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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…
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
The Mayan pyramids were built with an entrance at the top lead by a staircase on every side of the pyramid. These pyramids were used as temples for worship, along side the tombs of dead leaders. Yet, only priests were allowed to climb the stairs to the top, using them for religious rituals such as sacrifices. To add even more, the Mayans placed the locations of the pyramids to "note important points in the calendar, such as the solstice and equinox"(Source 3). Compared to the Pyramids of Giza, the Mayan pyramids don't come close when it comes to height, but in the tactical sense, the Mayans beat them by a
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.
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
They always build their cities and temples using Astronomy mostly on an East to West alignment, but there are some Early to Middle Pre-Classic examples of a Pleiades alignment in the Pacific Lowlands at sites such as: Ujuxte, Monte Alto and Tak 'alik Abaj. Aside from having religious functions, Mayan pyramids also had other purposes. The pyramids were built so high that their tops could be seen protruding out of the jungle. Because of this, the Mayan people were able to use them as landmarks. That was not the only significance of building them so high though. They also served as a reminder that the gods were ever present(Hernandez 13). Some pyramids even house burial chambers for high ranking officials. Housed inside these mammoth structures were small burial rooms. There were narrow corridors that led to these chambers(Hernandez 21). These burial chambers often contained treasures such as jade(Hernandez 13). The Vault and Arch was used also in tombs, such as those in Guaytán, in the eastern Highlands and Tikal or Río Azul in the Petén
The Pyramids of Giza are famous because they needed so many people and so much effort to construct them. There have been many incorrect myths or ideas around who actually built the pyramids, and there are conflicting views. Recent studies say they were built by 10,000 workers, not 100,000, and the workers were not actually slaves of the Pharaoh, but paid and skilled workers, mainly Egyptian’s. It has long believed that this was slave work, but after much investigation, new conclusions have been reached, and it is not viewed as possible to be the work of slaves. They all lived nearby the construction site, in a temporary village made primarily for the workers, where they could stay and access the Pyramids easily. This village was a very organized community, and almost like it a real village, with businesses and houses. It would have been a comfortable residence for all of the workers, but they had a life of constant toil. It is likely that many of the communities across Upper and Lower Egypt would have donated the work...
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...
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.
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)
The Mayans were known for their engineering, one structure they were famous for is their pyramid temple
This periodical discusses the physical appearance of The Pyramids Of Giza as built by each pharaoh, and also the function of the pyramid as a mortuary temple (Salima Ikram, Janice Kamrin 2012). It also discusses the Pyramids of Giza as great structures of the ancient world (Salima Ikram, Janice Kamrin 2012). This periodical was very important to my understanding as it showcased why Pyramids were so important to the burial process, showing the connection between burial and architecture. The authors of this periodical remain non bias throughout, providing factual information about the Pyramids Of
When thinking of Egypt we usually think of pharaohs, King Tut, Queen Nefertiti, and one of Egypt's most magnificent man-made structures the pyramids. The pyramids were a reflection of the role that each pharaoh or king played in Egyptian society. Underneath the pyramids were rooms that were a network of galleries, air shafts, chambers, and a room that held the mummified body of a pharaoh surrounded by treasures that were carried into the afterlife. The peak of pyramid building began in the late third dynasty and continued until the 6th dynasty. More than 4,000 years laters these pyramids are the most spectacular monuments to Egyptian beliefs and to the glory of its pharaohs.
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 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.
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.