Search Results : Ancient Egypt

• The Egyptian Art

  Posted on May 29, 2012 7:30 pm by Elena Comment

  

   

  The Egyptian art

   

  Their thoughts and cosmological view of the world, their economic activities and of course their religion; form a single whole closely related that must be study and understand in order to get a clearer idea of the General characteristics of the Egyptian art.

  The Nile River is the heart of the Egyptian land, hear was founded this civilization which depends on its flow for their own subsistence. The benefits offered by the River allowed the development and flowering of this interesting people and culture.

  It is not surprising  that because of the need to adaptation to the harsh climatic conditions of the desert they look to the River as a miraculous giver of life; as palliative and Solver of the challenge of survival in this adverse environment. Their settlements close to the Nile enable them to develop an agrarian economy by taking advantage of flooding from the River; in the black soil or Kemet formed after retiring this waters. This sediment was rich in nutrients for crops.

   

   

  These three stations were:

   

  I.        Akhet: Flood (June-September)

  II.        Peret: (October-February) of crops grown.

  III.        Shemu: (March–June) collection of crops.

   

  Based on the type of agricultural economy; which depends largely on the nature they develop skills such as geometry, wide application of mathematical measures, the development of architecture in homers levels and a curious sense of decoration which does not overlook the very nature as inspiration.

   

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  
  

  The Egyptians had a very orderly and serene view of the world; it is as if they look the events of life through a filter or sieve where everything at the end of this fit with his cyclical view of life. It was their belief  that by perfect was the life on earth; does not end after the death but continued beyond then and need to be ensure the body, mind and well-being so they transcend on the trip save; to that other place where can be returned resurrected”.

  Like the Nile had cyclical floods, for the Egyptians life was also in constant renewal. For them their gods live, die and resurrect constantly.

   

  It is as if the life laid out for them as a terrestrial statism, in which nothing changes; even after death, for them the death is not more than a stage on the way to the resurrection.

  There is no need to say that this way of seeing the world establish a strong conservatism and this is based (not in the fear of change itself); but in the start of what for them is already perfect and there is no need for change anything; it just have to be keep it like this; as the gods created.

  For a long time in their history man is not in possession of Knowles of distinction between his personal being and the word around him. He does not distinguish between earthly and supernatural phenomena yet.

  The grade of men consciousness related to his part in the word surrender him;  gained  territory in people minds far further in the Neolithic period and evolve progressively for many culture; but for the Egyptians as in no other country men’s deed and thoughts were governed by the concern for the after-life and this believes where way to affianced in this culture for a consider high amount of time to be abandoned ease, even when they were at times under others culture domination.

   

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Their geographical position contributes even more to the isolation and lack of evolution in those believes.

  The Supreme maintainer for them that this perfect State could be keep was the Pharaoh, that first figure in which are represented religion and State simultaneously and more revered it; It was who was blamed if the State of perfection, serenity and balance not go as expected.

  The geographical position of Egypt kept it fairly isolated from other peoples and their cultural influences for a long time. The isolation accentuated their concept of life and its proud vision in relation to the world.

   

   GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EGYPTIAN ART:

   

  1. Art created with destination to the Church who was in Egypt a single whole.
  2. The artist is more a craftsman, completely anonymous running norms and pre-established concepts.
  3. The accuracy of execution of orders is what is appreciate; not the originality of the craftsman.
  4. Art is the propagandistic support of the power of the State – religion.
  5. The image carries a symbolism and a message; it is not with the intention of showing beauty to be referred to as aesthetic pleasure.
  6. They relinquish the prospect to give greater clarity and emphasis to the message.
  7. The proportions and resulting strokes in the figure are optically incoherent in function to transmit; melted in the resulting message the conceptual elements of propaganda.
  8. The figures show position of frontality; is a fixed concept which is repeated.
  9. The figures are made solid to ensure sustainability.
  10. Pure geometric lines such as the one in architecture forms are used.
  11. Animals and plants are widely represented both in painting and ceramics.

