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How religion impacted ancient civilizations
How religion impacted ancient civilizations
Different types of architecture styles
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The languages spoken, the color of skin, brilliant structures; all of these aspects help tell the story of humanity. All around the world there are documentations of mankind and the mark they left on the world. The Mayan Pyramids of South America and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt differ in many ways but both tell a story of the incredulous history of ancient people through diverse architecture, rich religious purposes, and technologically innovative construction methods way ahead of their time. Initially, the Giza and Mayan pyramids served several purposes in their cultures and religions. Source three, paragraph five states, “Mayan pyramids functioned as temples, whether or not they were also tombs of high ranking officials. Only priests …show more content…
were allowed to climb the stairs to the top. There they performed religious rituals including sacrifices.” Both the cultures put an extreme emphasis on honoring their rulers and gods. Like the Mayan pyramids, the pyramids of Giza were intended to honor and lead their pharaohs they so adored into the afterworld, Source one, paragraph three, describes that the astonishing pyramids of Giza were designed to be permanently sealed after the pharaoh was placed inside. Neither pyramids play a major role in todays society, in fact, the Egyptians pyramids were never made for the public use in the first place while the Mayan pyramids were used for astronomical studies and noted important points in the calander. It’s evident the Mayan pyramids hold minimal value to todays society considering there are said to be hidden pyramids deep inside South American jungles yet to be discovered. The emphasis of religion in these two ancient civilizations aids us into understanding the ways and ideals of the people in the past. Moreover, the construction and physical appearneces of both the Mayan and Giza pyramids are technollogically and architechturally advanced for their time while both being unique and innovative in their own ways.
The Giza pyramids are massive, in fact, the three pyramids can be seen from space while they were also the largest man made structure for more than 3,800 years. Source two data analysis lists that these ancienet Egyptian beauties originally stood at a towering height of 481 feet to where it currently stands at 450 feet, to put it in perspective the statistics rattle on explaining the extent of the height, they are higher than the Statue of Liberty, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, or Big ben in London. The Mayan pyramids are considerably smaller, for example the El Castillo Mayan Pyramid pictured in the inforgraphic in source four, shows it’s only a mere 79 feet high. While the Egyptian pyramids are tall and prestigous, the Mayan Pyramids are intricate and have many more aspects. There are traditionally 365 stairs, four staircases, and nine terraces on the Mayan Pyramids, some were even painted and covered in plaster. The Egyptian pyramids are complex but far less ornate, nevertheless paragraph four of source one describes how the sides were “ covered with a smooth layer of bright limestone blocks that would have gleamed and glittered in the sunlight.”The physical appearences of both sets of pyramids are still considred grand in the modern
world. Altogether, it’s easy to see how both the Mayan and Egyptian pyramids did and still do leave a remarkable impact on history in their own distinictive manner. Through religious traditions, smashing architechture, or just that these structures still amaze people thousands of years later, truly reveals how important people view the past and are fascinated by it. In the end every civilization has their so called “pyramid” or something to show for themselves that helps shape mankind forever.
The Pyramids Of Giza were chosen as they are three extraordinary structures that give a rich insight into the context, culture, function, technology, power and experiential aspects of the time period and the buildings themselves. The three pyramids showcase the Egyptian’s advanced construction and design methods, their religious beliefs and practices, their rich and diverse culture, the power of the king, as well as the context that surrounded these magnificent structures.
The Mayans were known for their engineering, one structure they were famous for is their pyramid temple
In Ancient Egypt, huge pyramids were created to serve as tombs for pharaohs. I believe that a temple was included for Egyptians to make offerings for their kings. Ancient Egyptians had a belief of Polytheism, meaning that they worshipped their gods, which led them to worship their Pharaohs very much. The Egyptians weren’t the only ones that had the belief of Polytheism. The Ancient Mesopotamia did too have the same belief. I mentioned earlier that the Sumerians and Akkadians rely on their gods. Well, by briefly examining the illustration on Document 6, the size of the temple tells me that the Sumerians placed high value on their gods that they look up to them for their own happiness and prosperity. Polytheism was very important for both civilizations. It contributes to how they govern their civilization.
When looking at Mayan and Egyptian pyramids side by side, one would immediately notice the difference in heights between the two. The Great Pyramid of Giza stands at an astounding 480ft, with the Mayan pyramids standing only 401ft less, or simply 79ft (Source 4). With such a baffling number, it's no wonder the pyramid of Giza has been titled as "Great". But this doesn't mean the Mayan pyramids aren't impressive, with the ornate details with stairs and a entrance placed at the top. The questions stands as to why such a height was determined for the pyramid, especially when it's six times the height of the Mayans'?The answer can easily be answered with the purpose of the pyramids.
The Egyptians used their pyramids to honor their gods and pharaohs, and the Mayans had flat pyramids that they worshipped their gods on. The Egyptian pyramids were huge and in a triangle shape. Both of these civilizations also sacrificed their gods on their specific pyramids. One thing the Mayans had that the Egyptians didn’t was a priestly caste, which is a social group that officiates sacrifices and leading prayers. Both of them used calendars in different ways than we use them today.
Maya architecture is best characterized by the soaring pyramid temples and ornate palaces which were built in all Mayan cities across Mesoamerica from El Tajin in the north to Copan in the south. Pyramids were the epicenter of all Mayan cities because the culture was based on a theocratic design; the famed stepped pyramids had both political and religious significance and unifying Mayan civilization. With large quantities of limestone and flint available, plaster and cement were easily produced. This allowed the Mayans to build impressive temples, with stepped pyramids, multi-level elevated platforms, massive step-pyramids, corbelled roofing, monumental stairways, and exteriors decorated with sculpture and moldings of Mayan hieroglyphs, geometric shapes, and iconography from religion such as serpent masks are all typical features of Maya architecture. On the summits were thatched- roof temples, known as "Triadic Groups".
