The origins of art

Abstract

The article below is based on an opening address delivered by Emmanuel Anati at a seminar, ‘The Origins of Art’, organized by him at the Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici at Valcamonica, Italy, from 30 October to 2 November 1980. The seminar brought together prehistorians from many different countries, who discussed the most ancient forms of artistic creativity, raising questions about the nature of art itself, its psychology and biology and the relationships between art, ideology and religion. By the time this article is published another international meeting will have been organized by the author, from 31 August to 13 September 1981, in co-operation with Unesco, ICOM and ICOMOS (whose International Committee on Rock Art is in fact headed by him). At this international training seminar on rock art, participants will have studied the exploration, detection, dating, recording, analysis, evaluation, interpretation, conservation and cultural valorization of rock art. A higher degree of professional attainment on a world scale is imperative for the comprehension and protection of art forms that are among the oldest and most significant expressions of human creativity. The seminar aims, therefore, to provide training in the field, to promote standards of procedure and to lay the foundation for an international co-operation strategy to safeguard rock art. During the seminar participants will also have had the opportunity to attend an International Consultation of Specialists on the Study, Documentation and Conservation of Rock Art. Organized by Dr Anati on behalf of Unesco, with the participation of ICOM and ICOMOS, this meeting aims to define priority measures of international co-operation. The role of museums, a question on which Museum hopes to reflect current thinking in a future issue, will also have been discussed. In the meantime, we publish below an article about a French prehistoric site—Pincevent—open to scientists but, for want of resources, not yet sufficiently to less specialized visitors.