   

   

  The Egyptians made their works of art to always stick to the religious character and serving propaganda after this religiosity which guaranteed control over crowds and made possible the absolute supremacy of the power in the figure of the Pharaoh. They of course aroused the funerary aspect as the main symbol responding to their concept of philosophy of life.

  Despite being over time these tombs funeral homes and other monuments staled and devastated have reached us objects in very good condition and they are consider today important works of art despite having been made by anonymous craftsmen as mere execution of orders.

   

   

  

   

   

  These objects have provided invaluable information on this enigmatic culture. While they not always address in the representation of their scenes facts of daily life such as the Sumerians did, their stories, historical periods and philosophical concepts have not gone unnoticed for the history of art which has organized this culture with more than 3000 years of evolution in divisions of their periods in order to understand it better.

   

  1 · Tinita time: 3000-2778 Egyptian capital.

  2 · Ancient Empire: 2778 to 2263 with capital at Memphis.

  3 · First intermediate period: 2263 until 2160.

  4 · Median Empire: 2160 – 1785 with its capital at Thebes.

  5 · Second intermediate period: from 1785 until 1580.

  6 · New Empire: 1580 to 1085: with the capital in Thebes.

  7 · Low time: 1085-333: Persian domination of Egypt.

  8 · Coptic Era: The domain of Egypt under the Greek and the Roman.

   

   

   

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• Art is not an autonomous manifestation.

  Posted on May 31, 2016 3:30 pm by Elena

  Today’s Art Is Not Considered An Autonomous Manifestation

  

  ART is the set of creations of human beings to express their environment through their skills, their ideas, feelings, and sensations; either literally or using their imagination to recreate their particular vision of reality through plastic, language and sound resources.

  Historically; scholars of art and sociology theorists have tried to frame and determine the characteristics of art, in an effort to define; how art manifests itself. Any attempt to standardize a concept that generalize something so dynamic, susceptible to historical and social-political context it is futile. It makes no sense to embrace in an abstract fixed concept, elements that are constantly changing and depends on the ways in which men in every culture, religion, geography, custom or historical epoch, have created and will create art. Also because of the on going, always changing way in which they interpret and appreciate the artistic creations.

  

  Art is a global concept, which includes all the manifestations of the intellectual and artisan creation of humans. This manifestations do not remain fixed; since they varies and because new ones are been created also constantly. It is an evolving concept and open to new interpretations, as well as to changes in the thinking of the artists who have been and will always be influenced by their social environment. Art can not be categorized conventionally, art must gather all attempts to express it and formulate it, being a broad and subjective summary of all of them, which are always changing as well.

  Art can’t be unlink from the environment in which was created or could lost sense completely, stripping those for whom was created; of the tools that would help them to understand and appreciate those creations. What would be the point of creating something that is so intellectualized or alien to the viewer; that does not meet its goal to communicate the thought or intention of the ones who creates it, been called artist or craftsman?.

  The Beauty of art for the beauty itself in an artistic realization, without connection of ideas between audience and artist, loses; if not half of its value, at least a good part of what could makes sense as a work of art and defines it as such if not interrelation is established are-all.

  

  A works of art is not such just because the artist says so after his creation is done, or by its personal concept about what is or is not an artistic creation. It is however when other people recognize it as such, and appreciate it reacting to it. When the public to whom is directed, recognize the talent of the one who through his artistic creation produced in them an emotional reaction, that makes them appreciate the product of that creation as something valuable; whether or not unique, or that they like it or not personally.

  Therefore today’s art is not considered an autonomous manifestation. It has a close relationship with his environment from all areas in which it can manifest itself. This is something that the artists have to keep in mind when creating their works. 

  This doesn’t mean the artist have to restrain in his forms of expression, because his talents and artistic expression will have always and audience even is this one is pretty small, because there is always public for everything, only this audience will not be as wide as it could; if he had pulled instead a more approachable and understood way to express his artistic talents, that can correlate to a wider audience.

