art in the world is the subject of this riveting and beautiful book. Paul Bahn and Jean Vertut explore carved objects and wall art discoveries from the Ice Age, covering the period from 300,000 B.P. to 10,000 B.P., and their collaboration marks a signal event for archaeologists and lay readers alike.

Utilizing the most modern analytical techniques in archaeology, Bahn presents new accounts of Russian caves only recently opened to foreign specialists; the latest discoveries from China and Brazil; European cave finds at Cosquer, Chauvet, and Covaciella; and the recently discovered sites in Australia. He also studies sites in Africa, India, and the Far East. Included are the only photographic images of many caves that are now closed to protect their fragile environments. A separate chapter in the book examines art fakes and forgeries and relates how such deceptions have been exposed.

The beliefs and preoccupations of Paleolithic peoples resonate throughout this book: the importance of the hunt and the magic and shamanism surrounding it, the recording of the seasons, the rituals of sex and fertility, the cosmology and associated myths. Yet enigmas and mysteries emerge as well, particularly as new analytical techniques raise new questions and cast doubt on our earlier suppositions.

A comprehensive, up-to-date analysis of all that has been discovered about Ice Age art, Bahn and Vertut's book offers a visually rich link with the past.

About this title

About the Author:

Paul Bahn is a writer, translator, and broadcaster specializing in archaeology. He lives in Hull, England. The late Jean Vertut was the foremost photographer of European cave art. A pioneer of new techniques for recording difficult images, he was also the last person given access to many of the caves featured in this book.

From Library Journal:

This publication updates Images of the Ice Age (Facts on File, 1988) with new discoveries and illustrations. The reproduction of the photographs is greatly improved over the first edition. As with similar popular books on ice age art (for example, The Cave Beneath the Sea: Paleolithic Images at Cosquer, Abrams, 1996), the strength is photographs taken by Vertut. This work is too detailed for general readers, though it is very readable overall, covering many aspects of various art forms, their creation and meaning, dating techniques and results, forgeries, and their history and discovery. The text reflects Bahn's experience with compiling popular and reference works on archaeology. As it is very up-to-date, informative, and beautifully produced, including a scholarly bibliography, it is recommended for art lovers, archaeology fans, and libraries with collections of any size in art, archaeology, and anthropology.?Joyce L. Ogburn, Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, Va.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0520213068
• ISBN 13: 9780520213067
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240