The Creative Explosion: An Inquiry into the Origins of Art and Religion

by John E. Pfeiffer

Foreword
Hidden images
The discovery of prehistoric art
An industrial revolution
Hunter-gatherers on the move
The first 10 million years
Neanderthal beginnings
Special places, special purposes
The information explosion
Surprise, pattern, illusion
Living hunter-gatherers
The cermonies of times past
Pressure for planning
The art of memory
Searching for answers
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Anthropology, Religion, Art, Ancient History

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatest book I have ever read. Amazon indicates that it is still in print but you can easily find any number of used hardbacks in good condition. Read it in grad school. It's very rare that the title of this book is almost as good as the content, but in this case you get a pretty good idea and I can say it's safe to judge this book by it's cover. The origins of art and religion -- preserved in caves! Could you believe it? It's much more than that though. Further investigations of these European treasures (which were thought to be hoaxes planted by the likes of Picasso and others)have shown the complexity of ideation in the minds of our earliest groups of hunter-gatherer Cro-Magnons, who displaced the traditional dwellings of Neanderthals with great masterworks of art reflecting the nature of their world. A closer inspection in the artifacts left behind, the patterns of foot prints on the cave floors, and the finds of other paintings deep within the most dark and inaccessible parts of the cave show a complex system of rituals and 'shamanism' of the earliest Europeans. I mean really, do you know how dark a cave is? It's absolute darkness! But if you light the way with tiny hand held lamps burning animal fat you would know that the dramatic lighting can play tricks on you, especially when the shaman is leading the young warrior through his (or her) rights of passage. Caves were strictly for ceremony -- the tribe lived outside the sacred places. These are our first churches, temples or mosques if you will. This is where art and myth were born. Excellent book. Please read it. It will change the way you understand belief systems.

[Kjell DM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to write a review for this book ever since I read/was reading it, but put it off for so long, years by now, that I've little left to say about my experience of reading it, other than that it was really good, and that I've liked to talk about this book. It's probably a bit dated, but for the layperson like me I think it doesn't matter that much and honestly; I thought the hypotheses and arguments brought forth in it were so good that I'd be really surprised if they didn't age well. Furthermore, over time I've come across some of the hypotheses in other places, from other mouths more versed in this material than me, which is an indication that they're substantial.

If I'd try my best to give a very short summary of what I took to be the main thesis (or one of them) in this book I'd say that it is that the seeming explosion in cave art production by the upper paleolithic peoples (in Europe and beyond) was a result of the growing complexity of human lives as a result of population growth, technological innovation, and increased contact with and knowledge of neighboring tribes, in turn resulting in competition, tensions, and (potential) food scarcity; and therefore an increased need to educate, inculcate, and initiate the young, and to establish or consolidate an impressive body of myth to clarify and unify their values. I thought is was really well written, with a nice balance of anecdote, science, and speculation made clear to be just thàt. There is a chapter named The Art Of Memory, near the end, where everything is tied together: how deep-cave art was probably used to alter the consciousness of the people involved to periodically attune their hearts and minds and make a deep impression of meaning and purpose upon them, such as in initiation rituals. Beyond that the author speculates/philosophizes about equivalent modern forms of this type of thing.

I hope I did that some justice.

[Steven Kolakowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing look at Upper Paleolithic art that goes far beyond descriptive cataloging of prehistoric cave paintings. The author demonstrates how early prehistoric art was not just an visual expression of an idea, but a mnemonic tool necessary for survival and communication in an increasingly complicated cultural environment. Even for those with no interest in prehistory, it is a worthwhile read. Every religious institution, artistic tradition, and language dating from classical Greece to modern day can be traced back to these Upper Paleolithic rituals.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ideas connecting the origin of religious practice to political order seem to abound, but I have never seen such an interesting and persuasive model for the fundamental reason for religion and politics to have been related to memory and knowledge retention in societies that were tens of thousands of years away from literacy. This was so incredibly interesting, as was the idea that the origin of cave art represented a need to formalize religious practice and initiation in a more long-lasting way and was a response to societal pressures in that increasing population size necessitated more formal religious practice. The chapter on religio-mnemonic practices in various Australian aboriginal cultures would have been fascinating even as a standalone piece. Even nearly four decades after its publication-an eon for science titles-this book is still worth the read.

[Riversue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bit dated but still a fascinating look at cave art.

[Jerry-Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

30,000 years ago human cave art arrived with a bang. The author explores this cave art and what it meant. The book itself contains many pictures of this cave art.

[Erik Akre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book for inspiration about what it really means to be human. Especially read this book if you are an artist of any kind.

We are a species rooted in language-making, and language and art are rooted deeply in each other. The first true humans were the first artists, and vice versa. Pfeiffer's treatment of Cro-Magnon culture awakened in me a kinship with these men and women who made their art so long ago. They didn't really make art; they lived it; and this was perhaps the biggest inspiration I found here.

Art/Religion/Language/The-Whole-of-Living... All were one for these original human beings. How is this true for us? How might/could it be true? These are the questions I asked myself at the book's end. It's interesting information, but it's also a fascinating creative challenge.

[Rob Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

On this the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, a number of people - (in-laws interestingly enough for the most part) have asked what book they might read to get a sense of the scientific status of human evolution. Although a quarter of a century since its publication - this remains one of the best - if not THE best book on some of the dynamics of human evolution. The book concentrates on the period when modern humanity, still in its adolescence - goes through an early `renaissance' - thus the title `the creative explosion'. For a generation of people scared away from evolution either for religious and/or `fear of science' reasons, this is a wonderful and to me literally precious book.

This book deserves alot more then the crumby 3 stars given to it by other readers.