  

  Władysław Tatarkiewicz, in history of six ideas (1976) stated the following:

  “Art is a conscious human activity capable of playing things, build forms, or express an experience, if the product of this reproduction, construction or expression can delight, excite or cause shock”.

  

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• Phoenician painting

  Posted on November 25, 2013 2:08 pm by Elena Comment

   

                                    Phoenician painting

   

  

   

   

  Thanks to the fact of  be left hidden in tombs and in special environmental conditions the scarce Phoenician paintings who are still remaining today show us a glance of what could have been this plastic expression; just recently brought to light again by art historians and archeologist. There is not much what has survived in reference to the Phoenician painting. Limited examples found correspond in the majority of cases to the Hellenistic’s period tombs decoration. There isn’t some good information either in the Greek or Roman classic authors that can illustrate somehow details or at least a vague information about the characteristics of the painting of the “People of the Sea” the name by the one they were called by ancient contemporary cultures in some written inscriptions found.

  Unfortunately, no accounts survive describing the Phoenicians’ owns statements about their paintings either. It is a fact though that they received influences from other cultures like the Assyrians, Persians, Etruscans, Greek and Egyptians because they do commercialize with them or were under their domination at some point.

  The funerary painting of steles, votive items and walls painted found in the Phoenicians tombs’ shows how they enjoy painting in polychromes tones in some cases or even only in dual tones; like red over the ochre of the stone walls. They depicted different elements of their life as important as religious, social, funerary and their everyday routine like navigating or commercializing.

   

  

   

  They represent as well nature in figurative drawings with predilection of outlined figures; as well as combining outlined figures with the use of colors inside them. Phoenicians also make paintings in which the figure’s outlined emphasis is not evident, in this case were almost free of distinctive trace of them.  This type of paint has been found corresponding with the Hellenistic period or from the times before as well; when the Greek influence was not yet imitate.

  Patterns conformed by sequence of flowers, petal or vines decorate the walls, been garlands a frequent motive found in their paints as well as some animal with or without the human figures present. Those zoomorphic figures have not been found so often in the remains discovered but since they were people that live so close to the sea, creatures from the oceans like fish, corals and octopus much has been represented as well somehow.

  The colors applied over the round sculptures or to decorate ostrich eggs are showing the presence of both forms of painting (color and outlined). Some paints found in archeological sites like the one in the Sicily region are good example of that.

  Phoenician painting was not, like Egyptian, displayed upon the walls of temples, nor was it, like Greek, that use pictures for the decoration of houses. It was employed to a certain extent on statues, not so as to cover the entire figure, but with delicacy and discretion, for the marking out of certain details, and to emphases certain parts of the design. The hair and beard were often painted a brownish red; the pupil of the eye was marked by means of color; and robes had often a border of red or blue. Statuettes were tinted more generally; the vestments were sometimes colored red or green. Some terracotta statues that had survive still show remnants of the pigments used.

   

  

   

  The better approach to proper painting which was made by the Phoenicians is their vessels made in clay, terra-cotta, and alabaster. Here, though, the ornamentation was sometimes merely by patterns or bands, there was occasionally real effort to depict animal and human forms, which, was not by the way very successful but still possess considerable interest.

  New researchers based in report of chemical analyses showing that 8th-century B.C. Phoenician ivory artifacts are containing metal traces that are invisible to the naked eye. This Ivory sculptures seems to have been originally painted with colorful pigments, and some were decorated with gold. Research determine that these metals are found in pigments commonly used in ancient times to elaborate paints, such as the copper-based pigment known as “Egyptian blue” or hematite the iron-based pigment they also elaborate.

   

  

   

  The Phoenicians were buried in tombs in situ and those funerary chambers were decorated following their tradition and believes, not meaning they necessarily were done to honor the specific dead person buried or the gods since the variety of theme found in the region not seems to show so. Is not clear yet what was the belief of the Phoenicians about the afterlife. Those paints are applied direct to the wall must have been difficult to do so with the irregularity of these walls. Other paints examples are in the ostrich eggs but in both cases the time had taken its toll in the deterioration they suffered.

