Topic Selection: Directional Orientation in Ancient Architecture.
Describe the intentional placement and orientation (chthonic, solar, lunar, cardinal points, etc.) of significant sacred spaces and monumental architecture from the Paleolithic period to the Egyptian New Kingdom. Select 4 examples chosen from the Prehistoric to Neolithic European era, from the cultures Ancient Near Eastern, and Egyptian architecture from the Old, Middle, and/or New Kingdom. Describe the structure’s general orientation and the significance of that orientation for the culture that created it. Give the title, culture, and approximate date of each monument discussed, and develop a compare / contrast essay that provides a general explanation about the orientation / location of the monument. What meaning and importance did orientation have within that particular culture at that time?
Select Examples: After you choose one topic from the selection given above, think carefully about the art or architecture examples that will clearly address the specific topic. Be sure to choose examples from a variety of style periods surveyed in this unit. Don’t choose more than
one example from a single style period (for example, don’t select all your examples from Egyptian Art). Usually if you choose your examples wisely the essay will be easy to write. You can choose any work of art or architecture that has been featured in the class lectures on Paleolithic,
Neolithic, Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, and Egyptian art. These works will also be highlighted in the textbook and Smarthistory videos and articles from our course Canvas site and will provide enough information for you to write the essay.
• Describe the Works: After a brief introduction to the general topic you chose, describe the first work (usually the work that occurs first chronologically). Give the time period, the date, and the culture associated with the work. Use art vocabulary to describe the material it was made with (was this material typical for that culture?), how it was made (was this innovative in any way?), and the artist’s name if known. Is the work large or small and what meaning does this convey?
• Relate the Individual Works to the Essay Topic and To Each Other : Highlight how each of the examples differently address the general topic of the essay. Do they show a difference in cultural values, available materials, for that culture? Make a few comparisons and contrasts
between the works themselves. If you omit this aspect from your essay you are essentially just providing a list of works. Make sure you explain how the examples relate to the theme rather than making the reader do this. As a rule of thumb, write about ¾ of a page on each example, which will include the description and relating the example to the general topic.
Sources: Use information from Smarthistory and Textbook
Gardner’s Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Volume I
ISBN: 9780357370483
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