World History

I chose twenty important objects to represent their civilization. I did this because it involved researching and comparing several different civilizations and their respective eras to determine what I believe are the essential objects. I chose these objects to be the most significant, unified, and visually appealing. However, other objects represent either attributed to a particular era or object, or they have a significant impact on society that I did not choose to include because I believe it would take away from the central theme of many of these civilizations. Therefore, it is clear that some objects from the same civilization might be more significant than others.

1. The Arch of Triumph at Samnium , Italy

I identified this object through the Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT). This allowed me to navigate to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston entry for this work, and it provides a wealth of information (Salmon, 1967). The object is a marble Arch of Triumph, originally built in 315 BCE by the Romans. I chose to focus on the AAT theme of “Military” and the civilization of Rome. The Arch of Triumph at Samnium (315 BCE) is a Roman triumphal arch to honor the victory of the Roman army over its foes in the Samnite Wars (298-290 BCE).

Figure 1The Arch of Triumph at Samnium

2. The Great Sphinx of Giza

I selected this object from The British Museum. I chose it by searching the Museum’s website for Sphinx. First, I would have selected the object from the Museum’s homepage. This would display an image of the object and link it to other objects in their collection that relate to it (Schoch, 1992). I chose it because, as I viewed its contents page, it displayed the dates of construction and use and a link to a photo of the monument. The object I chose is not simply an ancient Egyptian monument but a symbol of history and life. The stories that have been written around its construction and use simultaneously exalt it as a symbol of Egyptian culture while at the same time making it the result of cultural exchange.

Figure 2 The Great Sphinx of Giza

3. Monument to the Battle of Marathon

I selected this object from the Parthenon website. It is described as The Monument to the Battle of Marathon was a public work in honor of Heracles, the Greek god of strength and courage. The monument was a large step made at crossing two rivers, which is crossed with its back to the current (Vanderpool, 1966). I chose this one because I would have had to scroll down some pages on their website before finding it — a good example of where they might direct you if they wanted you to look more closely at this type of work. I selected this object because it was one of the largest ancient monuments I saw on the Parthenon website. I chose it to represent the magnitude of Greek culture at this time.

Figure 3 Monument to the Battle of Marathon

4. The Stela of Piye (Bantu)

This object is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is described as The Stela, or stela-like, does a king erects a pillar stone to commemorate and record his victories or achievements. I chose this one because it was also an object with many online links associated with it. I chose this object to represent the effect of African Military leadership on early Egyptian culture. This Stela was found in the tomb of Piye, who ruled equatorial Sudan (Török, 2015). Piye’s achievements are recorded on his Stela, which is not only a record of his accomplishments but also a monument meant to memorialize early military campaigns fought in eastern Sudan and Nubia.

Figure 4 The Stela of Piye (Bantu)

5. The Stele of Narmer

This object is from the British Museum website. The Stele is an ancient stone block or pillar whose writing inscriptions have been preserved. I chose this one because it was also an object with many online links associated with it (Levy et al., 1995). I chose this object to represent the use of writing and poetry in public documentation of history. The Stele were used to commemorate the legendary kings of ancient Egypt.

Figure 5The Stele of Narmer

6. Zahi Hawass’s Stela

This object is from the Egyptian Museum website. The Stela is a piece of stone carved or shaped to serve as an ornament or as an inscription that often took the form of a bas-relief depicting a scene in which it was set. Stelae are found mostly at funerary monuments, with various funerary objects placed on top of them. I chose this one because it was also an object with many online links associated with it. I chose this object to represent early Egyptian writing, poetry, and art. King Khafre is depicted on the Stela, which was unearthed in Giza, Egypt, in 1939. Hawass’ Stela—an important piece of evidence for the existence of the Middle Kingdom pharaoh—is now housed in its original location at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It shows King Khafre seated on a throne before an offering table upon which a statue of Osiris is placed, the god of the afterlife.

