AP ART HISTORY RESOURCES

Helping teachers and students prepare for the AP Art History exam

Ancient Chinese tomb banner with mythical creatures, horses, and abstract designs on a dark background.

The current Art History exam covers 10 Units and a total of 250 objects from around the world (really, more like 400).

We recognize the need for more resources, especially for areas outside of Europe and Anglo-U.S. art and history. We’d like to help!

*Please note: we are not affiliated with the College Board in any way. These are resources created by educators for other educators!

UNIT 1: Global Prehistory

30,000–500 BCE

jade cong from ancient China
Sculpture of an abstract fish on display

Key Terms and Ideas

Ancient anthropomorphic stone statue with carved face and body decorations
Ancient artifacts with text "BC vs. AD, BCE vs. CE" overlay
Collage featuring a wooden sculpture, a painting of a seated woman, and an ornate carved stone pattern with text "CLOSE LOOKING" overlaid.
dense decoration covers a surface, making it hard to make out what is happening

UNIT 2: Ancient Mediterranean

3500 BCE–300 CE

Illustration with text "COMING SOON" featuring an ancient-style face, column, and pottery on a blue and green background.

Key Terms and Ideas

Interior view of a domed ceiling with a central oculus.
Illustration with text "COMING SOON" featuring an ancient-style face, column, and pottery on a blue and green background.

UNIT 3: Early Europe and Colonial Americas

200–1750 CE

bird fibula walters

Key terms and ideas

Historic stone building with arched windows and detailed architectural elements in a narrow street.
A framed painting in a museum, featuring a dramatic scene with two women, one holding a sword and the other holding a decapitated head, on a red wall.
Painting depicting a haloed knight in armor with curly hair, set against a landscape with a distant city and cloudy sky.
Renaissance painting depicting religious figures, possibly the Madonna and Child, surrounded by saints with halos in an ornate setting.
an ivory box with a conical lid is covered in decorations
Religious painting of Virgin of Guadalupe with angels and decorative frame
an image of an ideal city includes columns and arches that are mathematically precise
leonardo da vinci annunciation
Rogier van der Weyden's portrait of a lady shows a woman in a sheer veil who looks off to the side
Rachel Ruysch's Vase of Flowers
Interior view of a Gothic church with intricate stained glass windows and ornate chandeliers.
Garden Party on the Terrace of a Country Home, c. 1720–30 CE, folding screen, oil paint on canvas with gold, Mexico. Denver Art Museum.
Chartres north window made of brilliantly colored stained glass
An angel kneels before a woman wearing a blue cloak
Illustration with text "COMING SOON" featuring an ancient-style face, column, and pottery on a blue and green background.
a painting shows a woman slipping a ring off a man's finger
Illustration with text "COMING SOON" featuring an ancient-style face, column, and pottery on a blue and green background.

UNIT 4: Later Europe and Americas

1750–1980 CE

Portrait of a nun seated at a desk, surrounded by books, with a quill and open book, wearing a rosary and religious attire, in a detailed wooden frame.

Key terms and ideas

A framed painting shows a sketchy outline of a seascape in unmixed paint colors
A still life painting with a vase of roses is set against a green background

UNIT 5: Indigenous Americas

1000 BCE–1980 CE

Aztec Sun Stone otherwise known as the Aztec calendar stone

Key terms and ideas

Ancient stone structure partially covered by vegetation under a blue sky.
The archaeological remains of a structure are set before modern-day buildings in Mexico City
Aztec feather headdress with vibrant green plumes displayed against a red background.
A tall vessel is painted in turquoise and has a mask attached to it. The figure has large round eyes and fangs
stone buildings are set within a cliff face
https://www.artsq.org/symbols-subject-matter/v/who-are-the-aztec-amanteca-featherworkers
carved stone relief showing a man and a woman, with the latter kneeling and pulling a cord through her tongue
A vertical stone slab shows a woman seeing a large serpent loom above her
a hammered gold plaque shows a complex figure holding staffs
Illustration with text "COMING SOON" featuring an ancient-style face, column, and pottery on a blue and green background.
Illustration with text "COMING SOON" featuring an ancient-style face, column, and pottery on a blue and green background.

UNIT 6: Africa

1100–1980 CE

"In the Works" banner with classical design elements, including column and statue outlines on a blue background.

UNIT 7: West and Central Asia

500 BCE–1980 CE

Large ancient rock carving of a figure, carved into a cliff face, with smaller openings and structures nearby.

UNIT 8: South, East, and Southeast Asia

1300 BCE–1980 CE

Terracotta Army statues in rows, part of Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum, Xi'an, China.

Key terms and ideas

Japanese woodblock print, depicting a large wave with boats, known as "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" by Hokusai. Mount Fuji in the background.
Traditional Japanese woodblock print of a large wave in the ocean with Mount Fuji in the background; boats struggle against the wave.
Colorful traditional Chinese architecture with ornate designs and roof details against a cloudy sky.
Zen rock garden with stones and gravel
Ancient Chinese textile with intricate design featuring mythical creatures and symbols.
Horyu-ji Temple in Japan with traditional wooden architecture and tiled roof, visitors walking nearby.
Stone sculpture of a male figure with a serene expression and a halo, wearing ornate attire and jewelry, reflecting ancient art styles.
Traditional Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print depicting a cherry blossom scene with silhouetted tree branches and pink-orange sky.
a relief sculpture of figures surrounding a wheel
a person walks in front of a large rounded mound
Ancient stone relief featuring a central seated Buddha figure surrounded by followers or attendants in a detailed, intricate carving. Buddhist sculpture art.
Ancient Chinese bronze and terracotta ritual vessels, including a large kiln-fired clay mold with a face and tripod legs and a smaller bronze vessel with decorative patterns and three legs.
Illustration with text "COMING SOON" featuring an ancient-style face, column, and pottery on a blue and green background.

College Board Resources about AP Art History

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The Paleolithic Period
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Introduction to Chaco Canyon in New Mexico | Ancient Southwest
Introduction to Mesoamerica
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Aztec detities and mythology
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Aztec detities and mythology
Aztec Social Structure and Images Activity
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Aztec Social Structure and Images Activity
Tenochtitlan and Decoding Aztec Symbols Activity
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Tenochtitlan and Decoding Aztec Symbols Activity
The Story of the Buddha
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The Story of the Buddha
Introduction to the Ancient Southwest
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Introduction to the Ancient Southwest
Introduction to Shang Dynasty China
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Introduction to Shang Dynasty China
Introduction to the Aztecs
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Introduction to the Aztecs
Aztec "Calendar Stone" Guided Notes for Our Video
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Aztec "Calendar Stone" Guided Notes for Our Video

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