  The Phoenician paintings before the Hellenistic period do not use perspective showing the figure drawn in strange positions and sizes in relation one to another. The themes were more inclined to represent figurative elements with geometric patterns framing the scenes in the footer; they depict their fortified cities, traditions and religious rituals in which the human figure was not excluded in those paints.

   

  

   

  Other themes used in Phoenician painting corresponding to the Hellenistic period like mythological Greek characters, heroes, and banquets. They form part as well of the scarce paintings found but from this period the outlined detail of the figure faded away; probably with time since they are dating from 2nd -1st centuries but could have been the artist conscious intention as well.

   

   

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  📂This entry was posted in Phoenician Art Phoenician Art. Painting 📎and tagged ostrich Eggs decoration outlined figures phoenicia funerary painting

• Art Periods and Movements. Summary.Table 1

  Posted on August 20, 2013 12:27 pm by Elena 8 Comments

  Summary Art Periods & Movements
  From Prehistoric to Byzantine Empire.
  ART PERIODS	CHARACTERISTICS	MAJOR WORKS	HISTORICAL EVENTS
  Stone Age30,000 –25,000 B.C	–      Cave painting. –      Fertility goddesses. –      Megalithic structures	–      Lascaux Cave painting. –      Woman of Willendorf. –      Stonehenge.	–      Ice Age ends       10,000–8,000 B.C. –        New Stone Age & first permanent   settlements 8000–2500 B.C.
  Paleolithic   30,000   to 10,000 B.C. Click in blue links for more information.	–      Art was portable and stationary.-      Stone Venus.      –     Representation   of animals in painting which are vividly realistic. –        Human figure is completely   absent in painting or represented with simple stroke form like a stick .	Important cave painting examples are located in:France: Chauvet, Cosquer, Cussac, Font-de-Gaume,   Lascaux, Les Combarelles, Les Trois-Freres, Niaux, and Rouffignac.Spain: Altamira.	–      Strictly hunter-gatherers. –       Use of rituals and dances to promote excellent climate.
  Mesolithic  10.000-8000 B.C.	–      Utilitarian pottery not for visual pleasure.-       Carvings of   obsidian and other objects jagged edges. –      Human figures in caves painting highly stylized.	–      Cave painting in Europe, South Africa and east of Spain.	–      Beginning of settled and agricultural communities –      Domestication of animals.
  Neolithic 8000-3000 BC.	– Construction of megaliths  – Stylized pictographs.	The female fertility takes a role starring as well as the goddess mother. The figurines are now clay and baked.	–      The glaciers withdrawal providing more land an climate stabilization. –      Humans were settling in agrarian societies.
  Prehistoric Art. Cooper, Bronze   & Iron Ages.	Cooper Age: –      Was one of the first metal using by mans in its natural   state due to not know how to melted.             Bronze Ages. 2500-800 B.C. –      Intensification of trades. –      Labor specialization. –      Social differentiation.   Iron   Ages 2000-1500 B.C. –  The last period of prehistory prior to the beginning of the story with the invention of writing. –   Development of the artistic skills due to better use of time when the man have improve tools elaborated with iron. –    Developing of the military technology and strong weapons.	Cooper age: – Elaboration of cuneiform glass and ceramic rope   pottery. – Spirals of gold. –  Abundant so-called “Palmela” arrows. –  Triangular daggers in copper. –   Perforated plates.                                                            Bronze Age mayor work: –        The petro glyphs, paint on smaller objects,   sculptures and steles, make frequent use of ornament and artistic images for   decoration of tools and household goods.   Iron Ages –  Iron is a good material for the manufacture   of saws, axes, adzes and nails. –  Nordic petro glyphs.	Cooper   age: –        The man perfected the techniques of pottery   allowing to experiment with metallurgical processes. –      Most manufactured items were tools.          Bronze   Age: –        Spread of agriculture and animal husbandry. –        Mastery of metal developing new alloys.     Iron Ages: –  Assyria originate and impressive military technology. –  The iron replaced bronze as the material of manufacture of instruments and weapons. – Celtic and Nordic people star using iron for tools & weapons.
  Minoan Culture	–      Pacific inclines. –      Decoration with nature motive. –      Proportional human body representation. –   Politeist religion. Matriarcal sociaty. –    Found for Physical activities. –   Important trades activities.	–      Taurocatapsia representation in painting & relieves. –      Goddess of serpents. –      Ostentatious jewelry. Skilled goldsmith.  – Dancing woman widely represented in art. – Dolphins fresco at the Quing chamber’s.	Minoan historical events:-Development as a Matriarchal society.-      Foundation of the first palaces. –      Sudden disappearance due to conquests and natural disasters.
