Abstract
Deep-history issues are applied to prehistoric cave art and mobile figurines in Europe from 40,000 to 11,000 years ago, as evidence of inner-theatre projections, experienced personally and shared collectively. Prehistoric rites are also investigated with built “temples” and statues at Göbekli Tepe, ’Ain Ghazal, Çatalhöyük, and Malta, regarding public and domestic spaces, animal and human figures, and possible projections of a metaphysical theatre. Relations between inner, social, and spiritual audiences are then explored with San Bushman trance-dances, providing insights about prehistoric cave rites and later “temples.” The political dynamics of territorial, hierarchical, and playful drives are considered, too, with theatrical scripts from ancient Egyptian temple dramas and Nile River ceremonies. Further examples of Middle Eastern ritual dramas are mentioned from Cyprus, Anatolia, Sumer, and Akkadia (Mesopotamia).
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Pizzato, M. (2019). From Prehistoric to Ancient Theatricality. In: Mapping Global Theatre Histories. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12727-5_2
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