Prehistory and Near Eastern Civilizations

1. Paleolithic Cave Painting (p. 3)
Art > Line > Defining Mass > Contour
http://www.mhhe.com/HumanitiesStudio/1/1/1/2/1.html
Among the earliest-known art, cave paintings offer us ancient evidence of human creativity. Paleolithic cave paintings generally use lines to define the contours of animals and other forms. In the case of the paintings in Chauvet Cave (Fig. 1.2, p. 3), lines also seem to serve an expressive purpose, suggesting energy, modeling and depth. Click the link above to explore how contour lines can be used to define shapes. Examine other examples of art with shapes delineated by contour lines. How do they differ in their line quality and definition of shapes?

2. The Epic of Gilgamesh (pp. 10-11)
http://www.mhhe.com/HumanitiesStudio/5/3/1.html
Literature > Plot > Conflict
The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest-known epic narratives and it contains themes and structures that literature will revisit time and time again. Click on the link above to explore how both external and internal conflicts are used to establish plot in literature. Based on the textbook's description of the epic's narrative, identify the conflicts that structure its story. How would you compare these conflicts and themes to examples found in later myths and stories?