  Mesopotamian3500–539   B.C. Sumerian Culture:     Babylonian Culture:   Assyrian Culture:	Sumerian Culture: –      The most ancient civilization in this region with clay figurine representation, cuneiform tablets and seals.     Babylonian Culture: –   Glazed brick decoration. –   cuneiform writing tables and  seals. –  Hammurabi’s code of laws. – Gilgamesh Epic representation in Art pieces.     Assyrian Culture: –      Warrior people with art and narration in stone relief   predominant Lion representation and winged Sphinxes.	Sumerian: –      Ubaid Art. –      Clay feminine figurines, –      Standard of Ur. Babylon: –      Gate of Ishtar. –      Diorite Stele of Hammurabi’s Code. –      Gilgamesh’s Epic flood tablet story. Assyria: Nimrud or Jursabad doors with winged Sphinxes The construction of Ziggurats.	Sumerians: –      Invention of writing around 3400 B.C. –      The dynasty of Sargon between (2300 – 2223 BC) build   ziggurats and clay seals. –      Rule of Naramsin 2230 BC. Babylon: –      Hammurabi writes his code of laws  1780 B.C. –      Abraham founds monotheism. –      King Nebuchadnezzar palace is builder in Babylon. Assyria: About   884 BC Assyria gets at the head of the power in a vast region under Ashur-Nassir-Pal   reign.
  Persian   Culture	Aqueménida Period (550-330) B.C.-     Monumental style with sculptures in relief attached to architectural joints with profuse but simple decoration. –     Metalwork representation evading the ambiguous, obscure or clumsy. Same principal of simplicity apply to painting. –     Use of low reliefs glazed brick from Babylon;s technique. – Simplicity of the messages avoiding complications, the dark or confuse.     Sassanid  Period –       Architectural decorations in carved stone, walls covered   with stucco decorated with vivid and contrasting colors. –       Attractive and deeply expressive with refined decoration, emotional & imaginative. –       Representation of abstract ideas without violating the terms of the visual aspects.     Islamic   Period –  Stoning   architecture. –  Calligraphy & decoration of manuscripts. –   Decoration of the  walls with stucco and covered with figurative colored and detailed paints.	Aqueménida   Period –  Glazed brick are use to decorated in Darius palace. –  Palace of Persepolis. –  Relief on the palace walls representing the power of rulers. –  Important metalwork in weapons decorations.       Sassanid  Period. –             Spectacular glaze decorations. –             Detailed metal work in daily used objects and weapons. –             Drapery and jewelry mastery.         –   Islamic architecture. –    Calligraphy and decoration of manuscript. –    Handmade Persian rugs. –    Pottery with influence of Chinese ceramic. –     Metalwork with arabesques.	–             During the reign of Cyrus the Great, Persia expands to the West and   Northwest beyond the borders of what is today Iran to include Babylonia, some   of the Aegean Islands and Anatolia.-      Dario’s Government (522 to 486 BC) .The rule of Darius covers many cultures. He and his son used foreign artists to promote and strengthenits  image of power.       Sassanid Period – Greatest achievements of Persian culture, the last   great Iranian Empire before the Islamic conquest of Persia. – The conquest of Persia by Alexander the great began the spread of Hellenistic art into Western Asia.         Islamic Period –  The adoption of the Islam as a religion throughout the territory resulted in important changes in the Persian culture. –  The Persians became the main instrument of the expansion of Islam in   most of the rest of the Asian territory.
  Egyptian 3100 –30   B.C.	– Art with an afterlife focus with destination to the   Church:- Pyramids and tomb painting.- Reverence to pharaohs.- The artist is more a craftsman, completely anonymous.- Hieratic & utilitarian sculptures. – The image carries a symbolism and a message; it is not with the intention of showing beauty. – The figures show position of   frontality; is a fixed concept which is repeated.	– Imhotep, – Step Pyramid – The great pyramid of Giza, built by King Cheops about 4,500.- Bust of Nefertiti, –  Mask of Tutankhamen. –  Sculpture of the  scribe. – The Sphinges.	– King Narmer unites Upper/Lower Egypt (3100 B.C).- Ramses II battles the Hittites 1274 B.C.-  Persian domination of Egypt.1085-333: Persian domination of Egypt.-  The domain of Egypt under the Greek and the Roman.-  Cleopatra dies 30B.C.
