Introduction
This entry samples a limited range of monumental art from selected archaeological sites in discrete environments within both continental and island settings. All are unique, yet there are discernible threads of common or contrasting human experience and expression. Monumental architecture and sculptural objects, no matter where they occur, are most often the original products of shared social and aesthetic values or religious belief. The upright bluestones of Stonehenge, the repeated notes echoed by the aligned stone statues of Easter Island, and the buried ceramic legions of Zi’an, China, were all inspired by an intensity of human commitment within societies that differed radically in terms of population size, natural resources, food production, and social organization.
Definition
Monumental art is defined here within the context of megalithism. It occurs widely, at all levels of social complexity and in differing local environments; as such, a universality of monumental...
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Van Tilburg, J.A. (2014). Statues and Monumental Art in Archaeology. In: Smith, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0465-2_1634
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