Material S1 Summary

Throughout the early stage of human development, art and culture have changed dramatically. It was theorized that art in the early Paleolithic period was used more for observational purposes rather than aesthetic purposes. It wasn’t until later in this period, when we started to see more decorative pieces. As time went on, there was a dramatic climate change. This was at the start of the Neolithic period. People began to start farming and taking control the land. This gave rise to small societies. The ability to move large materials around was discovered, which gave birth to many different architectural structures. Many this structural piece were for religious purposes such as Stone Hedge or New Grange. Religion became a bigger part of art at this stage.  The world began to move into the Bronze Age where various metals began to be mined and used in decorative pieces. These resources began to establish different levels of power between societies. Over in the middle-east there was a great cultural-shift in around 3500 BCE. Agricultural villages began to form into big cities. Governments began forming, and gave rise to many powerful civilizations. Art started to become more sophisticated. Writing was developed, and huge shrines and temples were constructed. Religion had become a central focus for most art. Art was used to represent deities, tell stories and display laws and rules. This evolution of art could also be seen in the Egyptian civilizations. The Egyptians are known for their detail depictions of the afterlife, their preservation methods of the dead and there giant architectural structures they built. Over on the Cyclades, many cultures also thrived. It is in these ancient Aegean societies that we see stunning ceramic skills, great metal work and brilliant architectural planning.