Neolithic Art and Architecture Paper Essay Example for Free

Neolithic Art and Architecture Paper Essay During the â€Å"New† Stone Age, also known as the Neolithic Period, art and life in general began to change drastically for humans. Many new onsets began to bloom, for example humans of this time period had begun to live in single locations versus before they were nomadic hunter-gatherers. This new life introduced new challenges and new opportunities. Within this paper I will discuss three Neolithic Locations, Jericho, Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k, and Stonehenge. Also, what made each of these sites significant, what new forms of buildings were present at each, and what is still perplexing modern day historians and archaeologists about these sites. I will start with the oldest of the three locations from above, Jericho. Jericho is a city of Palestine, but has been under the occupation of many. Its most important fact is that it is one of the oldest known permanently occupied cities in the world, occupied during the Natufian era (10,800 – 8,500 BCE) to present day. It was primarily occupied during a time known as the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Period (PPN: 8,500 – 6,000 BCE), which is further broken down into two more time frames called PPNA (8,500 7,300 BCE) and PPNB (7,300 – 6,000 BCE). Along with being one of the oldest known cities, Jericho shows us that humans of the Neolithic Period had begun to create permanent structures for living. After the domestication of plants and animals it is believed that Jericho was chosen to be a permanent settlement because it was a plateau of the Jordan River valley with a spring that supplied a constant source for water. During the PPNA, oval homes made from mud bricks with roofs made from wooden branches covered in earth began to appear at Jericho. Around 7,500 BCE, a rock-cut ditch and thick walls approximately 5 feet wide surrounded the city. Within the wall there is a single circular tower (fig. 1), approximately 30 feet high and almost 33 feet in diameter. These walls and towers mark the beginning of monumental architecture. Later, during the PPNB era the architects of Jericho began building the homes with rectangular  mud bricks and a plaster-like mud mortar, these houses were made into rectangular shapes due to the rectangular bricks. During this time we can also find evidence of new forms of art, plastered human skulls. It is believed these heads may have been used for a cult or religion of some sort. The heads were formed around a human skulls with the plaster-like mud mortar and then shells were placed in the eyes, and traces of paint were also found to shown a resemblance of skin and hair (fig 2). Next, let’s discuss another major settlement of the Neolithic Period that was formed between 7,000 and 5,000 BCE, Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k. This site is important because it is possible to retrace human evolution of the Neolithic culture over the period of approximately 800 years. The people of Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k were Neolithic weapon and toolmakers, especially in the use of obsidian. More importantly though was the village itself, it’s architecture and the art that thrived within. Most important about its architecture is that adjoining buildings, meaning it had no streets, formed this village. In July of 2012, Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k was inscribed as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. There are two types of buildings that were constructed within Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k, houses and shrines. The houses were made of mud bricks that were strengthened by timber frames. These homes contained no doors, but openings at the top that served as an entrance and a chimney. The interiors were plastered and painted; with platform shelving that was used as sites for sleeping, eating, and working (fig. 3). The dead of Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k were buried right under platforms of the homes. Although the houses of Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k were decorated on the inside there were other buildings slightly larger that contained more decoration, ornate murals, animal heads, paintings and figurines, are the shrines. These buildings still intrigue archaeologists today, as we do not know their true purpose. Along with the architecture of Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k, you see the beginning of narrative paintings. Although people had begun to raise animals of their own, hunting still played a major part in human life. This is shown in wall painting from Level III of Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k (fig. 4). Also at Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k, we find what now referred to as the first map, or the first landscape painting (fig. 5). This landscape painting remained unique for thousands of years, and with carbon dating this painting was executed in or around 6,150 BCE. In addition to painting, at Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k we find sculpture, weaving, pottery  and even techniques of smelting lead. Now let us move on to the most intriguing and puzzling place of these three Neolithic sites, Stonehenge. Stonehenge is a formation of rocks as high as 17 feet and weighing as much as 50 tons. Because these stones are so large historians have called them megaliths, meaning great stones. Stonehenge exists on the Salisbury Plain of southern England. Stonehenge itself is a megalithic monument constructed over the course of several years, in several phases. Stonehenge Phase 1, known as the earthwork monument. The first phase of Stonehenge was begun around 2,950 to 2,900 BCE. During phase one Stonehenge consisted of four sections and two entrances (fig. 6). The four sections are as follows from outside to inside: the Outer bank, the Ditch, the Circular bank, and the Aubrey Holes. The ditch, which is enclosed by two earthen banks, has the same center as the 56 Aubrey Holes inside it, therefore telling historians they came from the same time period. The