Figure 6 Zahi Hawass’s Stela

7. The Arch of Triumph

This object is from the Egyptian Museum website. An arch is a form of an architectural structure that has a curved top resting on abutments or piers. I chose this one because it was also an object with many online links associated with it (Remarque, 2018). I chose this object to represent the monuments created by ancient Egyptians to commemorate military victories. I selected this arch to represent these particular statuary reliefs because it was a monumental work produced for public display in honor of the Ancient Romans’ triumph over the Samnite Wars, which took place in Samnium, Italy.

Figure 7 The Arch of Triumph

7. Maya blue-green ceramic bowl, circa 400-500 CE

I selected this object from the British Museum website. It is described as Maya blue-green ceramic bowl, circa 400-500 CE. After converting to Christianity, Maya potters aimed at the lucrative Spanish export trade in luxury goods and produced fine imitations of porcelain bowls and plates. This example was found in a cache with three others of identical shape and decoration concealed by indigenous people fleeing Spanish persecution. I chose this one because although I had never heard of Maya blue before reading about it, it is an extremely special type of blue that most scholars believe was created through a quinary mixing technique — an extremely rare process for creating colors in ancient times.

Figure 8 Maya blue-green ceramic bowl, circa 400-500 CE

9. The Temple of Isis at Philae

This object is from the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology website. The temple was dedicated to Isis, the Western tradition’s oldest Egyptian goddess. I chose this one because it was an object that was also an article on the website. I chose this object to represent Egyptian artwork and architecture, particularly northern tombs and temples. The temple of Isis at Philae, also called the Temple of Isis, is located close to Aswan in Nubia and has been referred to as ‘the Eighth Wonder of the World’. Pharaoh Osorkon II built it during his reign over Egypt in 1047 BC.

Figure 9 The Temple of Isis at Philae

10. The Temple of Montu

This object is from the Egyptian Museum website. The temple was dedicated to Montu, a war god and protector of the pharaohs. I chose this one because it was also an object with many online links associated with it. I chose this object to represent ancient Egyptian worship, art, and architecture (Thiers, 2013). The Temple of Re-Harakhty at Karnak was built during the Ptolemaic period during the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC). This temple was used for colossal statues of pharaohs like Amunra and Montu, faceless statues called Obelisks in Egyptian mythology. They were very popular in ancient Egyptian art.

Figure 10 The Temple of Montu

11. The Temple of Hatshepsut

This object is from the British Museum website. The temple was dedicated to the deity who was the deified version of a female king and queen of Thebes named Hatshepsut. I chose this one because it was also an object with many online links associated with it. I chose this object to represent a pharaoh in power, her rule, and restoration of. A famous example would be Hatshepsut and her husband Thutmose III, who built the Temple at Deir el Bahari during the New Kingdom in 1541 BC.

Figure 11The Temple of Hatshepsut

12. Greek architecture

I selected this answer from the Grant Miller’s website. The architecture was a result of a unique period in ancient Greece, which spanned more than a thousand years and produced, among other things, all the enduring elements of later classical architecture – megalithic and classical columns, arches, volutes, and pediments – as well as many contemporaries only afterward, became venerated classics. I chose this one because it represents a revolutionary merging of the Egyptian and Phoenician architectural styles with the Greek civilization — something unheard of in history. I selected this object to represent the merging of cultures and styles that occurred during the time of Ancient Greece.

Figure 12 Greek architecture

8. Parthenon Frieze

I selected this object from the British Museum website. The Parthenon Frieze was carved around 430 BC for the Temple of Athene Parthenos on the Acropolis in Athens. The whole frieze, 170 meters long and fifteen meters high, was found in 1674 and shipped to England as ballast in a ship returning to London from Constantinople. I chose this one because it is not only a particularly large sculpture — but because with any artwork shipped, there must have been some great incentive to put so much effort into removing it. I selected this object to represent the larger-than-life effort in constructing the Parthenon.

Figure 13 Parthenon Frieze

14. Tutankhamun

This object is from the British Museum website. The burial place of the boy king, who was one of the best-known pharaohs in ancient Egyptian history. I chose this one because it was also a highly detailed object with many online links associated with it. I chose this object to represent ancient Egypt and its military. Tutankhamun was a boy pharaoh when he became Pharaoh at about nine years old, reigning for only about nine years, from 1540-1520 BC. He was buried during his reign at Hwt-khut, or Medinet Habu, where he had a tomb made for him by his masons and sculptors.

