[READING COMPREHENSION 2]

[1] Hersey describes a grammar for Greek architectural elements based on the idea of sacrifice. SPECULATE about the validity of his argument based on what you know about Greek design and the evidence (both visual and written) he provides.

     Hersey explains in the reading how Greek art, most of the time, contains a vast amount of sacred trees. The “trees were considered the first temple.” They believed that these sacred trees were even be more righteous than the alter that actually served them. Many sacrifices took place round these trees. There were groups of trees that were often adorned with materials that were left over from the sacrifice ritual. Materials like bones, horns, urns, lamps, flowers, weapons, etc. Nature was the main inspiration for Greek architecture. Wooden construction techniques were often used. For example, Tree trunks were trimmed down to take the form of a column which served as support for the temples.

[2] Meant in jest, Macaulay shapes a world of the future in which the main character claims meanings for archeological evidence uncovered at the Motel of the Mysteries. EXTRACT what you believe to be the lesson of mis-interpreting evidence and link that lesson to the real world phenomenon of the internet. In other words, EXPLAIN how you might avoid such a blunder as mis-reading evidence when you use the web as your major information source.

Many people believe everything they hear and read, and I think at some point in our lives we all have been guilty of this. When looking for information on the internet it is always a good idea to look at who wrote the article, post, blog, etc. Many times people publish things on the internet that are not necessarily true or it’s based on their own personal opinion. We all know that Wikipedia is not a valid source, although it does provide a lot of information. Like I said before, anyone can post online.  Also, another thing to take in consideration isthe date it was published. Make sure that the website has been updated recently and verify if this site has been professionally reviewed.

Like Patrick said in class

"books go through many reviews and a lot of people look at it before it is published and anyone can post online"

After reading this humorous story, which by the way I loved the drawings, left me thinking about what I should and shouldn’t believe.

[3] The funerary temple design of Queen Hatshepsut speaks a very different design language than the pyramidal forms for other pharaohs. From your readings and the ideas addressed in class, RECOUNT possible reasons why Queen Hatshepsut used this building form.

The Temple was built for the great Queen Hatshepsut to honor her achievements. It was also built to serve as a funerary for her and a sanctuary of Amon Ra (a God). Most temples during this time were being built of sandstone, but this particular one wasn’t.  Queen Hatshepsut’s temple was built of limestone. The temple designed by Queen Hatshepsut was breathtaking and it appeared to be part of themountainous backdrop that it was built against.  There is a series of imposing terraces from the plain desert. The decoration inside consists of scenes of gods in which she also was involved with. The queen was determined to hold on to power so she wanted to make her temple look strong and massive. She wanted to show everyone her power and strength.

[4] Although some evidence suggests links between the Egyptian and Greek civilizations, and some building forms and details provide support for that linkage, the two societies produced design responses in great contrast to one another. Select a building type (house, tomb, or temple) from each culture and ELUCIDATE similarities and differences in the two forms over time. Provide an annotated illustration for each selected type.

     The main differences between Egyptian and Greek architecture are function, structure, and symbolism. They also differ in structural use and site layout. Egyptian temples are much greater in size than the Greeks. Greek temples were small, long, and narrow because of limited resources. As the Greek wealth grew, they started having more resources which gave them the opportunity to expand and build slightly larger temples. On the other hand, Egyptian temples were grand in scale because of the abundance of materials such as the limestone, which we know was used to build the pyramids. Something else that I found very interesting is that Greek architects made conscious choices in design for aesthetic reasons and not just for function like Egyptians did. All of these differences help us distinguish one temple from another.

[5] Harwood shows examples of Egyptian furniture on pp. 60-61. HYPOTHESIZE about the lightweight nature of Egyptian furniture when compared to tomb architecture, as at the Pyramids of Giza, which many characterize as massive and heavy.

     I suppose that the Egyptians we more interested in the afterlife than they were about life on earth. Which is the reason I believe the interior of the space was so light weight and simple compared to the massive and intimidating exterior.  

     Egyptians built pyramids out of huge blocks of stones which suggest a sense of immovability and eternalness, just like the pharaohs soul, which cannot be overlooked. Over 2.5 million blocks of limestone were used to build a pyramid. Each block weigh from 2 to 70 tons and the base of the pyramid spread over 13 acres of land. The exterior of the pyramids is rough, heavy and massive, unlike the interior.

     The interior of the pyramids is empty with unfinished chambers.  Wood was quite scarce during this time, which is why large furniture items were not very common. By far the most common pieces of furniture were small stools, which were built for the idea of providing seating. These stools have been found in common houses but also in Pharaohs’ tombs. Egyptian furniture doesn't have the quality of permanence that tomb architecture has.

[6] Based on a careful reading of the visual evidence in these two images, DRAW OUT an explanation of design and gender roles as you see both depicted. As this language of urns represents essentially one of the main ways we know about Grecian culture, COMMENT on the validity of such a practice of reading evidence.

     The two urns portray images of men that look very powerful and in control since the female appears to be attending him. In Grecian culture, all men were above women. Men had higher power and were the ones that were in control. Women were basically used to serve them in any way possible. 

     On this first urn, we can see that the ruler is handing the female a sword. This does not mean she is in power. You can only give what you have, which means the ruler is giving her the sword so she can fight for him.

     

     This urn is much different from the one above. Here you can see the ruler holding a cornucopia as he sits on his throne. It appears that he is being served by two women.