The key characters of animal-style art in the Middle and Late Bronze Age

Abstract

This paper aims to illuminate the archaeological cultures of the Middle and Late Bronze Ages in the neighboring regions of Mongolia. It delves into the phases and chronology of Mongolia’s Bronze Age development, scrutinizing key characters and their symbols in early animal-style art. The artistic expressions stemming from the nomadic way of life are categorized as “animal-style art,” wherein nomads transitioned the characters from two-dimensional to three-dimensional representations a significant and invaluable contribution to the history of global art. The distinctive characters of art from the Middle and Late Bronze Age not only played a central role in subsequent cultures such as Arjan, Pazyryk, Chandman- Sagil, Slab Burial, and Tagar but also evolved in terms of expressive meaning, attaining a heightened level of perfection. In other words, the origins of this distinctive “animal-style art” can be traced back to the 13th century BC in Central Asia, particularly within the territory of present-day Mongolia. Subsequently, it proliferated across the expansive plains of Eurasia, reaching its artistic zenith between the 7th and 3rd centuries BC.