I have a few theories as to why ancient man used animals to depict their deities. First I’ll start with Prehistoric Art. As far back as 30,000 B.C.E. man created pictures of nature. From paintings on cave walls to sculptures carved of rock from within the cave, prehistoric man paid tribute by creating art in the form of animals such as bulls, bison, horses, bears, and even felines. To these people these animals were a life source. Not only as food but for warmth, weapons and tools. By worshipping these creatures with art man believed they were showing gratitude therefore ensuring more animals would come. As seen with the Wounded Bison at the Cave of Altamira in Northern Spain, these bison were painted on the cave ceiling. Man noticed the bulges in the rock and chose to paint the creature it resembles most even though it may have been difficult to reach. As though it was a calling of a higher power, man would build scaffoldings against the walls to allow themselves better access to their canvas. With the Egyptians their …show more content…
With these visual representations for their gods and Pharaohs it’s easy to believe that the people of Egypt lived in fear. For breaking Pharaohs laws would enact the wrath of the gods bringing famine, floods, or drought. In this picture of the Palette of King Narmer, the Pharaoh is depicted as larger than the other people in the relief. This size difference was to establish the authority and power of the king. “On one side of the Palette, King Narmer holds a fallen enemy by the hair, as he raises his mace -an emblem of kingship- with the other hand. On the other side of the Palette, Narmer appears in the highest register now wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt.” (Janson’s
Once towering, but now slowly crumbling pyramids grace the horizon, bejeweled and dusty royal mummies lay buried and forgotten by the sands of time, and mysterious and often strangely heroic murals intertwined with a scattering of hieroglyphics sprawl across the walls of tombs and temples alike. These are the only evidence left of a once vast empire that is rapidly falling into disrepair as its already decrepit state grows worse. However, the current state of ancient Egypt does not curb the curiosity of adventure seekers looking to peek into a diminished era; today, a multitude of onlookers wander through the glorious yet now empty tombs that once held ancient Egypt’s elite. Millions more in museums around the world peer through the glass enclosing the precious jewels, fragmented pottery and statues, and frayed and often threadbare garments that before adorned peasant and monarch alike. Nevertheless, it is the fascinating intricacies and myths surrounding pieces such as King Tut’s death mask and the statues of Rameses the Great that still grip one with awe and leave lingering unanswered questions behind. What was Egypt like during the reign of each of these age-old monarchs? Even more so, what traits and morals did each hold that wove legacies characterized with such vivid larger than life personas of each, yet above all else, how could one pharaoh inscribe his story in our hearts as to ensure an enduring image even after his death?
The Palette of Narmer was carved out of slate during in the Early Dynastic period in Egypt, around 3,200-2,780 BCE. Its frontward side includes designs of the pharaoh Narmer, who stands in the middle of the piece. His feet sit firmly on a ground line, which is commonly perceived as orderly. the main composition features Narmer holding a mace as if about to strike, while also gripping the hair of a subjugated man. The bottoms of this man’s feet do not touch the ground line and he is clearly in a submissive pose, he has lost control and is in chaos. Narmer was the first pharaoh of
In ancient Egypt, literacy was most commonly found among the upper class. Throughout the other social classes, literacy was rare. Therefore visuals were used by the government to inform the people and were often used as a form of propaganda. These images included monuments, sculptures and reliefs. Their purpose was to influence the public to obey the king and so that they would recognize that the king had the divine right to rule. As consort,
Many scholars believe that palettes decorated with animals, birds, and human figures had some sort of ceremonial function. On the palette, Narmer's name appears in pictographs a horizontal fish translated Nar and a vertical chisel translated Mer. These hieroglyphs appear three times on this piece of art. The king appears as the main character in various scenes on both sides of the palette, he also appears in hierachical proportion representing the status of individuals in a highly stratified society. The significance of the ruler appearing larger than other human figures indicates importance and divine status. On one side of the palette Narmer appears with the White Crown of Upper Egypt signifying that it has been tamed. On the opposite side he wears the Red Crown of Lower Egypt signifying that it also had been tamed. These images amongst other images of conquest proclaim him to be the great unifier, protector, and leader of the Egyptian people.
The animals ranged from horses to rhinos, and even cave lions. The drawings were detailed enough to allow scientists to decipher the paintings and learn what they were witnessing at that period of time. Along with the paintings of the animals, bones were found in the cave and that also revealed more about the life in the cave other than just the cavemen and women. Using all of this information given to them, the scientists were able to learn not only how the cavemen and women lived but how animals lived during this time. The drawings in the cave in Southern France seemed to be quite anatomically correct to the animals roaming Earth today. The drawings are so detailed that there is not much hesitation on what type of animal they could have been drawing, it is obvious what their intent was. A surprise regarding the animal paintings was the lack of anything other than mammals. Throughout the cave there were a handful of paintings depicting insects such as butterflies and the one sole drawing of a human, but besides that they animals were mammals.