second phase of Stonehenge is one that still perplexes historians, but the best evidence we have tells us it occurred sometime between 2,900 BCE and 2,550 to 2,400 BCE. During this time of its construction all evidence shows us that Stonehenge was more than likely being used as a cremation site. This phase it is known as the timber monument. All across the in circle of Stonehenge and around both entrance excavations have revealed post-holes which indicate that at this stage in Stonehenge’s construction it was made from timber and not the megalithic stones that now stand. These post-hole sites are divided into three distinct locations, the northeastern entrance, the southern entrance and the confused central pattern. The patterns displayed in the confused central pattern raise many concerns for historians and this is something that still raises questions for them, as it is unknown exactly how big the structures were or how they looked at this time. The third and final phase of Stonehenge is known as the stone monument. This is when what we see today was added to this monument. There are two types of megalithic stones found at Stonehenge, the bluestones and the sarsen stones. The final stage took the form concentric post-and-lintel circles. There are four circles and two horseshoes that were formed in the final stage of Stonehenge. The first two circles formed inside of Stonehenge’s Circular bank are referred to as the Rings of Y and Z Holes. These holes show evidence that Stonehenge may have never been completed, as holes were dug prior to placing stones inside the  monument. Inside of these two circles was a large circle formed out of sarsen stone lintels, then followed by a circle of bluestones. Inside of the two stone circle were the horseshoes, one made of sarsen stones and another inside of that made out of bluestones, with a single stone called the Altar Stone in the center of the bluestone horseshoe (fig. 7). Along the Circular bank four more stones appear, known as the Station Stones. Only two of the four stones still remain, but when you run a line between each of stones it forms a rectangle whose center pinpoints the exact center of the monument. From the center of the monument traveling out toward the northeast entrance you see the last two megaliths of Stonehenge, the Slaughter Stone and the Heel Stone. The Heel stone aligns with the center of Stonehenge at the midsummer solstice, thus giving historians the belief that Stonehenge was used a Calendar. The true use of Stonehenge may never be known, as evidence has also proven that Stonehenge might have been used as an observatory of astronomical aspects. Of these three sites we have learned a lot about our past. We have discovered many forms of artwork, and architectural changes to the human culture. But what we know of these sites is still growing. What will the future hold for us? While we continue to excavate and research these sites, will we find that the humans of Neolithic times were smarter or as smart than we are today? Are there any more new architectural discoveries to be found at these sites? Will we find more art that change the way we look at Art History? These three locations are a vast pile of knowledge still waiting to be discovered and hopefully it will not take us as long to discover the knowledge as it took the ancients to create the locations. Figure 1, Great Stone Tower, Jericho. Reproduced from smarthistory, http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/jericho.html. Figure 2, Plastered Skulls from Yiftahel. Reproduced from smarthistory, http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/jericho.html. Figure 3, On-site restoration of a typical interior, Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k, 2005. Reproduced from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catal_H%C3%BCy%C3%BCk_Restauration_B.JPG. Figure 4, Deer Hunt, 5750 BCE. Level III, Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k, Turkey. Museum of Anatolian Civilization, Ankara. Reproduced from Fred S. Kleiner, Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, A Global History (Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2011), 26. Figure 5, Landscape with volcanic eruption, 6150 BCE. Level III, Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k, Turkey. Museum of Anatolian Civilization, Ankara. Reproduced from Fred S. Kleiner, Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, A Global History (Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2011), 27. Figure 6, Stonehenge: Phase 1. Reproduced from David Souden, Stonehenge Revealed (New York, NY: Facts on File Inc., 1997), 31. Figure 7, Stonehenge: Phase 3, inner circles. Reproduced from David Souden, Stonehenge Revealed (New York, NY: Facts on File Inc., 1997), 39. Bibliography German, Senta. Çatal Hà ¶yà ¼k. http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/catal-hoyuk.html (accessed 12 January 2013). German, Senta. Jericho. http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/jericho.html. (accessed 12 January 2013). German, Senta. Stonehenge, Salibury Plain, England. http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/catal-hoyuk.html. (accessed 12 January 2013). Hirst, K. Kris. â€Å"The Archaeology of the Ancient City of Jericho,† Jericho (Palestine). http://archaeology.about.com/od/jterms/qt/jericho.htm. (accessed 12 January 2013) Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, A Global History (Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2011. Souden, David. Stonehenge Revealed. New York, NY: Facts on File Inc., 1997. Wikipedia. Çatalhà ¶yà ¼k. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%87atalh%C3%B6y%C3%BCk. (accessed 12 January 2013). Wikipedia, Jericho. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Pottery_Neolithic. (accessed 12 January 2013). Wikipedia, Stonehenge. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge. (accessed 12 January 2013). Wikipedia, UNESCO. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO. (accessed 12 January 2013). Wikipedia, World Heritage Site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site. (accessed 12 January 2013).