  Greek and Hellenistic 850 –31 B.C.	–  Greek dealism of balance, perfect proportions and mathematical measures applied to  all manifestation of art. Representation of an idilic art oriented to be decorative an highlighting the beauty of the forms. –   Architectural orders (Doric, Ionic,   Corinthian) –    Great  Pottery, red ceramic, black figure ceramic.	–  Construction of the   Parthenon. –  The Korai and the Kouroi archaic sculpture. – Masters sculptures artist individually highlight like Myron, Phidias, Polycleitus, Praxiteles,   scopas, Lisipo. – The Athena Farnese.	– Athens defeats Persia at Marathon 490 B.C.- Peloponnesian Wars (431–404) B.C. – Alexander the Grate’s conquests Greece 336 -323 B.C – Hellenistic   Period: 4th century (B.C)   from the reign of Alexander the great (336-323 BC) until the conquest of Greece by Rome, in the middle of the second century B.C).
  Roman   500 B.C–  476 A.D)	–  Roman realism: practical and utilitarian very down to earth.-   Introduction of new techniques in Art, but still with Greek influences.-   Art to the services of the propaganda of the Roman’s Empire power. –  It addresses both the idealism and realism in the art. –  Central themes in Roman sculpture are portraits. –   Mayor accomplishments in architecture –  Erotic & sensual content in painting. –  Anonymous Illusionist or stages painting.	–  Augustus of Primaporta.-  Roma’s Coliseums. –  Trajan’s Column. –   The Discobolo of Myron. –   Caracalla Thermals’. –   Caracalla Mosaics. –   Constantine Emperor Sculpture. –   City of Pompeii & Herculaneum paint’s	Julius Caesar is assassinated 44 B.C. Augustus proclaimed Emperor 27 B.C. Diocletian   splits Empire 292 A.D. Rome falls 476 A.D. Emperor Constantine adopted Christianisms.
  India Culture:	–  Dynamic colorful multi-ethnic   and multicultural features.-             Buddhism temples carving in the mountains.- Serene, meditative & solemner art in Buddhism &   Jainism. –  Erotic & symbolisms in Hinduism sculpture. – Sensuality, dramatics, movement & symbolisms in Hinduism   painting. – Splendor in jewelry and textiles. – Nature & their polytheist religious pantheon are the   main elements of representation in their art.	– Polychrome sculptures. – Taj Majal. – Alora Cave. – Khajuraho Temple. – Templo Jaina de Vimala Vasahi en el monte Abu. – Ajanta Budhist Temple. Maharastra. – The Mahabharata and the Ramayana, two major Sanskrit epics manuscripts of ancient Indiath India region Temples.	–  Dravidians develop advances urbanisms & culture. –  The Brahmanism prosperous social cast & religious made an important statement in India. –   The Buddhism & Jainism prosper. –   The Hinduism modify the ancestor polytheist Brahmanism   pantheon. –   Persia Invade India been the last conquest by the Mughal very important for the art in India. –   The England Indian’s Company establishes a colony   beginning from the littorals of India and then extended.
  Chinese, and   Japanese 653 B.C–1900 A.D.	– Serene, meditative art.- Arts of the Floating World. – Represent idealist lanscape with realistic detail. – Homenage to nature and to the lanscaping in painting. – After a colourful period in painting this one is reduced to duo tones color representation in furthers periods. – Important ceramic production using porcelain made with caolin. – Detailed painting in paper, wood and fabrics. – Abundant use of caligraphy in paints been as much important as the paint itself. – Magnificent works in ivory amd jade. – Architecture addresed to practical use not ornamental and intedrated to the lanscape around the building. Wooden structure with repetitive plant. – Wide representation of Budda images with particular Asiatic feature and postures.	Painters-            Gu Kaizhi.- –             Li Cheng. –             Guo Xi. –              Hokusai. –              Hiroshige.	Birth   of Buddha 563 B.C;Silk Road opens (1st century B.C. Buddhism spreads to China 1st–2nd centuries A.D and Japan 5th century A.D
  Byzantine and Islamic 476–1453 A.D	– The symbolic character of the works becomes more important   over even its expression and aesthetic, responding to the theology and   ecclesiastical power representation.– They do not imitate the image of   the man and the nature in details, they made instead a rational representation of the concept of those images.- – Rich materials in Byzantine.Mosaic’s, with abundance in the use of gold. (Glowing sensation).	–             Heavenly Byzantine mosaics.-             Islamic architecture and amazing maze-like design.-             Mural Painting.-             Wood & Ivory diptychs.-             Hagia Sophia Cathedral. –             San Vitale of Ravenna –             Andrei Rublev. –             Mosque of Córdoba. –             Tthe Alhambra in Spain.	–      Justinian partly restores Western Roman Empire (533– 562). A.D. –      Iconoclast controversy 726– 843 A.D. –      Birth of Islam 610 A.D. –       Muslim Conquests 632–732 A.D.

