Gratil, Joseph P.
BEED 3B
[Link]
The Parthenon is a resplendent marble
temple built between 447 and 432 B.C.
during the height of the ancient Greek
Empire. Dedicated to the Greek goddess
Athena, the Parthenon sits high atop a
compound of temples known as the
Acropolis of Athens. Throughout the
centuries, the Parthenon withstood
earthquakes, fire, wars, explosions and
looting yet remains, although battered, a powerful symbol of Ancient Greece
and Athenian culture.
2 . . Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army refers to the thousands of life-size
clay models of soldiers, horses, and chariots which were
deposited around the grand mausoleum of Shi Huangdi,
first emperor of China and founder of the Qin dynasty,
located near Lishan in Shaanxi Province, central China.
The purpose of the army was likely to act as guardian
figures for the tomb or to serve their ruler in the next
life. The site was discovered in 1974 CE, and the
realistic army figures provide a unique insight into
ancient Chinese warfare from weapons to armour
or chariot mechanics to command structures. Shi
Huangdi was desperate for immortality, and in the end, his terracotta army of over
7000 warriors, 600 horses, and 100 chariots has given him just that, at least in name
and deed. The site of the mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site even if the
inner tomb itself has yet to be excavated.
[Link] Of Shiva
Incised on this small stone (less than two inches
across), we see a large figure seated on a dais
surrounded by a horned buffalo, a rhinoceros, an
elephant, and a tiger. Beneath the platform is a
small antlered deer that is one of a pair. Although
the deer on the right has broken off at some point,
enough of its antler remains to determine that the
deer has its head turned away from the center and,
like its partner, was looking out towards the edge of
the seat. An inscription (as yet untranslated), has been carved into the very top of the
seal, with one symbol apparently displaced to the space between the elephant and the
tiger. The stone seal, which would have been pressed onto a soft base such as clay to
create a positive imprint, is dated to c. 2500–2400 B.C.E. and was found in the
archaeological site of Mohenjo-daro, in what is now Sindh, Pakistan.
[Link] Artemision Bronze
The Artemision Bronze is a slighter larger than life
sized statue recovered from the sea off Cape
Artemision that represents either Zeus or Posiedon; the
right hand either originally held a thunderbolt or a
trident. The statue's creation dates to c. 460 BCE before
the development of the classical style in the later half
of that century, however, the context in which it was
found was much later, around the 2nd century BCE,
presumably part of a sunken Roman ship's cargo. The
statue was found in 1926 CE and then excavated in
1928 CE; it currently holds a prominent position within the National Archaeological
museum at Athens. A cast of it can also be found at the cast gallery of Cambridge
University's Museum of Classical Archaeology.
5. Keros harpist
This so-called 'Keros harpist' is one of the most beautiful
and best known artefacts of the Cycladic civilization, as
well as one of the oldest representations of a musician.
The male harpist sits on an elegant throne holding a large
musical instrument resembling a harp or lyre in his right
hand. His nose and penis are shown in relief, as on most
Cycladic figurines. It was found in a tomb together with
the figurine of a flutist; both artefacts were probably
made by the same craftsman. Male figurines are
relatively rare in the Early Cycladic period, and usually depict men in action. Harpist
representations are even more unusual. This one belongs to the developed Spedos
variety.
[Link] Great Pyramid of Giza
-The three primary pyramids on the Giza plateau were
built over the span of three generations by the rulers
Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. Each pyramid was part
of a royal mortuary complex that also included a temple
at its base and a long stone causeway (some nearly 1
kilometer in length) leading east from the plateau to a
valley temple on the edge of the floodplain. In addition
to these major structures, several smaller pyramids
belonging to queens are arranged as satellites. A large
cemetery of smaller tombs, known as mastabas (Arabic for ‘bench’ in reference to
their shape—flat-roofed, rectangular, with sloping sides), fills the area to the east and
west of the pyramid of Khufu. These were arranged in a grid-like pattern and
constructed for prominent members of the court. Being buried near the pharaoh was a
great honor and helped ensure a prized place in the Afterlife.
[Link] of Willendorf
The Venus of Willendorf is a perfect example
of this. Josef Szombathy, an Austro-
Hungarian archaeologist, discovered this work
in 1908 outside the small Austrian village of
Willendorf. Although generally projected in
art history classrooms to be several feet tall,
this limestone figurine is petite in size. She
measures just under 4½” high, and could fit
comfortably in the palm of your hand. This
small scale allowed whoever carved (or,
perhaps owned) this figurine to carry it during
their nearly daily nomadic travels in search of
food. Naming and [Link], the Paleolithic sculptor who made this small
figurine would never have named it the Venus of Willendorf. Venus was the name of
the Roman goddess of love and ideal beauty. When discovered outside the Austrian
village of Willendorf, scholars mistakenly assumed that this figure was likewise a
goddess of love and beauty . There is absolutely no evidence though that the Venus of
Willendorf shared a function similar to its classically inspired namesake. However
incorrect the name may be, it has endured, and tells us more about those who found
her than those who made her.
Dating too can be a problem, especially since Prehistoric art, by definition, has no
written record. In fact, the definition of the word prehistoric is that written language
did not yet exist, so the creator of the Venus of Willendorf could not have incised
“Bob made this in the year 24,000 B.C.E.” on the back. In addition, stone artifacts
present a special problem since we are interested in the date that the stone was carved,
not the date of the material itself. Despite these hurdles, art historians and
archaeologist attempt to establish dates for prehistoric finds through two processes.
The first is called relative dating and the second involves an examination of the
stratification of an object’s discovery.
[Link] Statue of Ebih-Il
This statue depicts the figure of a praying man seated
on a wicker seat with hands clasped against his chest in
devotion to his [Link] inscription in proto-
cuneiform on the rear, which identifies the work, reads:
“Statue of Ebih-Il, the superintendent, dedicated to
Ishtar Virile.”Ebih-Il was a superintendent of the
ancient city-state of Mari in modern-day eastern Syria.
The statue was discovered at the Temple of Ishtar in
Mari during excavations. It is made of gypsum, with
inlays of schist, shells, and lapis [Link] man’s head
is shaved. His long beard is composed of vertical curls and with holes drilled. The
gaps in the beard had formerly been inlaid with another material that is now [Link]
beard accentuates the figure’s cheeks and finely sculpted lips that have a half-
[Link] figure’s blue eyes were crafted with particular care using a combination of
schist, shells, and lapis lazuli to depict the eyelashes and eyelids, cornea, and iris,
respectively. The lapis lazuli inlays used were imported from [Link] figure
has a bare torso, and the figure’s only dress is the Sumerian-style ceremonial woolen
mantle skirt. The elaborate fleece skirt appears to be made from sheepskin or goatskin
hide, as evidenced by the presence of a tail at the [Link] figure’s feet are missing,
but their attachment piece is still showing under the [Link] statue was discovered
in two parts by a French archaeological excavation team. The head was found at the
outer court of the Temple of Ishtar, and the body was found a few meters [Link]
the statue was found, the left arm was broken, and the elbows were damaged. This
statue was the first significant discovery in the excavations, started in 1933, at the site
of Mari.
