rEading cOmprehension 2

[1] --In my opinion Hersey made quite a few valid points. Ideas usually feed off of things that have already been done, they’re just tweaked. To say that the temples were built from the idea of sacrificing and offering makes a lot of sense. Specific trees were made to represent specific Gods and the offerings were placed at that particular tree. Once the temples were built, they were used for the same thing. When Hersey said that the columns resemble people I made the connection almost immediately. The rings around the bottom which represent the bound feet, the fluted shafts which represent the blood vessels and veins, it is all true. Then there’s the capital that symbolizes the head. The Greeks believed in asymmetry and things being natural, I feel that they piggy backed off of nature when it came to the ideas for the temples.

[2] --In my opinion to avoid such a blunder as mis-reading when you use the internet as your major information source would be to cross reference the information you come across. Cross reference with other official websites like .orgs or .nets or even .govs. As a finishing point, refer to a book to verify the information. I would suggest starting off in a book but since we’re discussing the internet those would be my suggestions. I feel that the interpretation of images alone depends on your own individual personality. I can view a picture and my interpretation of it can be completely different from someone else’s. Think about if all record of our world today was lost and 3000 years later the inhabitants come across a single photo of the past. Depending on the imagination of the finder, the story could be either very extravagant or quite boring.

[3] --Hatshepsut was a female and that in itself was a difference of opinion shown. Not only did she stand out during her rule but she also stood out after. Instead of the typical large stacked pyramid covered in limestone and topped with gold, Hatshepsut was a part of the design that was unique to the eye and in meaning. The temple of this pharaoh was built into the mountain side and blended in because of the material and color. You wouldn’t know it was there if you didn’t already know. It was stacked but not anywhere near as high as those of the males’ temples. Her tomb was open to the high priest and had a very clear way of entrance. The pyramids had hidden entrances to keep others out. I believe because she was a female her way of thinking was completely different from other pharaohs. It wasn’t about standing out and having all the power, but more about bettering the people and being a respected ruler.

[4] --Egyptian life was focused around the Nile for survival. They knew their land and were able to live well off of it. Often, the river would flood so the Egyptians knew exactly when to plant what crops to produce. On the other side they were surrounded by desert and cliffs. Because specific materials such as limestone were so abundant of course this is what they used for building materials. Egypt was a polytheistic culture and also believed in the afterlife. Their architecture of the Pyramids of Giza made it evident that their lives are focused on getting closer to the heavens and because they believed in the afterlife, they felt they had multiple lifetimes to achieve the ideal. These temples were not made to be entered by just anyone. ON the other hand we have to Parthenon in the Acropolis. Greece was a water based empire. They relied heavily on the importing and exporting of goods. The Greeks were more exploratory with their architecture. They expanded upon Egyptian ideas and altered them to achieve the ideal. Although the Greeks were also a polytheistic culture they did not believe in the afterlife. The way they saw it was things came to an end. They were not afraid to take architectural risks. Like the Pyramids, the Parthenon was larger than the other temples around it showing the representation of power or significance. The Parthenon was meant for the public with its open columns.





[5] --Egyptian tombs are meant to be seen, that’s why they were built in such a large scale. They were supposed to show the power that the individual buried there possessed. Egyptian furniture, however, was built lightweight to make the process of it carrying over to the afterlife easier, theoretically. Just as body organs, jewels and other meaningful things were buried within the tomb with its owner, furniture was also considered precious items that should be carried on.

[6]--From viewing these two images I conclude that within the Grecian society males held more power than females. Notice that the male sits on the thrown as the females seem to be catering to him. Also, I noticed how around the top rim of one the urns the headdress made of leaves is painted and from my experience I’ve usually always seen males with these on. As I’ve mentioned before I believe that the interpretations of these will be different depending on the person. It’s hard to determine how valid information is if there’s only a picture to go off of. I may think that men dominate over females from viewing the picture of the urns but in reality the man is the slave and the women are maybe getting prepared to harm him.