Cultural Anthropology

The definition of art is notoriously difficult and is a field of philosophical inquiry as such. The meaning of the word "art" are multiple, sediment and cross each other in the language. Missing uses of the word are present in expressions and help to make the subject more that difficult. However, according to my studies, art is an expression, a symbolic way to communicate. Its key is to make something subject or scientific, for instance: an object that went through certain modification would be consider an art. We have a different type of arts but I will only be focusing on this tree types: prehistoric art, art of the ancient near east and art of ancient Egypt.

What is anthropology? This is a question that can be answered in numerous ways, but we are going to define it as simple as possible. If we break the word down into its two components it means the study of human beings. “Anthropo” means human beings or human kind and “logy” or “logia” is Greek for the study or knowledge of something. When we put it all together, it is the study of human beings which can be very broad. Anthropology can be broken down into four subfields: physical anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and cultural anthropology.

Do peace, unity, and equality still exist this day in time among groups of people? Are we influenced by our environment to associate our way of seeing things and create language based on that fact? How we view the environment around us helps shape our understanding by creating language to give it meaning. Based on the linguistic data of the recently discovered tribe, we can draw conclusions about the tribe’s climate and terrain, diet, views on family and children, system of government and attitude towards war. This data shows that the lost tribe was an isolated group that lived in a valley, coexisted in unison, valued life, had high regards for

Art-(noun)- the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.

Art, by definition, is works created by artists: paintings, sculptures, etc., that are created to be beautiful or to express important ideas or feelings (Merriam-Webster).

It is quite easy to pass off the study of communications as “no, duh” research, but every aspect of human communication can be further studied and explained in a way that cannot be seen from the surface. There is a name and concept that accounts for virtually all human behaviors and interactions. Careful study and observation of these behaviors can help us better understand the way people function and become more self-aware. There are some main, key concepts that can give a good basis for understanding communication, but it is a field that goes incredibly in depth and detail.

Over the span of three decades, Everett and his family live with the Piraha for a total of seven years learning their culture and language. What he found their really changed the idea of how we perceive languages and the different theories behind them. The Pirahas, do not have a counting systems, or clan system, nor a fixed terms of color or ritual, along with one of the smallest set phonemes in the world, along with hum and whisper speech. They have no concepts of future or past ideologies, totally living in the present and are relatively very happy people. One unfavorable aspect about this novel is that it lacked the life of the women and children within the villages. Everett only really interacted with the males of this society, whether there was any cultural boundaries that restricted him from interacting with the woman is unknown, but it was something that caught my attention while reading.

Art is an object or piece of work that brings one pleasure. Art is also something you see or feel and you cannot even begin to describe the ways you like it or how it makes you feel. Art is something that portrays beauty and happiness. Art lets you see the world through another person’s perspective. Most art seems to tell a story about where a person has been and the things they have encountered along the way. It lets you connect with the artist and see things through their eyes. Art is a way of expressing one’s self without words. When I think of art, I think of paintings, portraits, sketches, and sculptures.

The earliest fossil of the primate can go back before the extinction of the dinosaur over 65 million years ago. Bones and teeth were discovered in Montana and Wyoming (Park, 2008). Even though there was primate like evidence before the dinosaur extinction, (Shipman, 2012).

Debate over the definition of art has developed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. People have spent millions of dollars and given years of their lives to the craft called art. However, there has not been an agreement on what the definition of art is because it tends to be a very vague concept incorporating many cultures and ideas. It has proven itself to be an effective tool in the human expression over the years preserving deep and personal feelings along with history. Art can be defined as the creation of beauty through expression with skillful use of creativity, design, and manipulation of the viewers’ emotions.

Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary[1][1] defines art as “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also, works so produced.” This definition is inclusive of most forms of art. Unfortunately, art goes far beyond this limiting sentence. Art can be thoughts, aesthetic creations, musical compositions, or choreography. Art can be seen, heard, and/or felt. Art is concrete and abstract, at the same time. Art is expression and emotion. Art is anything.

Language is a system of communication which consists of a set of sounds and written symbols which are used by the people of a particular country or region for talking or writing. It is considered as an art because when used it able to help a person develop or create a certain picture in the mind. Language being an artifact of culture means that it is an interesting thing that is created by the people. It is an aspect of their way of life of the people. It also helps in development of the people as writers and intellects. As a culture it is a people’s way of life and therefore the impact it has to human beings cannot be under looked.

Art is the conscious creation of something beautiful or meaningful using skill and imagination, it is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power:

In the early days of civilization, before written records were made, oral traditions were necessarily important. Such pre-literate societies relied on oral transmission to propagate their customs and traditions. A conscious choice has been made in the choice of words for the title of this paper regarding the use of oral tradition as opposed to oral transmission, the reason being that the language in focus is Khasi.

Art to me is an expression of one’s self and the medium can be a variety of forms such as painting, dance, music, etc. I believe that art is personal, and anything created or used to reflect someone’s personal expression is therefore considered art. There are varying levels of art, it can be as simple as a