Exam 1 Chapter 1 Flashcards
What elements characterize “civilization?”
Some form of urban life involving the construction of permanent settlements- cities in short
A system of government that regulates political relations
the development of distinct social classes, distinguished from one another by the two related factors of wealth and occupation
tools and specialized skills for the production of goods, leading to the rise of manufacturing and trade
some form of written communication, making it possible to share and preserve information
a shared system of religious belief, whose officials or priests often play a significant role in community affairs
What do early art works like the Lascaux Cave paintings and the Venus of Willendorf tell us about early man?
man had the desire and ability to represent the world around them
stone age cultures, for the most part, had no written language, but symbols seem to have been used to record events or transmit beliefs
How did geography influence Egyptian culture and ideas? How does this compare with Mesopotamian geography and culture?
rainfall was sparse, so they relied on the flooding of the Nile for agriculture
knowing the consistency of this river and having knowledge of how to control it’s flooding provided a great deal of consistency for the egyptians in regards to basic survival, which in turn gave them the upper hand for having consistent power
at the delta of the NIle was Lower Egypt, broad and flat, within easy reach of neighbouring parts of the Mediterranean
Upper Egypt, more isolated from foreign contacts, consisted of a long, narrow strip of fertile soils, hemmed in by high cliffs and desert, tuning on either side of the NIle for most of its 1250 miles
Mesopotamia was founded in the “fertile Crescent” an area of land that is essentially flat, and thus, ultimately indefensible
Egyptian Gods were more giving where as the Mesoptamian Gods were viewed as harsh.
What are the basics of Egyptian religion (Osiris cult, major deities, judgment)?
Worshipped many deities, but the pharaoh stood among them as a living god and their near equal
MAJOR DEITIES
Amen-ra: The sun god who created the world by imposing order on the primeval chaos of the universe. Created other gods.
Horus: A god of the sky
Isis: The sister and wife of Osiris and mother of Horus; a protective goddess who used magic to help the needy
Osiris: God of the dead; ruler of the underworld
Briefly describe the three main periods:
Old Kingdom- pyramids, mummification, pharaoh,the northern and southern kingdoms were unified, 500 years of prosperity and peace
Middle Kingdom- public works, democratization of religion, “golden age”of egypt, the doctrine of salvation was offered to all and not just the priests and royalty
New Kingdom- imperialism, degradation of religion, Armana revolution, expansionism, Ramses II and Moses were during this time
Who was Akhenaton and what were the immediate effects of the Armana revolution in art and culture?
Akhenaton was originally known as Amenhotep but changed his name because he believed he was the legitimate son and prophet of Aton(God). Amenhotep cast aside time-honored artistic convention and initiated a radically new style. His new art style included curving lines and soft, organic forms. The bodies sculptures now less harsh included more feminine attributes; thin waist, wider hips, narrow, sloping shoulder; and thin arms.
Describe Sumerian culture through their arts and the Epic of Gilgamesh. What is the mood and theme of the epic?
One theme of Gilgamesh is mortality of men and existence of a higher deity. The sumerians show a lot of concern about Deity from their art and culture, for example they built ziggurats in hopes that the Gods would come down. And many of their works of art deal with a higher deity.
What was the Law Code of Hammurabi?
One of the earliest attempts to achieve social justice by legislation. It was a major development in the growth of civilization. “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
How was Minoan art different from Egyptian? What does the story of King Minos and the Minotaur tell us about the relationship between Crete and Greece?
Minoan art reflects a lot of their living settings.There are less sculptures and artistic evidence of religion.
The story of King Minos and the Minotaur takes place in Crete and the hero of the Story Theseus is the son of the King of Athens, Greece. The story tells us that the two places were closely connected and had a positive relationship.
Who were Arthur Evans and Heinrich Schliemann and what was their contribution to our knowledge of ancient Mediterranean culture?
Arthur Evans was the man to have discovered the ancient Minoan society. (1894) Heinrich Schliemann proved that the stories of the war against Troy-and the Mycenaeans who had waged it- were far more than legends.(1870) They proved the myth had some historical basis to it by discovering Troy.
Describe Mycenaean art and culture.
Mycenaean culture was a pillaging culture of raiders and warriors. they were often in a war and because of the focus of glory from battle the civilization could not last in peace. the culture was based on person glory and not on the betterment of the state. their cities had huge walls of stone for defense.
Art: art in the mycenaean culture was limited, but included small sculpture and burial facemasks. among the very few examples of large sculpture is the lion’s gate at the entrance to the city. It w
Akhenaton:
Egyptian Prince of the mid 14th century, who took away all of the multiple Gods and only worshipped one. He also reformed the arts and culture of Egypt. After his death his reforms were Re-reformed and Egypt return to how it had been before his reign.
Amarna:
Revolution in Egyptian history that change the Arts and the cultures. Started by Pharaoh Akhenaton.
Cuneiform:
A system of writing using wedge-shaped characters. Used by the ancient Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian writing.
Hammurabi:
A powerful king who united the independent city-states of Mesopotamia and called them under the name Babylonia. He created a centralized Government and made laws such as the law code of Hammurabi.