The unity of the different areas of Egypt created and promoted a sense of imagined order in society. Unlike Hammurabi, who claimed to be supported by gods, the Egyptian pharaohs considered themselves to be actual gods on Earth (@). This is an example of political propaganda in Egypt because the pharaohs convincing the people that they were gods enforced their absolute power over the empire. Imagined order was created in the unity of Upper and Lower Egypt. The pharaoh Menes, the first pharaoh, created this unity and order by wearing the crowns of both Upper and Lower Egypt (#). Seeing this was a rarity in Egypt, but it showed that the two sections of Egypt could be unified. This was necessary for a stable society because the unity eliminated any tension between Upper and Lower
Cave paintings are seen now in our society is a snapshot of just what they people during that time cherished when it comes to prehistoric art. The Lascaux brought about many things and showed historians what the appreciated most during that time. In this cave, there were many depicted cows, bulls, and dear along the natural ledges of the rock, where the smooth white limestone of the ceiling and upper wall meets a rougher surface below. All of this is a great example of what the humans during that time saw and thought of importance, the many animals that they came across and what they looked like, I think it paved the way for other people to see just how dangerous they can be large. The Altamira was another example of many animists that the humans came across overall, the many details of the animal 's legs and also a depiction of humans and their interactions with the animals. Now there are many theories out there that go into detail about the originals, meaning, and purpose of these cave paintings, I will now share a couple that I think is significant. The first one had to do with how the cave paintings might be products, both of rites to strengthen clan bonds and ceremonies to enhance the fertility if animals used for food. The second one is hoof prints, patterns of animal feces, and hide colorings were recorded and
The Palette of King Narmer is known as an Ancient Egyptian artifact that dates all the way back to the pre-dynastic period. The Palette made of Schist (clay) depicts the rule King Narmer. Although the nature of this palette is still a mystery, it still has not been proven if the depictions are used for a historical record or an essential tool of the political propaganda of Ancient Egypt. Based on the palettes shape, size, and detailed images that are presented show that the palette was not only used for daily and historical purposes. With a more in dept.
Also, everyone is equal within the law, so if a wealthy or high-class man stole a good they would be treated and have the same consequences as a nonwealthy or low-class man. I think that showed that they have a well-organized government because in there rules incorrect actions or doings have consequences because if they didn’t there civilization would be all out of order. The pharaoh was the leader of all five indicators. The pharaoh was very important, they had the job to be the leader of Egypt. The reason that the pharaoh being the leader of Egypt is important because the people of Egypt have a leader to listen to and follow.
Yet the art of the Egyptians had a majorly different purpose of these cultures. Egyptian art was designed to convey divine or deceased heir. To pass on the idea of the recipient receiving the benefit of ritual action. Furthermore, the royal and elite class served as intermediaries between the gods and the people. In stone statuary, limited positions, a strong back pillar for support, and spaces left between limbs gave out the impression of how the stone statuary was quite closed. while in two-dimensional art, the representation of the world was more of an informative way of all the aspects of each element in the
The palette of King Narmer is more than a lucid and exerted aesthetic construction. An engaging, intriguing composite of shape, color, and form,while delighting the aesthetic senses, this dynamic, blend of both beauty and symbolism, is able to intimately share a powerful narrative. A dynastic and dramatic tale of an uncharacteristically chaotic journey of one man's excursion into power, all the while uniting Egypt.
Dating from the Dynastic Period of Egypt (3000-2938 BCE), the Narmer Pallet is one of the most important archeological findings to date. Previous to king Narmer, Lower and Upper Egypt were divided and frequently at war with each other. The common belief of most historians is that the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt was due to the influence and propaganda of King Narmer and his court. On one side of the palette, king Narmer is pictured with the bulbed-white crown of Upper Egypt, while on the other side, it portrays the king wearing the crown of Lower Egypt, the papyrus. Illustrating one of the earliest known characterizations of an Egyptian king, the palette has be
The ancient Egyptians are known for many of the incredible aspects of their culture and everything they have produced. Some of the well known ancient Egyptian relics are the ones like the ancient pyramids, the Great Sphinx of Giza, mummies, and their many forms of art. Ancient Egyptian art is one of the most recognized styles of art. The most commonly known types of ancient Egyptian art are types like paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. Not only is Egyptian art beautiful, but it carries a huge deal of value and significance with it. A great portion of the time, the art has some kind of religious meaning to it. Consequently it is very difficult to discuss the art itself without delving into the various gods and goddesses presented in it.
According to the ancient myth, Seth ruled over the Upper Egypt, while Horus ruled over the Lower Egypt. There are also other gods in Egyptian mythology that possess the 'animalistic' appearance. Some of the most well-known examples are: Anubis, the god of embalming and the dead, Thoth, the god of writing and knowledge, Sobek, the god of the Nile, Bastet, the protective goddess and many other gods. All of these gods have their animal forms and manifestation, their significance was closely connected to animals they stood for. Actually, the animal they represented was determining the characteristics of a certain deity, for example, the birds such as hawk or ibis were often considered the symbol of wisdom and protection.
Egypt revolved around being overthrown by Kings and their Queens with heirs once one leaves. Their government surrounded monarchy of higher order over their peasants who bring them what they wish and for what to build. In Egypt the people though the Kings and Queens represented actual gods and never questioned why they need them in the first place as we did. A Queen, who not much information is known about, was one of the true top remarkable rulers of Egypt. When all of the rulers before passed, it was Queen Hatshepsut knowing to have reigned “peaceably, building temples, and monuments…” resulting in the flourish of Egypt. However, because this was so rare, she began to create herself into a male figure to possess the qualities needed to lead her people. Their society was limited down for women as to say that they were only accessories to others, while some just bring them along. One of the most important information we discovered is how in her waking, their city prospered with more money than anywhere else as she did not care about fighting wars but instead saw fit to treat her people as to where they needed. One main important structure was called “Djeser-djeseru” which means “holiest of holy places,” to dedicate it to Amon(god of air and wind). Through all she has done, her stepson, during his reign, decided to