Figure 14 Tutankhamun

15. The Pyramid of Khufu at Giza

This object is from the British Museum website. The army was divided into three sections: two were the chariot divisions, the elite, and one was the infantry. I chose this one because it was also an object with many online links associated with it. I chose this object to represent ancient Egypt and its military. The Ancient Egyptian Army comprised three main divisions: Chariots, Cavalry, and Infantry; although some Pharaohs would have additional units attached to their guards like war dogs and other exotic animals.

Figure 15 The Pyramid of Khufu at Giza

16. The Underworld

This object is from the British Museum website. The Underworld was viewed as a place outside man’s world but beyond its edges. I chose this one because it was also an object with many online links associated with it. I chose this object to represent ancient Egyptian religion, mythology, and beliefs. The Underworld originated in Ancient Egypt around 6000 BC, originally a physical underworld where the souls went after death but later became merged into other realms through polytheistic beliefs. Several different gods or goddesses held authority over each part of the Underworld.

Figure 16 The Underworld

17. The Egyptian Book of the Dead

This object is from the British Museum website. The book contained spells, poems, and magical texts to assist the deceased in passing through the Underworld and emerging into a new life in the afterlife. I chose this one because it was also an object with many online links associated with it. I chose this object to represent ancient Egypt and its religion, mythology, the role of women, oppression, morals, and beliefs (Romer, 2008). The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead is a funerary text probably composed during the New Kingdom period. It was written on rolls of papyrus which were often placed in tombs for use by the deceased in the afterlife. The book contains various spells and magical texts used to assist the deceased in passing through the Underworld and emerging into a new life in the afterlife.

Figure 17 The Egyptian Book of the Dead

The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead

18. Abydos

This object is from the British Museum website . It is described as: The home of Osiris, a god associated with fertility and resurrection from death. I chose this one because it was also an object with a significant number of online links associated with it. I chose this object to represent ancient Egypt and its religion, mythology, role of women, oppression, morals and beliefs. Abydos was an important cult centre for Osiris during ancient Egypt. It was believed to be the burial place of Osiris and a place of resurrection.

Figure 18 . Abydos

19. Taweret

This object is from the British Museum website. It is described as: A goddess associated with childbirth, fertility, and protection against poisonous snakes. I chose this one because it was also an object with many online links associated with it. I chose this object to represent ancient Egypt and its position in society, the role of women, oppression, morals, and beliefs. Taweret was a popular goddess in ancient Egypt during the early dynastic period (about 3150-2613 BC). She was originally viewed as a protective goddess who guarded children against danger and evil spirits. As a fertility goddess, she was also the protector of women during childbirth.

Figure 19 Taweret

20. Philae Temple

This object is from the British Museum website. It is described as: The temple was built during the reign of Ptolemy IV (221-203 BC) as part of an effort to revitalize the local economy and religion. I chose this one because it was also an object with many online links associated with it. I chose this object to represent ancient Egypt and its religious beliefs and the architecture and construction techniques used in building these temples.

Figure 20 Philae Temple

References

Remarque, E. M. (2018). Dr. Ravic: in Arch of Triumph. In Doctors in Fiction (pp. 93-99). CRC Press.

Thiers, C. (2013). Armant (Hermonthis).

Romer, J. (Ed.). (2008). The Egyptian book of the dead. Penguin UK.

Salmon, E. T. (1967). Samnium and the Samnites. Cambridge University Press.

Schoch, R. M. (1992). Redating the great Sphinx of Giza. KMT: A Modern Journal of Ancient Egypt, 3(2), 52-59.

Török, L. (2015). The kingdom of Kush: handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic civilization. Brill.

Levy, T. E., Brink, E. C. V. D., Goren, Y., & Alon, D. (1995). New light on King Narmer and the Protodynastic Egyptian presence in Canaan. The Biblical Archaeologist, 58(1), 26-35.

Vanderpool, E. (1966). A Monument to the Battle of Marathon. Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 35(2), 93-106.