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Cᵉ siècle av. J.-C. – XXᵉ siècle av. J.-C.

Early Art of North Africa

North Africa, from the Atlantic to the Red Sea Hills and from the Maghrib to the southern Sahara

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Early North African art comprises diverse portable and rock-art traditions whose dates, cultural affiliations, and functions remain debated. Evidence includes Iberomaurusian figurines and carved stones, Capsian ostrich-eggshell and stone art, Saharan engravings and paintings, and later pastoral imagery. Some works belong to pre-agricultural hunters, gatherers, and fishermen, while others were made by food-producing herders. The tradition may begin in the early Holocene or final Pleistocene.

Territoire · Civilisation

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  • Qu’est-ce qui caractérise la civilisation Early Art of North Africa ?
  • Que s’est-il passé pour Early Art of North Africa entre 10 000 av. J.-C. et 2 000 av. J.-C. ?
  • Quel lien entre Early Art of North Africa et Tamar Hat ?
  • À propos de Early Art of North Africa : peux-tu préciser « North African prehistoric art has multiple traditions » ?

Le récit

A plurality of prehistoric arts

There was no single prehistoric art style across North Africa. Artistic traditions varied by period, geography, and probably culture, extending from the Atlantic to the Red Sea Hills and from the Maghrib steppes and mountains to the southern Sahara. Their chronology and cultural context have been debated for more than three-quarters of a century, particularly for engraved and painted rock art.

Portable art is documented in several Epi-Palaeolithic contexts. A clay animal figurine occurs at Tamar Hat around 10000 BC, carved and incised stones are reported from Taforalt around 9000 BC, and Capsian art is securely present by about 6500 BC in incised ostrich eggshell, engraved stone plaques, and sculpted stones. Other evidence includes decorated eggshell from northern Saharan sites and a bird drawing on a pebble associated with the Libyco-Capsian of Haua Fteah between 8000 and 5000 BC.

Rock art includes the Large Wild Fauna or Bubalis engravings, the Round Head paintings, and the later Bovidian Pastoral phase. The earliest art may belong to pre-agricultural hunters, gatherers, and fishermen, whereas pastoral imagery was produced by food-producing herders. The purposes of the art cannot be established with confidence; proposed functions include hunting-related ritual, commemoration, and marking social transitions.

Attention

The excerpt states that firm correlations between artistic styles and technological innovations, as well as the meanings and purposes of the art, have not been established.

Repères

  • North African prehistoric art has multiple traditions
  • Portable art appears by about 10000 BC
  • Capsian art is secure by about 6500 BC
  • Rock-art meanings remain uncertain

Confiance

élevée

Ce niveau qualifie la précision des dates, localisations et limites disponibles dans le corpus actuel.

Source

The Cambridge History of Africa, Volume 1: From the Earliest Times to c.500 BC

Point de départ pour aller plus loin — pas une bibliographie exhaustive.

RessourcesCarte
CivilisationConfiance élevée

Cᵉ siècle av. J.-C. – XXᵉ siècle av. J.-C.

Early Art of North Africa

North Africa, from the Atlantic to the Red Sea Hills and from the Maghrib to the southern Sahara

Écouter
Comparer
Voir dans la constellation

Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible

Se connecter

Early North African art comprises diverse portable and rock-art traditions whose dates, cultural affiliations, and functions remain debated. Evidence includes Iberomaurusian figurines and carved stones, Capsian ostrich-eggshell and stone art, Saharan engravings and paintings, and later pastoral imagery. Some works belong to pre-agricultural hunters, gatherers, and fishermen, while others were made by food-producing herders. The tradition may begin in the early Holocene or final Pleistocene.

Territoire · Civilisation

Poursuivre l’exploration

Demander à Uriti

  • Qu’est-ce qui caractérise la civilisation Early Art of North Africa ?
  • Que s’est-il passé pour Early Art of North Africa entre 10 000 av. J.-C. et 2 000 av. J.-C. ?
  • Quel lien entre Early Art of North Africa et Tamar Hat ?
  • À propos de Early Art of North Africa : peux-tu préciser « North African prehistoric art has multiple traditions » ?

Le récit

A plurality of prehistoric arts

There was no single prehistoric art style across North Africa. Artistic traditions varied by period, geography, and probably culture, extending from the Atlantic to the Red Sea Hills and from the Maghrib steppes and mountains to the southern Sahara. Their chronology and cultural context have been debated for more than three-quarters of a century, particularly for engraved and painted rock art.

Portable art is documented in several Epi-Palaeolithic contexts. A clay animal figurine occurs at Tamar Hat around 10000 BC, carved and incised stones are reported from Taforalt around 9000 BC, and Capsian art is securely present by about 6500 BC in incised ostrich eggshell, engraved stone plaques, and sculpted stones. Other evidence includes decorated eggshell from northern Saharan sites and a bird drawing on a pebble associated with the Libyco-Capsian of Haua Fteah between 8000 and 5000 BC.

Rock art includes the Large Wild Fauna or Bubalis engravings, the Round Head paintings, and the later Bovidian Pastoral phase. The earliest art may belong to pre-agricultural hunters, gatherers, and fishermen, whereas pastoral imagery was produced by food-producing herders. The purposes of the art cannot be established with confidence; proposed functions include hunting-related ritual, commemoration, and marking social transitions.

Attention

The excerpt states that firm correlations between artistic styles and technological innovations, as well as the meanings and purposes of the art, have not been established.

Repères

  • North African prehistoric art has multiple traditions
  • Portable art appears by about 10000 BC
  • Capsian art is secure by about 6500 BC
  • Rock-art meanings remain uncertain

Confiance

élevée

Ce niveau qualifie la précision des dates, localisations et limites disponibles dans le corpus actuel.

Source

The Cambridge History of Africa, Volume 1: From the Earliest Times to c.500 BC

Point de départ pour aller plus loin — pas une bibliographie exhaustive.

Continuer le voyage

Chemins liés

D’autres chemins liés à cette histoire.

  • Bovidian Pastoral Rock ArtCivilisation·LXᵉ siècle av. J.-C. — XXᵉ siècle av. J.-C.
  • Large Wild Fauna (Bubalis) Rock ArtCivilisation·XCᵉ siècle av. J.-C. — LXᵉ siècle av. J.-C.
  • Maghribian Epi-Palaeolithic IndustriesCivilisation·Cᵉ siècle av. J.-C. — Lᵉ siècle av. J.-C.
  • Round Head Rock ArtCivilisation·LXXᵉ siècle av. J.-C. — LXᵉ siècle av. J.-C.