In celebration of art and early human creativity, a reception and unveiling of “One Million Years of Art and Science” was recently held at UCCS Downtown on September 20, 2024.
The special exhibit features several artifacts from California-based American artist Tony Berlant’s impressive collection of stone artifacts from the Paleolithic age ranging from about 12,000 to 1 million years old. Known as hand axes, the nearly 1,000 teardrop-type shaped pieces often performed functions, but many have “overdetermined” forms, meaning they were shaped beyond what was necessary for them to do the job they were made for, suggesting that those making them did so for not just functional but also visual appeal.
The collection, most of which comes from regions of northwest Africa, southwest Asia and western Europe, is being used not only for display but for teaching purposes. This gives students the opportunity to study and learn from them in class and the potential to use them in research projects.
Berlant chose to gift the artifacts to UCCS, in part, because of his work with Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Anthropology Thomas Wynn. A pioneer in his field known for his popular teaching methods and international standing, Wynn is broadly recognized as one of the founders of cognitive archaeology. Wynn spoke at the event which was open to community members, including students, alumni, faculty and staff.
The exhibition will be held for at least six months and will have a rotation of stone tools. The exhibition also features a small collection of artworks from Tony Berlant.