Ancient Near East Art/Architecture Discussion
30 points
Initial post due Thursday by 11:59 pm | One reply post due by the last day of the module week by 11:59 pm
YES, ONLY ONE REPLY POST. I am trying to promote richer, more fully researched, and well-written posts rather than several, superficial, stream-of-consciousness posts written quickly to multiple classmates.
Overview:
We have looked at around 3500 years of art (ca. 3500 to 465 BCE.) from the first great civilization of the Sumerians to the dominant empire of the Achaemenid Persians. Our geographic center of concentration was Mesopotamia, the modern-day region of Iraq, Syria, and Iran. In this discussion, reflect on what you discovered about the cultures and civilizations of the Ancient Near East and their works of art and architecture.
Be sure that you have read and studied all assigned readings, and viewed all videos found in Instructional Content in the learning module.
The goal of this assignment is to support your understanding of the meaning of works of art and architecture of the Ancient Near East, based on aspects of all four student learning outcomes for this course, as detailed on the syllabus.
Assignment Guidelines:
Concentrating on only one work of art or architecture that we studied in the video, or textbook material, (or you may choose an appropriate work from another source such as a scholarly book, scholarly journal article, or scholarly website*) on the Ancient Near East.
Discuss one way (either a theme OR methods and materials) that those in power, including rulers, or entire cultures used visual art or architecture. Do you notice a recurring theme, method/materials?
Create two discussion posts.
For your initial post, write one paragraph (6-8 sentences) in which you discuss your understanding of how your chosen work represents a theme/story or methods and materials that you learned from the content we studied on the Ancient Near East. This work could be architecture, sculpture, painting, or minor arts.
Next, in one reply post of 6-8 sentences, respond to a fellow student by commenting on their initial post. What can you add to the discussion post to clarify or broaden meaning and/or your understanding?
Both posts must add value to the discussion. Do not say simply, “I agree with you.” You will receive no points.
Your initial post is worth 15 points. Your reply post is worth 8 points. Additional points for college-level writing, and timeliness of submission.
Tips:
Theme/Story – A theme is a fundamental and often universal idea explored in a work of music, literature, or, in our case, art and architecture. Some themes might function to illustrate war, peace, leadership, the place of gods, the natural world, or social order.
Method and Materials – A procedure for creating a work of art or architecture, including medium/materials and techniques.
* Scholarly Websites are produced by universities or research centers, official government departments, and experts in the field, and contain peer-reviewed resources, which are useful, reliable information such as statistics, policies, reports, and case studies that are considered scholarly. Do not use Wikipedia. Do not use History.com. Do not use Khan Academy. (Yes, even though I may use it at times in our course.) Do not use personal blogs. Do not use travel promotion sites. Use a scholarly website or database like Jstor which publishes scholarly journal articles. Search Jstor on our Shatford Library Website!
