Understanding History

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1 Understanding History (Textbook Chapter 2) History is the story of the past. How do we learn about the past? From primary sources. What is a primary source? It is something that was created during the time under study. A primary source can be a written text or an object made during that time. Objects are called artifacts. Learning from Artifacts Artifacts can tell us a great deal. They are especially valuable to archaeologists and historians who study periods for which no written records exist. But even when written records do exist, artifacts provide valuable clues to how people lived, what their religious beliefs were, and what was important to them. Archaeologists and historians are like detectives. Artifacts are their clues. By accumulating these clues, we can form reasoned judgments about what life was like in the ancient past. Works of Art are also Artifacts Many of the objects in the Thayer Gallery -- whether table legs, horse bits, drinking vessels, or household items -- originally had a utilitarian function. They were made to be useful rather than to be exhibited in a museum as art. But because they were also intended to be beautiful or interesting, they are both artifacts (objects that tell us about the daily life of people who lived in ancient times) and works of art (objects whose makers intended to elevate them beyond the purely functional.) Artifact Activity Gather some artifacts from your past and put them together in a collage, album, or box. What clues do they give about you and your family? Pretend you are an archaeologist, and write a report about your family and the times in which you live, based on clues provided by the artifacts. 1

SUMER (Textbook Chapter 5) Sumer, in southern Mesopotamia, is often called the birthplace of history. Writing was invented by the Sumerians around 3300 BCE.

2100 BCE Diorite Gudea was the ruler of Lagash (in present-day southern Iraq) around 2100 BCE.

They show him in royal costume, including the woolen cap with its snail-curl decoration, either standing or seated. Usually his hands are clasped in a gesture of prayer.

They are in museums in Paris (Louvre), Boston (Museum of Fine Arts), New York (Metropolitan Museum) and Washington D.C. (Sackler-Freer/Smithsonian).

2 SUMER (Textbook Chapter 5) Sumer, in southern Mesopotamia, is often called the birthplace of history. Writing was invented by the Sumerians around 3300 BCE. Lagash was one of the most important city-states in Sumer. 1. Head of Gudea, ruler of Lagash, c BCE Diorite Gudea was the ruler of Lagash (in present-day southern Iraq) around 2100 BCE. His role was religious as well as political since he was also chief worshipper of the god Ningirsu. Statues of Gudea in a gesture of piety were placed in the city temples. They show him in royal costume, including the woolen cap with its snail-curl decoration, either standing or seated. Usually his hands are clasped in a gesture of prayer. There must have been hundreds of statues of Gudea made, but only about twenty are known today. They are in museums in Paris (Louvre), Boston (Museum of Fine Arts), New York (Metropolitan Museum) and Washington D.C. (Sackler-Freer/Smithsonian). The SBMA s Gudea is the only one on the west coast of the United States. Discussion Questions Describe the expression on Gudea s face. Happy, sad, calm, worried, angry (inscrutable)? Does Gudea look like a real person? If yes, what looks real about him? If no, what doesn t look real? (His eyebrows are carved into a perfect feather pattern; his head still looks rectangular like the stone block out of which it was carved; his features are very smooth and regular no flaws or distinctive quirks. He is more of an ideal or a type, rather than a portrait of a specific person.) 2

From the visual clues you have accumulated, what would be your reasoned judgment about who Gudea was: king or ordinary person?

But there is no cuneiform writing on our sculpture. We have only the visual clues to go on.

earliest and most enduring civilizations.

came successively under the control of the Persians, Greeks, and Romans.

Egyptian religious institutions the great temples and their priests balanced the power of the pharaoh, who was considered divine but still

It remained relatively unchanged for almost 3000 years.

3 From the visual clues you have accumulated, what would be your reasoned judgment about who Gudea was: king or ordinary person? On what do you base your conclusion? On some of the full-length sculptures of Gudea, there is cuneiform writing that identifies him as a ruler. But there is no cuneiform writing on our sculpture. We have only the visual clues to go on. EGYPT (Textbook Chapter 6) Nourished by the lengthy Nile River and protected by the north African deserts, ancient Egypt was one of the world s earliest and most enduring civilizations. The characteristics of Egyptian social, religious and cultural life were established by 3100 BCE and remained in place until 525 BCE when Egypt came successively under the control of the Persians, Greeks, and Romans. The focus of social and sacred power was the king or pharaoh whose rule guaranteed both earthly and cosmic order, called ma at. Egyptian religious institutions the great temples and their priests balanced the power of the pharaoh, who was considered divine but still dependent on the gods and their goodwill. Most ancient Egyptian art was created for official state and/or religious purposes. It remained relatively unchanged for almost 3000 years. Most art was created as provisions for tombs -- from a pharaoh s great pyramid to a peasant s rock-cut grave. Ancient Egyptians believed that a person s life-spirit or ka continued to live after death and therefore required a permanent dwelling place. Tombs were outfitted with both everyday items and luxuries. Their walls were decorated with scenes of the deceased s daily life, in order to ensure that the ka s existence in the next world would be the same as it was in this world. 2. Kha emweset, son of Ramses II 19 th Dynasty, BCE Limestone 3

