Comparative Civilizations 12

Unit 1 - Ancient Civilizations

Part 1 - Ancient Egypt

“What images are evoked by the mention of the name Egypt? If towering pyramids, ancient mummies and long lost tombs containing unimaginable wealth spring to mind then you share with countless others a fascination with ancient Egypt. The sense of awe and grandeur that we feel today has been felt by visitors to Egypt for over two thousand years! The ancient Greek historian Herodotus exclaimed that Egypt ‘has more wonders in it than any country in the world and more works that are beyond description than anywhere else’.” Garfield Newman & Christine DeGeer Resources: 1. The Creative Impulse by Dennis Sporre, pp. 54-83. 2. Library Sources 3. Internet Sources – See Mr. Benoy’s Web Page for this unit.

Media: 1. Legacy: Egypt; The Habit of Civilization 2. The Western Tradition; /The Ancient Egyptians

Suggested Time: Four or five periods

Activities: The base material for this section will come from classroom presentations, Sporre (optional) and library and Internet research -- along with the sources cited above. Be sure to illustrate your answers with photocopies or downloaded images. These must be integrated into your text and given your own captions. A bibliography must be given at the end of this material and at the end of all other packages this year. You many answer the following questions and number them as given, or you may choose to organize the content in another fashion. If you do this it is more time consuming but your work will have a more personalized appearance. Be sure that you do not miss out content.

Introduction: 1. When and why did civilization develop in ancient Egypt? What factors were present to make this possible?

2. Why does Michael Woods (in the Legacy video) describe Ancient Egypt as an “optimistic civilization? How might this explain the continuity and resistance to change that seems to mark much of ancient Egyptian history? 3. It is often noted that writing is one of the cornerstones of civilized life. Research the writing system of ancient Egypt. What was this system like and how did we rediscover its meaning over the last two hundred years?

Egyptian Architecture:

1. Describe the evolution of Egyptian funerary structures – from mastabas to pyramids to rock-cut tombs. Account for the changes that took place? Why did the ancient Egyptians place so much emphasis on building such dramatic homes for the dead? 2. Complete an art analysis on either the great pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) at Giza or the step pyramid of Zoser (Djoser) at Saqqara. 3. Visit the Internet site Pilgrimage to Abydos at http://www.bergerfoundation.ch/Abydos/ . Work through this site, looking at the images and reading the text. Now locate a floor-plan (cut-away top view at floor level) and side elevation (view) of an ancient Egyptian temple. (Good examples would include the Temple of Sety I at Abydos or the temples at Edfu, Denderah, Luxor or one of the temples at Karnak. Draw or trace each view as it would have looked before becoming a ruin.

Egyptian Painting and Low-Relief Sculpture:

1. Look at a number of images of ancient Egyptian painting or low relief carving (other than that of the Amarna period). What features seem characteristic of this kind of Egyptian art? What sets this style apart from other styles or other times and places? Identify some of the “rules” that ancient artists seemed to be following in creating their work. Illustrate your answer with images and captions to support your answer. 2. Now research the art of the Amarna period (during the reign of Akhenaton). Account for the radical departure from established patterns. Be sure to illustrate your answer with examples of work from this period. 3. How did the Greek and Roman conquests of Egypt change the characteristics of Egyptian painting and low-relief sculpture? (Note the content in Michael Woods’ Legacy video). Be sure to refer to the funerary art found at Fayum and include images to illustrate your work.

Egyptian Sculpture:

1. What purposes did sculptures seem to have in Ancient Egypt? Does this help to account for the tendency to produce either small temple goods and monumental outside displays? 2. How are ancient Egyptian portrayals of Pharaohs realistic? What is not realistic about them? Be sure to include illustrations to support your answer. Do Egyptian sculptors seem to have followed any set rules in their work or were they free to carve in any style they chose? 3. How did sculpture of the Amarna period differ from that of work from the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms outside Akhenaton’s time? 4. Create an art analysis of the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti. Research what the experts have to say about it, but be sure to state your own views.

Conclusion: 1. Why did ancient Egyptian culture eventually disappear? How does Michael Woods explain this in his Legacy video? Be sure to note the waves of change that transformed Egypt after the New Kingdom collapsed. What was the final blow that erased most memories of the ancient ways? Does anything except ancient artifacts survive? 2. What characteristics of ancient Egyptian art and architecture, if any, are still used today? Illustrate this answer if possible.