KULLIYYAH OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

APPLIED ARTS AND DESIGN

AAD 2260 HISTORY OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
SEMESTER 2, SESSION 2020/2021

REPORT ON:
“Mystery of Life in the Paleolithic Age: Documentary on Stone Age Archaeology (Full
Documentary) by Richard Rudgley

PREPARED BY:
NURUL SYARA AINAA BINTI RAHIM (1912994)
LECTURER:
ASSOC. PROF. TS. DR. SHAMZANI AFFENDY BIN MOHD DIN

DATE SUBMITTED:
14 MARCH 2021
Mystery of Life in the Paleolithic Age: Documentary on Stone Age Archaeology (Full Documentary)

“Mystery of Life in the Paleolithic Age: Documentary on Stone Age Archaeology (Full
Documentary) by Richard Rudgley

The documentary video presented by Richard Rudgley in 2015, which is “Mystery of Life in the
Paleolithic Age: Documentary on Stone Age Archaeology (Full Documentary)” is very interesting
and educational as it shows about the presenter’s journey back through time to the upper paleolithic
period along with interesting video effect element and great explanation about the paleolithic people
lifestyle. In this documentary, Richard Rudgley wants to investigate about the root of knowledge
Neolithic people have that allows them to build the Stonehenge, which is not easy to build and
required advanced technology, social organization, understanding of the sun, moon and environment,
trading links, artistic skill, complex religious and cultural beliefs. The presenter visits many places
that have the trails of upper Paleolithic people in Europe, which is the time when people were hunters
and lives in nomad style. He also interviewed several pre historian to gather more information about
Paleolithic people.

The first place Richard visited that have trail of upper paleolithic people (ice age people) is
Kilpisjarvi in northern Finland, which is the edge of the polar ice cap to understand about the
condition which prevailed during upper paleolithic period. According to Richard, the ice age people
are very ingenious as they could survive the immense and barrel landscape of surrounding at Finland.
Based on his observation, there are several criteria of ice age people need to have in order to survive
in such environment, which is knowledge about environment, sun, moon and season, the ability to
invent the right tools, knowledge about how to survive whatever weather change and intelligence.

In order to prove his assumptions whether its true or not, he continued his journey by following
the trails to the foothill of the Pyrenees in Southern France, which 30,000 years ago was the land of
hunter. The ice age people that lived in this area has learnt to shift out, record, interpret and classify
traces of animal. In this area, he visited a river tunnel called Mas d’Azil, which known as supersite
as many artifacts were recovered here. According to Paul Bahn (the author of Journey through ice
age), the tunnel is an ideal place to live as it is near river, which provide them with the source for
water, food and to complete their lifestyle. Paul also said that there are several evidences in Mas
d’Azil that shows ice age people live in a group of 20 or 25 people and does not live in isolated
community, which they meet together other groups to exchange ideas and gifts.

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Mystery of Life in the Paleolithic Age: Documentary on Stone Age Archaeology (Full Documentary)

Next, he went to a theme park called Prehistoric park in Tarascon, French Pyrenees to see the
innovation that were made by ice age people, which is the invention of spear throw and the invention
of making fire. At this park, Richard met with Greg Prince (student of prehistoric technology) and
learnt about the invention of spear thrower and how to use it. Based on their conservation, the spear
throw, which were made by bone or wood does improve the speed, precision and the distance of the
hunter because it is like having another joint of arm. Then, Richard continues to see the greatest
invention in Paleolithic period on how to make fire by using two method, which is by striking the
flint against iron pyrites to collect sparks in dry tree fungus and by using bow drill. Without light
and heat, no one could survive the environment, therefore these inventions of fire making are easy
to carry around and can be used anytime. It was a cornerstone of future technology like steam engine.

To investigate about the role of woman among ice age people society, Richard went to Dordogne.
As we know today, woman always play their role to prepare food for family. Olga Soffer (Paleolithic
archaeologist) said that the grandmother revolution on the upper paleolithic is for babysit and to pass
down a lot of knowledge. Richard went to Castelmere in Dordogne which also called as paleolithic
bead factory. This place was a busy commercial center during ice age period, where people come
from a distance place to trade and communicate with other groups. There are thousands of historical
beads which were made used woolly mammoth and soapstone can be found at this place. Each bead
has a standardize size of 6 mm, which only woman can do it. This shows that women are actually
the heart of the ice age society as they need to provide food and contributing to the local economy
by making thousands of small beads, which to be sewn onto animal skin garment.

Then, Richard continues his journey to Dolni Vestonice in Czech Republic. At this place, he has
found many traces of ice age fashion industry that shows that ice age people already have a
technological advance, the complexity of organization of their society and have a diversity of
personality and talent. Some of the historical craftwork of ice age people that was found are the
exotic costume, hair braiding technique, hats, basket, ropes and female statues called Venus figuring.
According to Olga Soffer (Paleolithic archaeologist), women of the ice age people has already know
how to sew their own cloth by using two techniques, which is by using twinning technique that can
be made by using finger and plain weave technique that needed battens or weaving loom stick for
the process.

After that, Richard went to investigate about the rock art painting made by ice age people by
visiting three caves, which is Niaux cave (10500 BC), Lascaux cave (15 000 BC) and Pergouset cave
(13 000 BC). All of these caves contain a tremendous rock art painting style that shows that ice age

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Mystery of Life in the Paleolithic Age: Documentary on Stone Age Archaeology (Full Documentary)

people already had the detail knowledge of the anatomy of animals and its behavior. It also proved
that the ice age people has mastered the art of painting by using different medium, using different
kind of technique like perspective and could engrave around the rock that will only look in perfect
proportion if it is flattened by photograph.

According to Richard, the bigger cave was like cathedrals, where people gathered in front of the
paintings to hear stories and perform rituals like Niaux cave, which it has a round room that was
function as a ceremonial center, where ice age people would sing, played musing, dance, told story
and myths during 10,000 years ago. Michel Lorblanchet (ice age art specialist) is one of the few pre
historian that could paint in prehistoric technique, which is by using finger, blowing and spitting
technique. Michel believes that there is a relationship between the painter and the rock. The spitting
and blowing technique when painting was a way of breathing life into the rock. He also states that
the painter could be a priest and painting is equivalent to praying during ice age period.

Throughout Richard journey’s back through time to the upper paleolithic period, it completely
convinces that our upper paleolithic ancestors were more than capable to design and building their
own equivalent of Stonehenge because they have the knowledge of the sun. moon and season, have
advance technology, craft, civilization and trading link. They also prove to have a creative mind, a
religious and a complex social structure. The invention and discoveries that were made by this
modern world today are all thanks to the earlier human from Paleolithic ancestor.