4 Kha emweset was the son of the great pharaoh Ramses II. Ramses appointed his son the High Priest of Ptah, the creator-god of Memphis. Kha emweset oversaw the rebuilding of the Temple of Ptah in Memphis, the ruins of which may still be seen today. Archaeologists think this portrait was probably made for Kha emweset s tomb. Discussion Questions What are the visual clues that led archaeologists to this reasoned conclusion? The way the figure is represented, his clothes, and the symbols he wears or holds. He wears a patterned wig with a braided side-lock (often a sign of youth). He also has a short chin beard (like a baby pharaoh), a necklace with an amulet that is an unusual combination of ankh and hetep, and a broad collar and pleated skirt. In his left hand he holds a sekhem or scepter, a symbol of authority. (Notice that we see his face in profile but his chest straight on. This combination of frontal and side views was a typical method of representing the figure in Egyptian art.) The image is carved into a square block of limestone. The block is probably an architectural fragment that came from a wall, most likely a tomb. Other blocks might have shown the figure seated at a table receiving funerary offerings. The people bringing offerings would have been to his left, in another block of limestone. The hieroglyphics on the right have been translated as: for [or of] the king s son, Ramessu, son of the [king s] setem-priest, Kha emweset. Possible Answer: this is a relief sculpture of a prince who died young. Archaeologists think it represents Kha emweset but could it be Ramessu? What is your opinion? Who or what do you think the small figure on the lower right is? Maybe the seated figure is Ramessu, and the small figure represents his life-spirit or ka. Until we have more information, we cannot know for sure. 4

3. Horus as a Falcon, c. 715-332 BCE Basalt Horus was the sky-god, son of Osiris and Isis.

He was often identified with Horus (as well as with Ra, the sun god. Both were givers of life).

These all reinforce the royal associations. The block-like stone further suggests that this is not so much a real bird as it is a symbol. Of what?

Ibis, 715-332 BCE Bronze and wood The ibis was one of the most common water birds inhabiting the marshlands of the Nile delta.

5 3. Horus as a Falcon, c BCE Basalt Horus was the sky-god, son of Osiris and Isis. Osiris was god of the Next World and Isis was the goddess who protected people from sickness and harm. The Egyptians believed the pharaoh was also a god. He was often identified with Horus (as well as with Ra, the sun god. Both were givers of life). Discussion Question How does the sculptor tell us this isn t just any old bird? Notice his regal posture, powerful body, and penetrating gaze. These all reinforce the royal associations. The block-like stone further suggests that this is not so much a real bird as it is a symbol. Of what? What are some of the qualities with which the pharaoh wanted to be associated? Strength? Power? Eternity? 4. Ibis, BCE Bronze and wood The ibis was one of the most common water birds inhabiting the marshlands of the Nile delta. It was believed to be related to the moon-god, Thoth, who was the patron of education, writing, and mathematics. Thoth was sometimes represented with a human body and an ibis head. Ancient Egyptian artists took a keen interest in observing and recording the natural world. Here the sculptor has very imaginatively used two different materials to create a remarkably lifelike presence. 5

Discussion Questions Compare and contrast the two birds, the falcon and the ibis. Make a list of adjectives that describe the impression they make on you.

Possible Answer: Different materials, plus the artists seem to have had very different intentions (symbolic vs. realistic) 5.

CE Tempera paint on wood Mummification is a process by which the body of the deceased is embalmed and wrapped in linen.

While mummification preserved the body of the deceased, funerary masks preserved the appearance.