Compare and Contrast All Quiet on the Western Front and Dulce et Decoru

The poem "Dulce et decorum est" by Wilfred Owen has a lot In common with "All Quiet on the Western Front." By Erich Remarque although Remarque never fought in the 1st World War. The Imagery in the prose is more detailed as it has more time to describe everything "The fields are flat." Some people think that this is better and it gives it a bit more feeling. Were as in the poem, Owen uses lots of short hard hitting words such as "Obscene as cancer" The poem gives a much more immediate effect in a shorter space of time. The imagery in the poem is quick and dramatic. The titles of the pieces are ironic "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "dulce et Decorum est" which means it is fitting and right. In the Poem everything is tired in the first stanza "Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines" This is a hyperbole as bombs don't become tired. The whole of the war became a sluggish battle. It is also a slow pace to start with in the prose with men looking forward to getting back the huts for some rest. "I wish I were back home. Home - he means the huts" In the second Stanz...

Themes in Little Women

Themes in Little Women English 472 Devotion to the family and parental approval are themes weaved throughout Little Women, a novel by Louisa May Alcott. Alcott details the lives of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy to show their gradual maturation and acceptance of traditional familial roles as they would have been in 19th Century New England. The story opens with the father of the March family away at war and the women in the family pull together to get by in his absence. The scenes of them working together in the house to be sure that everything was done, and the scenes of them passing time together were very touching.During the hardship they stayed together and grew closer together. This tone in the family is set by Mrs. March. She is the voice of faith and reason in Alcott’s story. The girls not only heed her advice but seek it out frequently as if she were an oracle. Alcott introduces the reader to the four March sisters with descriptions of their general look and characteristics. Jo is utterly unladylike, Meg and Amy are vain and envious of other girls and Beth is a painfully shy homebody. As soon as Mrs. March enters the room, all girls rush immediately to attend to their matriarch. Even Mr.March gives direction from the warfront in a letter to his family. â€Å"I know they†¦ will do their duties faithfully, fight their bosom enemies bravely, and conquer themselves so beautifully that when I come back to them I may be fonder and prouder than ever of my little women (p. 12). The enemies the sisters must face in the first few chapters are selfishness, temper, discontent and quarrelsomeness. The will defeat their enemies as long as they can exercise self-control. To fail in theses endeavors would be to deny the wishes of their mother and father: possibly the worst offense they can imagine.Jo is most obvious example of subversion of cultural and parental norms. Initially she wants nothing to do with marriage and the domestic life. Jo feels her temper is her greatest fault. When she has nearly given up on her efforts to control herself, Marmee steps in to advise her. â€Å"I am angry nearly every day of my life, Jo. But I have learned not to show it; and I still hope to learn not to feel it, though it may take me another forty years to do so. † Mrs. March is the model of the virtue. It does not matter if she is speaking from her own experience or not. It is that Marmee knows exactly what to say to mend her frazzled daughter (p. 8). Laurie, who is a male equivalent to Jo, is kind and generous, but also spoiled, undisciplined and lazy. His family demonstrates the consequences of not loving and caring before family above all else. Laurie’s father ran away from the elder Mr. Lawrence to marry a woman against the wishes of his father. Whatever happened to Laurie’s father and mother we do not know; only that they had died. Of course Laurie changes over time with the influences of all the March women. In fact his becomes a member of the family long before he is wed to Amy. They called him â€Å"brother† throughout the novel.Laurie embraced the March girls like a brother in speech and manner. When Beth was sick with Scarlet fever he called for Mrs. March to return without the girls knowledge. (p. 179) He made this decision against the will of Hannah and it demonstrates his important place as a loving member of the March family. By the time Meg has married John Brooke, she is living away from the family home but is as dedicated to her mother as ever. When the Demi and Daisy are young Meg struggles to care for her little ones, forsaking all other responsibilities. Her marriage suffers and John soon felt like an unwelcome figure in his home.Meg feels she has been wrong and pleads her case to Marmee. Meg is surprised to discover she is the one responsible for the stained relationship. â€Å"You have only made the mistake that most young people make,—forgotten your duty to your husband in y our love for your children† (p. 376). Once Meg allowed John to take care of the discipline of Demi, she finds he is better at controlling their son and she is saved the energy and fret. While Mrs. March never insisted all her daughters be married, there is suggestion that whatever choices they make must meet the approval of their parents.When Jo learned Mr. Brooke was interested in marrying Meg, she protests the idea of a marriage. Mrs. March assures Jo that Meg will not leave the family quite yet. â€Å"Your father and I have agreed that she shall not bind herself in any way, nor be married, before twenty† (p. 196). This line suggests that such a life decision was not wholly up to Meg, but would be made at their discretion. Often Little Women seems to be a guidebook for women transitioning from girls to motherhood. Despite their different hopes for the future all of the women become adoring wives and mothers.Joe gives up writing â€Å"trash† for money and writes what is in her heart, but her work became secondary to her job as mother to her own children and the boys in her little school. Amy never stops drawing but gives up her dreams of painting in Rome and Paris for a domestic life with Laurie. Meg, who wanted to be married all along, gives up her desire for money and servants for the love of a good and decent man. Through the characters and events in the book, Alcott promotes devotion, self-restraint and loyal for the betterment of family and above all else.

