Article review
The article gives us an overview of the sleeping Eros, which is a Greek goddess of love. Since the discovery of the sculpture, it was transported and put in a museum. People from all walks of life travel just to behold how the original image looks like. This has also seen the modification of the sculpture as many artists come up with what they believe is a modern representation of the goddess. The sleeping Eros has been reproduced through paintings, wood and stone carvings and placed at strategic areas. Apart from its archaeological significance, it also has spiritual significance to the Romans and Greeks.
The discovery of the sculpture relates to our class readings in several ways. First is the artistic nature in which it has been represented. The significance of ancient archaeological discoveries is to gauge the evolution of art through creativity. Archaeological artefacts have found more significance in the modern society compared to what they were meant for in their original form. There is a lot that is learnt in terms of the culture and economic activities of the people in those days. Through their study, we are able to know when some technology was discovered and the equipments that were used by people and for what purpose.
The study of the sculpture reveals how creative and adventurous the human mind has been. Looking back through the years, I realise that ancient people had a unique creativity that still mesmerizes the people of modern times. The current human brain is more engrossed with technological development compared to the ancient one that was more into religion and art. There is no telling of what the future man will be up to, but with the current developments, the world will be turned into a small place where a person can obtain whatever they want within a short period, irrespective of where they are located.
The Screaming Mummies
The article talks about some of the fascinating sights in archaeology, one that is the screaming mummies. This ranges back in time when Egyptians observed certain burial rites depending on the status that person held in the society, how they lived their lives and met their death. Kings had special tombs and had to be buried in a certain way. In one of the excavations however, it was noticed that some mummies looked different from the rest, their mouth sculls were open and a screaming voice was heard. Even though this appeared strange, it was considered normal especially for the people who met their deaths through criminal acts and were hence buried disrespectfully.
Archaeology in class has all been about studying culture and some of the mysteries of ancient times. Reading through the article, I learn that there was much more to just burying a body. Somebody was not just respected or disrespected when they were alive but was also reflected in their deaths. The main purpose observing such rights was to abhor the living to pay attention to how they lived their lives. There was also a belief in life after death and people therefore had to strictly follow religious teachings. Some of such rights were about the gods and the way they felt about a person.
The modern world emphasizes much on equality due to a shift on religious inclination to secularism. Despite all this, we realise that people are accorded final burial rights according to how they lived their lives. It is unfortunate that even though people have little faith in life after death in modern times, there is still rampart discrimination on burial rites. The rich and the most influential in the society are accorded decent burials, however bad they were. The poor and the insignificant in the society are also less valued even when it comes to burial even if they lived godly life. With such a trend, there will be little change even on how the same will be handled in future.
Roman Curse Tablet Uncovered in Jerusalem’s City of David
Biblical history is more profound than what is written in the bible. As days and years pass by, many more discoveries are being made which confirm how Christianity is a deep rooted religion. The article takes us through one of the most recent discoveries of the curse tablet. This was a mind battle, which was meant to ensure that people lived according to their vows and discipline. The curse tablet was believed to invoke some magical powers against any person that walked contrary to religious rules of the time. This was at a time when there was a serious battle between paganism and Christianity. The only way to survive the waves of temptations was to have laws that clearly stipulated the blessings and the curses to individuals.
In our class readings, we have learnt much about how archaeological discoveries aided in confirming some of the events that are considered mythological. Religion is one of the aspects that have been considered by some philosophers to be a myth that cannot be proved or confirmed. However, through such evidences, many people are encouraged to live religious lives. There is the realization that what they follow and believe was not just made up but has some strong foundations.
Rules and regulations have become part and parcel of human life. They are usually implemented to ensure order in the society as well as help people live peacefully with each other. We find such rules in every institutional setting to the national level. They are however amended over time just to suit the current needs of people. Just like the curse tablets, there are dire consequences for anybody who does not follow the stipulated rules. This is something that will continue even to the future. There has however always been a risk of the rules being implemented by a certain group of people and therefore favouring them at the expense of the others.
Works cited
Melikian, Souren. Linking Antiquity With the Renaissance. Published: February 22, 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/23/arts/23iht melikian23.html?ref=archaeologyandanthropology>
Wears, Adam & McClelland-Crosby The 7 Most Terrifying Archaeological Discoveries. May 30, 2012. http://www.cracked.com/article_19837_the-7-most-terrifying-archaeological-discoveries.html
Wiener, Noah. Roman Curse Tablet Uncovered in Jerusalem’s City of David
Bible and archaeology news. http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/news/roman-curse-tablet-uncovered-in-jerusalems-city-of-david/