6 Discussion Questions Compare and contrast the two birds, the falcon and the ibis. Make a list of adjectives that describe the impression they make on you. Both birds are symbols of Egyptian gods, but they look very different. In your opinion, why do they look so different? Possible Answer: Different materials, plus the artists seem to have had very different intentions (symbolic vs. realistic) 5. Mummy Portrait From Faiyum, possibly Er-Rubayat, early 4 th C. CE Tempera paint on wood Mummification is a process by which the body of the deceased is embalmed and wrapped in linen. It was practiced by ancient Egyptians to help insure the continued existence of the life-spirit (ka) into the next world. While mummification preserved the body of the deceased, funerary masks preserved the appearance. The most famous mask of this type is the solid gold one made for the young pharaoh Tutankhamun. But mummy masks were made for ordinary people too. During the Roman period, when this mummy mask was made, the ancient Egyptian tradition merged with the Roman tradition of realistic painted portraits to produce a unique cultural hybrid. Discussion Questions Does this woman look like a queen or an ordinary woman? If you could interview her, what questions would you ask her about life in ancient Egypt? What do you think her answers would be? 6

GREECE (Chapters 12, 13) 6. Athena, Roman 1 st c. BCE copy of a Greek sculpture of the 5 th century BCE Marble Art historians think this sculpture was based on the colossal (40 ft.

7 GREECE (Chapters 12, 13) 6. Athena, Roman 1 st c. BCE copy of a Greek sculpture of the 5 th century BCE Marble Art historians think this sculpture was based on the colossal (40 ft. high) ivory and gold sculpture of Athena by Pheidias, the greatest sculptor of the Golden Age of Athens. Pheidias s sculpture originally stood inside the Parthenon in the Acropolis but was destroyed long ago. According to written accounts (primary sources), Athena wore a long tunic, a helmet decorated with sphinxes and griffins, and an aegis (armor breastplate) embellished with serpents on its edge and a Gorgon's head in its center. In her right hand, Athena held a Nike (a winged figure representing Victory), and in her left hand she carried a spear resting on a shield. Discussion Questions What are the clues that tell us this is a sculpture of Athena? The breastplate with snake and the head of a Gorgon. Why do you think Athena was chosen to be the name-goddess and protector of the city of Athens? She is the goddess of wisdom, war, victory, the city, and civilization. According to legend, both Athena and her uncle Poseidon claimed the city of Athens for their own. It was decided that the city would go to whoever bestowed the finest. Leading a procession of citizens, the two gods mounted the Acropolis. Poseidon struck the cliff with his trident, and a spring welled up. The people marveled, but because the water was as salty as the sea Poseidon ruled it was not very useful. Then Athena gave the city her gift. She planted an olive tree in a crevice on the rock. It was the first olive tree the people had ever seen, and it gave them food, oil, and wood. The olive tree was judged the better of the two gifts, and the city went to Athena. From her beautiful temple on the top of the Acropolis, she stood watch over Athens, her bird, the wise owl, perched on her shoulder. 7

Art activity Based on what you know about Athena s other symbols, pretend you are an archeologist and make a reconstruction drawing

They were used to hold or store liquids such as wine, water, and oils.

Beginning in the seventh century BCE, pottery was decorated with stories.

Black-Figure Hydria (painted by the Swing Painter ) About 530 BCE Terra Cotta A hydria is a container for carrying and pouring water

8 Art activity Based on what you know about Athena s other symbols, pretend you are an archeologist and make a reconstruction drawing of how this sculpture might have looked originally. What would her head and helmet look like? How might her arms have been positioned? What might she be holding in her hands? Greek Art and Daily Life: Greek Vase Painting Greek pots made of terra cotta (literally cooked earth, i.e. baked clay) were primarily functional. They were used to hold or store liquids such as wine, water, and oils. Even the earliest Greek pottery was decorated, first with geometric designs and repeated images of animal designs. Beginning in the seventh century BCE, pottery was decorated with stories. Greek vase painters, inspired by artists from the Near East, began representing the human figure in an increasingly more lifelike manner. Black-figure paintings on terra cotta vases told stories about the gods, heroes, and mortals inspired by works like Homer s Iliad. 7. Black-Figure Hydria (painted by the Swing Painter ) About 530 BCE Terra Cotta A hydria is a container for carrying and pouring water (Greek hydro=water). The painting on this hydria is attributed to an artist whose name is unknown so he is referred to by a vase painting he made of a girl on a swing. The story on our hydria is an episode from the Sack of Troy, as told in Homer s Iliad. Achilles is ambushing the young Trojan prince Troilos at the fountain house outside the city walls. Athena watches as Achilles lunges forward with his sword. Troilos s horse rears back, and his sister, Polyxena, drops her bronze 8

AOI- Approaches to Learning. Unit Question- What can the art of the Ancient Societies tell us about the culture and the people who lived at that time?

AOI- Approaches to Learning. Unit Question- What can the art of the Ancient Societies tell us about the culture and the people who lived at that time? AOI- Approaches to Learning Unit Question- What can the art of the Ancient Societies tell us about the culture and the people who lived at that time? The cylinder seal, small stone cylinder engraved in