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• Etruscan culture

  Posted on November 16, 2012 5:21 pm by Elena Comment

  The Etruscan culture and history.

   

  A region that is located in the central region of Italy towards the West Coast received the name of Etruria. The Etruscan people created a culture with unusual characteristic for the time and definitely eye-catching and particular sore to speak in some way to the taste of their contemporaries in the region.

   

  

   

  Centered around of what was known as City-States which emerged and later flourished between the period comprising the 7th centuries and the V centuries B.C. on which its power in the region began to decline at the time they have to engaged with fighting with Celts, Greeks and Carthaginians and adding the fact that they did not have a State as such unified.

  Toward the II century B.C their problems due to external invasions and the pressure of Rome put on impoverished situation this conglomeration of Etruscan cities becoming practically in a natural way that they were absorbed by Rome and fade away as independent cities in the 1st century B.C.

  The Etruscans called themselves as “racennas“. The Greeks called them “Tyrrhenian” and the Romans “tusks” or “Etruscan” as is known this culture today.

  The system of Confederation with which were United under common religious principles rather than under political or in some ways economic interests was not a solid base to hold against the external invasions, these cities were too individualistic to work together for one greater purpose.

   

  

   

  It is known today by studies that the Etruscans in their flowering stage were an important culture in Italy and that influence was so strong and resonant to extend by the peninsula as a whole. Thought on the basis of the evidence found that this culture was developed from a prehistoric civilization known as Villanova, which was developed between 900 and 500 B.C.

  Different theories from Greek stories and Chronicles reflect about the origin of Etruscans, all of this is motivated by the lack of documentation regarding the enlightening.

  Due to the Greek influences and inhabitants of other regions in their art and culture in general, is not ruled out today that they have actually been native inhabitants with an intense cultural exchange with adjacent regions and why not; that themselves migrated from one side to another during the period of establishment and strengthening of these cities state until its configuration when they finally settled. The fact is that no one knows its origin for sure yet and that many studies have been done at present to find out, even one DNA-based in the year 2007 of the settlers of the zone in which the Etruscans developed but surely and with certainty yet nothing is known.

