Station 1 Entertainment

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1 Olympics (Greece) Station 1 Entertainment The Olympic games were first held at the Greek City-State of Olympia to honor Zeus, the king of the gods. These Olympic games took place in the summer only once every four years. The earliest recorded Olympics occurred in 776 B.C.E. The ancient Olympic games were initially a one-day event until 684 BC, when they were extended to three days. In the 5th century B.C., the Games were extended again to cover five days. The ancient Games included running, long jump, shot put, javelin, boxing, pankration (a combination of boxing and wrestling with few rules) and equestrian events. Only men could compete in and watch the Olympic games. Winner received a crown of olive leaves and the right to have a statue of themselves at the Olympia. Winners were treated like sport celebrities and made their towns famous. Over time, as the Romans conquered Greece and Christianity became the main religion, pagan ceremonies like the Olympics were abolished. It took all the way to 1896 (120 years ago) for the first modern Olympics to resume. These Olympics were held in Athens, Greece and many countries competed. Today our Olympics represent competition, doing your best and international unity rather than religion.

2 Station 1 Entertainment Ullamaliztli (Aztecs- Ancient Mesoamerica) Ullamaliztli, the famous Aztec ball game, was played on a capital I shaped tlachtli ball court (the game is sometimes referred to as Tlachtli, coming from the word ulli, or rubber). The ball court was one of the first things built when the Aztecs settled a new area, making it the most important of the ancient Aztec games. It was a very difficult game played with a large rubber ball, which represented the sun. Players wore heavy pads and used their legs, hips and elbows to send the rubber ball through two rings (representing sunrise and sunset) placed vertically into the walls of the court. The game was very violent and could result in death. Ullamaliztli was not just important for entertainment, but also politics and religion. This game is also famous for the fact that sometimes the losing team would be sacrificed to the Aztec gods.

3 Roman Baths (Rome) Station 1 Entertainment Bathing was very important to the ancient Romans. Romans would visit the public baths every day, even holy and feast days. Each public bathhouse either had separate pools for men and women or had different hours for men and women. The bathhouse was more than just a place to wash. It was similar to what shopping malls are today. It was a place to meet friends, a place where you could get something to eat, a place to workout, even a place to read the day's news. You could even get your hair cut and styled. Inside the bathhouse were both hot and cold pools, saunas, workout rooms, reading rooms, restaurants and hair salons. And of course there were many slaves to pamper you. Unlike our shopping malls today, you had to pay to enter the public bath. Children and slaves were not supposed to enter (of course if you had enough money or power you could bring your personal slaves with you). The bathhouse was a very important part of every Roman's day.

4 Station 2 Arts Ancient Greek Art Ancient Greek culture was full of different types of art. Ancient Greeks decorated almost every part of their lives, from their buildings and city streets to the inside of their homes. Many objects in Greek life were created with beauty in mind. Greek artists created masterpieces in painting, metal work, mosaic, sculpture, architecture, literature, and pottery. Painting: Until recently, archaeologists only knew about Greek painting through ancient Greek stories. These stories, which were written by authors such as Pliny and Pausanias, describe large, monumental paintings. But unfortunately, not a lot of these paintings remain. An ancient Greek living in 400 BC would be able to walk down the street and look at the beautiful paintings on the outside walls of buildings. But after thousands of years, war, earthquakes, weather, and time have worn down these paintings so that they no longer remain. Some Greek cities, such as Sikyon, were known for their schools, which taught painters and created many successful Greek artists, who then traveled the Western world, spreading their Greek art. Archaeologists have recently begun excavating Macedonia, which is a part of Greece, and they have found well-preserved pieces of Greek paintings. Many painted tombs have been found, helping archaeologists to study Greek painting even better. Some of these paintings show scenes of warriors, women, animal hunts and scenes from mythological stories. Some of these paintings look a lot like Italian paintings, which has led some archaeologists to believe that Greek artists influenced Italian artists, who copied their painting styles. Mosaic: Another one of the lasting artistic legacies from the ancient Greeks is the art of the mosaic. A mosaic is a picture made up of small pieces of glass, pottery, or small tiles. Thousands of small pieces of colored tiles are placed together so that all together they make up a single picture. Greeks decorated their houses with mosaics, both on the walls as well as on the floor. In Macedonia, archaeologists have found houses that have brightly painted walls and mosaic floors. Pottery: Another more type of art they used on a daily basis was pottery, which they made into hundreds of different shapes, and painted with geometric patterns, and scenes from mythology.

