Prehistoric

Learning about prehistoric history in terms of living spaces and furniture is extremely interesting because it is not something that one normally sees, on television or even in regular history classes. This is most likely due to the fact that these people lived so long ago, it's hard to find any artifacts to piece together their everyday lives. In class we discussed Maslow's hierarchy of needs and where these prehistoric people would fall in that pyramid. Most people were saying how they are at the bottom just trying to survive in the ancient world, but the way the dwellings were constructed and the paintings on the cave walls indicate otherwise. These people, at least the successful groupings, had reached to top. They were using creativity to design living areas, even using a shelving unit in one instance. The fact that they painted and carved scenes of animals and their lives, as in Lascaux, shows much creativity. And the idea of a religion also indicates a being higher on the pyramid.  It seems that symmetry was an important design element in this time period. I believe that it is natural for us to see symmetry in things because it is more pleasing to the eye than asymmetry. There is also much use of the post-and-lintel style of construction, still used to much extent today. Below, I have listed a few of my favorite prehistoric architecture and art.

Skara-Brae, Scotland. The ruins of eight houses dating from roughly 3000BC

Ggantia, Gozo. Second oldest religious site, built in 3600BC, believed to be used in fertility

Gulf of Cambay, India. Evidence of a sunken city with wood that was dated back to 9500BC, well before it was thought humans were building cities of that size. 

Current applications of Prehistoric design remain today, with the use of cave houses and post-and-lintel construction, as well as a want for more rustic design. 

example of post-and-lintel construction

Peer Review

Paige Perry; I liked how Paige went through and explained each subsection on the prehistoric age: Paleolithic, Neolithic and the Bronze Age, and had picture examples for each. It made it easier to form the timeline in my head.

Miryam K; I especially enjoyed the modern implications of Prehistoric design that Miryam picked out, I think they are great examples and even things I would use when decorating my own home.