Among the original cultures of the New World, the Mayan culture is known for its art, architecture, and astronomical systems. Mayan art reflects their lifestyle and their culture. They painted and carved their art on things such as paper, plaster, wood, obsidian, bone, shells, jade, stone, and clay. “Painted cups and vases depict scenes of court life, and clay figurines portray members of the retinue that attended the king” (http://www.authenticmaya.com/maya_art.htm). Mayan people painted murals on buildings and in caves. These paintings were very important to them and their culture. They painted these murals with plants and mineral colorants to embody mythological scenes for the ancient Maya. The Mayan culture also made pottery. Archeologists
For the ancient Maya, the world was alive and full of sacred spaces such as caves and mountains, and “The architecture of ritual space replicated the features of sacred geography – the forest, the mountain, and the cave” (Schele and Freidel 72). Classical Maya kings invested a great deal of resources into pyramid construction, and the form of these buildings was carefully calculated. The shape of the pyramid emulated that of a mountain. The external layout, a series of landings and plazas of increasing size, enforced the social hierarchy by controlling the number of people in attendance and their proximity to the sacred spaces (Schele and Frei...
Constructed during Egypt's 4th Dynasty, The Pyramids of Giza are truly an astonishing work of architecture. These pyramids display several of the characteristics, that are now known, to be attributed to the Ancient Egyptian era. Years of research show that much of the ancient Egyptian's focus in their artistry, was that of a religious nature, regardless of medium. Artists of the time, focused their efforts on depicting the various Gods and Goddesses, immortality and the afterlife, and the glorification of the pharaohs. (MindEdge) One of the best examples of this are the pyramids. Each pyramid was built to be the final resting place of a pharaoh (Khufu, Khafre, or Menkaure) upon his death, and subsequent mummification. They were built on the
Has it ever crossed your mind that the oldest and only surviving of the Seven Wonders of the World was built in times that predated any modern technology? Doesn't it seem almost impossible? There are three Pyramids of Giza, the first one was commissioned in Ancient Egypt by the Pharaoh Khufu, around the year 2540 BCE. They are located in Giza, Egypt, and take on this name. Standing 488 ft tall, they were once the tallest buildings in the world, for many hundreds of years. The site is one of the most famous worldwide, receiving millions of tourists each year. The Pyramid of Giza is extremely significant because of its enormous scale and the many people needed to construct it, along with the methods used to do so.
In the third dynasty the egyptians gained more power and wealth. They wanted a way to show off their great power and wealth, so they built pyramids, pyramids were huge pointed stone structures. Pyramids contained rooms full of treasure and secret passageways. The first pyramid was the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, built for King Zoser around 2750 B.C. “The step pyramid was the only one of its kind, it was an amazing improvement from the mastaba.” ( pg 49)
Ancient Egypt’s pyramids are the oldest and largest stone structure in the world. Along the Nile 35 major pyramids still stand. The three largest pyramids at Giza rank as one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World. It was on the list of notable things to see which was made up by the travelers during ancient times. The ancient Egyptians also built temples of limestone. They designed parts of the temples to resemble plants. Moreover, many of ancient Egypt’s finest paintings and other works of art were produced for tombs and temples. Ancient Egyptian sculptors decorated temples with carvings showing festivals, military victories, and other important events. Sculptors also carved large stone sphinxes. These statutes were supposed to represent Egyptian Kings or Gods and were used to Guard temples and tombs. The Temples were houses of worship. The word temple most often refers to Buddhist, Confucian, Hindu, Taoist, and ancient Near Eastern and European places of worship. Most Temples are built to honor god, a God, or many Gods. Many of these buildings are considered the homes of gods. Back then and still today worship at temples often involves traditional ceremonies and may include sacrifices. Certain temples stood on sacred sites. The design of numerous temples was symbolic.
The fact that these pyramids were constructed thousands of years ago with such limited technology, though, makes them one of the most extraordinary architectural accomplishments in the history of the world. This is an opinion that is shared by people from all walks of life, as illustrated in an article titled “The Wonders of the Pyramids,” by Geraldine Woods. “In a travel guide for ancient tourists,” Woods writes, “the Greek writer Philon called the Great Pyramid at Giza one of the wonders of the world. Scientists who have studied the construction of the pyramids would agree--these monumental structures are indeed one of the most remarkable achievements of ancient
The design and engineering on a massive scale were an achievement made possible by slave labor and maybe the work of farmers during the off-season. The Great Pyramids of Giza were built on the west bank of the Nile River on the outskirts of modern-day Cairo. The largest of the pyramid was the Great Pyramid that was built for Khufu. Khufu’s pyramid is surrounded by rows of mastabas, were relatives or officials of the king were buried to accompany him in the afterlife. The middle pyramid of Giza was built for Khufu’s son Khafre.
The most famous are the three great pyramid tombs at Giza, which was built by three successive Fouth-Dynasty kings. I believe that they are the best representatives of ancient Egyptian art, not only because they are architectural marvels, but also the because of their portrayal of wisdom and the culture of ancient Egypt. 1. What is the difference between Architectural beauty The Giza Pyramids embody great beauty with unique elements. seen in modern architecture.