5 Station 2 Arts Ancient Roman Art: Centered in the city of Rome, the civilization of Ancient Rome ruled much of Europe for over 1000 years. The arts flourished during this time and were often used by the wealthy and powerful to memorialize their deeds and heritage. Born from Greek Art : The Romans admired the Greek culture and arts. After conquering Greece, they brought many Greek artists to Rome to make sculptures for them in the Greek fashion. The art of Ancient Greece had a great influence on the art of Ancient Rome. Other Influences : Although Greek art had the greatest influence on the Romans, other civilizations that they conquered and encountered over their wide empire also had influence. These included the Ancient Egyptians, eastern art, the Germans, and the Celtics. Roman Sculpture : Roman sculpture played an important part of the Roman daily life. Sculptures took the form of full statues, busts (sculptures of just a person's head), reliefs (sculptures that were part of a wall), and sarcophagi (sculptures on tombs). The Ancient Romans decorated with sculptures in a number of places including public buildings, public parks, and private homes and gardens. Roman sculpture was heavily influenced by Greek sculpture. In fact, many of the Roman sculptures were just copies of Greek sculptures. The wealthy Romans decorated their large homes with sculptures. A lot of times these sculptures were of themselves or their ancestors. Other popular subjects for sculptures included gods and goddesses, philosophers, famous athletes, and successful generals. To the left is a marble statue of Augustus the first Emperor of Rome. He is shown here wearing a traditional Roman toga while performing his duties as Pontifex Maximus. The Roman Bust : One of the most popular types of sculpture in Rome was the bust. This is a sculpture of just the head. Wealthy would put the busts of their ancestors in the atrium of their homes. This for them to show off their lineage. Ancient Romans was a way Roman Painting : The walls of the homes of wealthy Romans were often decorated with paintings. These paintings were frescos painted directly on the walls. Most of these paintings have been destroyed over time, but some of them were preserved in the city of Pompeii when it was buried by the eruption of a volcano. Left is a painting discovered on a wall in the ruins of Pompeii

6 Mosaics : The Romans also made pictures from colored tiles call mosaics. The mosaics have been able to survive the test of time better than the paintings. Sometimes the tiles would be applied directly at the site of the mosaic. Other times the tiles and the base would be made in a workshop and the entire mosaic installed later. Mosaics could be art on a wall, but also worked as decorative flooring. Ancient Japan Art Ancient Mesopotamian Art Ancient America Art

7 Station 3 Arts Ancient Egyptian Art From the earliest times Egyptian art was developed in the service of the Pharaoh. Ancient Egyptian art was first created to show that the Pharaoh was a god. The art forms were worked out by the master craftsmen in the Pharaoh s court and were then followed carefully by lesser craftsmen who worked for ordinary Egyptians. Pictures : The earliest work of art that we can give a date to is the Palette of Narmer, who was the first king of the first dynasty, about 3000 B.C. (5000 years ago). This palette shows Narmer s victories. It is carved with reliefs, which means that the artist has carved away the slate background to make the pictures stand out. This early picture does not show any perspective. That is, it does not show any depth or space (think of a modern painting of a country lane, showing the lane stretching away into the distance that is perspective). For the next 3000 years, Egyptian pictures showed little change from this early example. Pictures were either carved in relief on stone or slate, or they were painted on walls. In both cases, the pictures are two dimensional showing no depth. The craftsmen from the 4th dynasty onwards produced wonderful wall paintings, of people s daily life and the birds and plants that were around them. These paintings are found on the walls of the tombs where the dead were buried. It was hoped that in the life after death, the pleasant life shown in the paintings would continue for the dead person. The picture to the left shows people trapping birds and people plowing. Below is a brightly colored picture of Geese. Both these paintings were painted on the walls of Egyptian tombs of the Old Kingdom more than 4500 years ago. In Egypt s Middle Kingdom, the same art forms continued: we can see from the picture below a number of features that are common in Egyptian pictures throughout the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms. The bodies of the figures are facing us, but their heads are in profile (turned sideways). The body of the Pharaoh, if shown, is larger