A Brief Story of Yitzhak Rabin - 3806 Words

1. Introduction On the evening of November 4, 1995, it was the time to celebrate the joyfully weekend. But for the peace-loving people, particularly for the peace-loving people in Israel and Arab, it was actually a black weekend. It was precisely that evening, one of the creators of Palestinian-Israeli peace, who was known as peaceful warrior, Yitzhak Rabin, Premier of Israeli, was murdered by an assassin. The world had shocked, his imposing and heartrending life, became the focal point of the people immediately. All the peace-lovers were sorrowful for his death. They burst into tears for him, prayed for him, wished his soul to be serene in heaven. A peace dove had been gunned down; a peace warrior was falling down with several barbaric,†¦show more content†¦In July 1976, Israeli hostages on a plane hijacked. But they were rescued from Uganda by the I.D.F. This was a great success in the war with terrorists. It demonstrated that Israel refused to capitulate to terrorism. In April 1977, Yitzhak Rabin resigned as prime minister in the wake of the revelation that his wife, Leah, retained a bank account in the U.S. from the time her husband had served as ambassador there. (At the time, operating a foreign currency account was illegal under Israeli currency law.) (Yang Mansu, 2007) 2.8 As Minister of Defense In 1984, the national government of Israel agreed to elect Rabin as minister of defense, until the failure of the second unity government in 1990. One of his tasks was disengaging the I.D.F. from a war of attrition in Lebanon. The two sides of the war established a narrow zone of security in southern Lebanon. He also canceled the Lavi aircraft project which developed by Israel Aircraft Industries. Also, he cut off part of the defense budget as part of efforts to help the economy and halt inflation. In December 1987, the outburst of the Intifada (the Palestinian uprising in the occupied territories) caught Israel by surprise. Rapidly, Israel escalated to alarming proportions. Rabin initially adopted an iron-fist policy to suppress the uprising and instructed the I.D.F. to respond toShow MoreRelatedA Brief Story of Yitzhak Rabin3799 Words   |  16 Pages who was known as peaceful warrior, Yitzhak Rabin, Premier of Israeli, was murdered by an assassin. The world had shocked, his impos ing and heartrending life, became the focal point of the people immediately. All the peace-lovers were sorrowful for his death. They burst into tears for him, prayed for him, wished his soul to be serene in heaven. A peace dove had been gunned down; a peace warrior was falling down with several barbaric, evil gunshots. But Rabin, as the creator of the Middle East PeaceRead More Israel - The Presidential Brief Essay3453 Words   |  14 Pages Israel - The Presidential Brief The Current Situation In Israel And Palestine nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Israel is in a situation unlike any other country around the world. Israel has been fighting for its survival since it became a country in 1948. It is surrounded by hostile nations that want to destroy or at least diminish it. There is tremendous tension between the Palestine Liberation Members and Israeli officials and citizens. There have been peaceful rallies and bloody bus bombings.Read MoreHbr When Your Core Business Is Dying74686 Words   |  299 Pagesare simultaneously corrupting the political process. 111 138 EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES 144 PANEL DISCUSSION 45 FIRST PERSON Preparing for the Perfect Product Launch James P. Hackett How come some projects fail while others succeed? This is the story of a CEO who refused to accept failures as inevitable and set up a system to prevent them. Satisï ¬ cing Don Moyer Optimizing – the art of ï ¬ nding the best choice among all choices – is a luxury we can seldom afford. 124 8 Harvard Business Review