It is interesting that art was part of the way people chose to express themselves, even from the beginning of human history. People we view today as primitive and uncivilized were able to produce naturalistic representations of the world. This is seen in the wall-paintings that have been found in fifty caves in France and Spain. On the other hand, pieces of sculpture, like that of a Woman from Willendorf, are not realistic but focus on specific aspects of the body that were associated with fertility.
The first great architectural monuments come from the Neolithic period, can be found in Northern Europe and are megaliths, big stones placed without mortar in formations. They are impressive and show that Neolithic people were able to collaborate and construct great monuments.
Mesopotamia
In Mesopotamia, the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians introduced writing, the construction of large towns and monuments along with written laws (some survive in the Babylonian stele of Hammurabi). The Sumerians worshipped their gods in ziggurats (temples) that had a pyramidal shape and a series of platforms.
Egypt
Egyptian art remained practically unchanged, following a specific canon of proportions, for 3.000 years. What is more impressive is that their art served a specific purpose as it had to provide the Ka, the human’s existence after death, with all the necessary things to survive in the afterlife. Thus, the statues and mummies were homes for the Ka, while wall-paintings from the tombs (the most impressive of which are the pyramids) could depict food or servants.
India and China
The civilization that developed in the valley of the Indus River from around 2.700 BCE had particularly skillful artists providing architectural and sculptural pieces of great aesthetic and practical value. Equally, the civilization of the Yellow River Valley in China produced beautiful pieces of art during the second millennium BCE. It developed the best bronze-casting technique, creating complex and sophisticated designs.
America
The Olmecs, who occupied the greatest part of Mesoamerica since 1.500 BCE, were masters of architecture. They created not only huge ceremonial buildings, but also features to protect these from the rain and flooding, along with colossal statues and pyramid shaped buildings.
Aegean Civilizations
The Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations that flourished in the Aegean from 1.600 to 1.200 BCE are linked to the mythology and epic tradition of the later inhabitants of Greece. They produced sophisticated palaces, tomb complexes, wall-paintings and pottery that reflect the existence of complex societies and skillful artists.
Greece
The rise of the city-states of Greece from the 8th century BCE onwards led to the development of one of the most recognizable civilizations ever. The Classical civilization produced sophisticated art like the Parthenon of Athens and statues marked for their naturalism and beauty. Art, after the fall of the city-states and the domination of Alexander the Great, was also embedded with theatricality and emotion unlike the earlier examples from the classical period.
Rome
The Romans adapted Greek art and architecture to their own and were also influenced by the Etruscans who lived in the area of modern Italy before them. The Romans conquered much of the then known world and created monuments that often commemorated their victories. They were pioneers in constructing buildings perfecting the technique of the arch and dome and creating concrete. Monuments like the Colosseum and the Pantheon still show their extraordinary architectural skills.
Asia
Interestingly, the time of Roman expansion coincided with the rise of the Qin dynasty thousands of miles to the east, in China, which built the Great Wall near Beijing. The subsequent Han dynasty established trading silk routes reaching Rome and gave rise to a period of intellectual and artistic production of high standards that would last four hundred years. In India, the rise of Buddhism introduced a unique form of architecture, the stupa, which was connected with the burial of holy Buddhists and other ceremonial purposes.