8 than the other figures and is always very stiff and formal, as in the Narmer palette, but the bodies of ordinary people are more relaxed and life-like, as in the picture of people plowing All the pictures are two-dimensional, without any depth. Sculpture : From the 3rd Dynasty onwards, Egyptian art began to produce sculpture as well as carvings and paintings. The most exciting time for this art was the 4th Dynasty when the Pyramids were built. The picture below shows King Mycerinus between two goddesses. The statue was made around 2600 B.C. (4600 years ago). Later Egyptian sculpture followed this style for 2000 years. The statues are life-like, always facing forwards (unlike the paintings), and are made from hard stone, which has lasted well. Egyptian sculpture Shows human faces as they really were. Has the figures facing directly forwards. The figures are standing or sitting upright and are very stiff and formal. Applied Art During Egypt s New Kingdom, wealth flowed into Egypt and the master craftsmen used precious metals such as gold and precious stones to produce jewelry and to decorate the mummy-cases in which the mummified bodies of pharaohs and rich officials were placed. The best example of a highly decorated sarcophagus (mummy-case) that has survived is that of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen. The sarcophagus is made of solid gold and beautifully decorated by the master craftsmen.

9 Station 3 Arts Terracotta Soldiers (China) The Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang spent a huge amount of resources building himself the largest single tomb built to a leader in the history of the world. As you can see in the pictures above he had over 7000 soldiers, horses and chariots made from terra cotta buried in his tomb. He felt this huge army would protect him and help him to keep his power in the afterlife. He died and was buried in 210 BC, over 2000 years ago. What is amazing is that the soldiers of the Terracotta Army are life-size statues. They average around 5 feet 11 inches tall with some soldiers being as tall as 6 foot 7 inches. Despite there being so many statues, no two soldiers are exactly alike. There are soldiers of all ages with different ranks, facial features, and hair styles. Some of the soldiers look calm, while others look angry and ready to fight. The soldiers are often wearing different clothing and have different jobs in the army such as spies, scouts, and leaders. The discovery of these soldiers was turned into a museum and can be viewed in Xian, China today.

10 Station 3 Arts Ancient African Art Africa is a large and diverse continent. Its history is filled with the rise and fall of numerous civilizations and empires. As a result, the art of Ancient Africa is varied and diverse. However, there are some common themes throughout much of African art. Ancient African art can be somewhat divided into regions. The art of northern Africa was heavily influenced by the Arabs after the Islamic conquest. Similarly, the art of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa was influenced by Europe and Christianity. There is also the well preserved art of Ancient Egypt found in temples and burial chambers. However, what most people think of today as African art is the art produced by the peoples living south of the Sahara Desert. The art of Ancient Africa was produced using a wide variety of materials. Unfortunately, a lot of African art was produced using wood, which has since been destroyed by time and the elements. Other materials, such as metals (like bronze and iron), ceramics, and ivory have survived. One of the main elements of African art is that it is often created in three-dimensions rather than two-dimensions. For example, they used sculpture more often than flat paintings. Sculpture was one of the most important types of art in Ancient Africa. Sculptures were mostly made of people and sometimes animals. African artists often used wood for their sculpture, but they also used bronze and ivory. Masks were an important part of art. They were often used together with dance to create a type of performance art in a ritual or ceremony like a wedding or a funeral. It is generally believed that the individual who wears the mask transforms into a spirit. This transformation usually takes place during some type of ritual. This can allow for communication between humans and spirits. Masks were generally made of wood, but were often decorated with ivory, gems, paint, and animal fur. Many Ancient African civilizations created jewelry from gold, gems, shells, and other materials. Jewelry was an important part of showing one's status and wealth.

11 Station 3 Arts Ancient Indian Art As we read in the writing achievements section, Ancient India is known for creating seals that usually contained pictures of animals and a line of scripts. These were probably used in trade, but other small metal and clay sculptures of animals and people have been found as well. Some large sculptures, including large bronze statues of a bull with a chariot driver, a buffalo, and rhinoceros, and an elephant have also been found. India is the home of several of the world s major religions, so it s not surprising that most of India s art is centered on religion. Around B.C., the Buddhists began to erect large stone pillars at important places. These pillars were often topped with a figure of a lion. The lion was a symbol of power for Indian rulers. Other pillars had figures such as lotus flowers, bulls, and elephants. Many large stone figures were made of the traditional village gods, called yakshas and yakshis, which were male and female nature spirits. Later, the Buddhists began to make large burial mounds called stupas. These were shaped like Buddha s body, which they believed was perfectly proportioned. (If you ve seen pictures of the Buddha, you know he is often shown as being quite round). Stupas were originally burial places for holy people. As Buddhism spread, Buddha s followers began to make images of him in human form, so that others might learn about him. At first, he was shown with a very stern look, but later, he was shown to have gentle eyes looking downward, and a soft smile. Hindus also made carvings of their gods. These were shaped like humans, but often with many arms or heads, to show that they could take many different forms. In northern India, there images were carved into rocks.

12 The Epic of Gilgamesh (Mesopotamia) Station 4 Literature and Thinking To the left is an artist s portrait of Enkidu from the Epic of Gilgamesh. clay tablets in cuneiform. The Epic of Gilgamesh is among the earliest known works of literature. An epic is a long poem that tells the story of legendary or heroic people or gods. Like most epics, the first stories of Gilgamesh began as oral fables handed down by word of mouth. Hundreds of years after the poets first spoke of Gilgamesh; the legends were collected and recorded on The story takes place nearly five thousand years ago. Gilgamesh was the king of the wealthy city named Urduk. He was strong and handsome, but he was also cruel. Gilgamesh forced the people of Urduk to build him great palaces. He also made his subjects live in constant fear. When the people of Urduk begged the gods for help, they led the warrior Enkidu to Urduk. Enkidu was also big and strong, but he was wild and ignorant of the ways of civilized people. Enkidu was raised in the forest where he lived with the animals. When Enkidu learned of Gilgamesh's cruelty, the wild man challenged the mighty king to fight. As the two powerful men battled, they realized they admired one another; so instead of remaining enemies, they became inseparable friends. After going on many adventures together, Enkidu died. After Enkidu s death, Gilgamesh returned home filled with wisdom from his adventures with Enkidu. Gilgamesh became a gentle ruler who no longer mistreated the people of Urduk. Gilgamesh realized that he could not escape death, but he could live on in the memories of the people he loved.

13 The Iliad and The Odyssey (Greece) Station 5 Literature and Thinking The Iliad and The Odyssey are very long epic poems that are considered two of the best works of literature ever. They both may have been written by an Ancient Greek Poet known only as Homer. The Illiad glorifies war while the Odyssey shows the powers of strength and smarts. The Iliad is the story of the last year of the Trojan War. This was fought between the City of Troy (Trojans) and the Greeks. The Odyssey is the story of how one of the heroes of the Trojan War, Odysseus, and his adventures on his long journey home from a ten year war. Both epic poems are filled with images and stories that are familiar to modern audiences (The Trojan Horse, Achielles, etc.). Philosophy (Greece) To the left are stone statues of Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. These are three of the most famous Greek Philosophers. One of the most unique and wonderful of Greek inventions was philosophy. Philosophy was the special way Greeks attempted to make sense out of the world, in a non-religious way. This means that rather than using myths and stories to understand the world, they would use their intelligence and reasoning skills. The word Philosophy can be broken into two parts: Philo- means love, and -sophia means wisdom, so the word philosophy really means the love of wisdom. Basically, philosophy is thinking about the world and making sense out of it. For example, early Greeks began asking the question, What exists? They questioned the world around them and tried to make sense out of what they saw. Other, different philosophies were developed, each of which tried to make sense out of the world.

14 Eventually, their ideas built upon each other until very complicated philosophies were developed. These early thinkers were so influential that their ideas are still around today, and people still study them in colleges and universities.