  It is estimated that around twelve cities constituted this Confederation. These urban centers included not only major cities but also smaller centers linked and dependent of them.

   

  These cities include: 

  – Populonia

  – Vetulonia

  – Ruselas

  Perugia

  – Cortona

  – Tarquinia

  – Cerveteri

  – Vulci

  – Veyes.

  – Volterra

  – Orvieto

  – Chiusi

  
  Of these cities great coastal town of Populonia reaches a significant importance for the production and processing of minerals on a large scale. While they had deposits they preferred to bring these minerals by sea, especially the

  iron from the island of Elba. They did with this iron weapons to his troops. This iron was also distributed by the rest of the cities of Etruria.

  For this transfer by sea had to deal with pirates, assaults of other nations competing for the obtaining of the ore, but their ships and fleet were so powerful that they could deal with this threat and continue with the maritime transportation of ore, of which came to accumulate so much waste in the production process that huge hills of these mineral deposits were used during the second world war for weapons production.

  The city of Cerveteri, whose economy was based on agriculture, reached a rapid economic and cultural development from the mineral processing and commercialization of refined products that were manufactured locally. Bronze products came to have high manufacturing quality, some samples were found in the tombs of this city.

  The Etruscans were a people fundamentally merchant and retained this characteristic way of life throughout its existence as a culture, not only traded by sea but also by land.

  Lack of testimonies written or counted by the Etruscan culture itself has left its history at the mercy of tales of the Greeks and Romans. In these stories or Chronicles they say that the Etruscans have promiscuous promo behavior among other things. Those who told these chronicles were influenced by the particular conception of life of their culture and sometimes some venoms comments based on animosities against the Etruscan is to be take with tweezers and carefully.

  It is known that many cultures strongly criticized all that is different to them, the actions of those who are not acting like them following the dogmas that they believe as been the correct ones. That it was what happen with the Etruscan culture, and just because they were different from the others were judged harshly.

   

   Women in the Etruscan culture

   

  As these ancient chroniclers were accustomed to see how subordinated the Greek and Latin women in their culture were to the male supremacy; they did not understand that women in Etruria could participate alongside their male partners in everything that occurred in the social, economic and family life.

  Etruscan women even prepared for the case of the event of the loss of her husband to deal with businesses and keep afloat the family patrimony. They were actively involved in banquets, feasts and religious and political events. They liked to dress with eye-cashing clothes and did so with good taste and pride without being for that reason labeled of licentious conduct by their own people, so liked it or not one that another Greek had to recognize in his Chronicles that they looked beautiful.

  Women were participating in sporting events in the Etruscan Culture, liked to do exercises, were always clean and dressed with ornaments; especially those of the wealthy class that could afford these jewels. Women had an important position among the Etruscan aristocrats and they were responsible for transmitting the family inheritance to.

  In the works of art that today we have the pleasure of contemplating that have been preserved in tombs that occupied the Etruscan region, we see how women were represented regularly in all the artistic manifestations with his male partner, dancing, sleeping alongside her husband enjoying banquets or represented in reliefs, sculptures and paintings showing them in possession of jewelry and body ornaments.

   

  

   

  What for contemporaries of the Etruscans was considered promiscuous, licentious attitude or low reputation of the woman was not another thing that the natural way the Etruscan people carried life fullness, but others could not understand that and instead criticized them, they distort and exaggerated the fact that Etruscan women will enjoy the freedoms that they were entitle. For Greek, Romans, Aegean and other people a respectable woman in their view should be confined in her house. All this misunderstanding really twist the real image and role that the Etruscan women have among their people.  In the inscriptions on the Etruscan tombs have been found references appointing both the mother and the father names of the deceased and that clear establish the equal roll that both men and woman have alike in their society.

   

  

   

  Has been raised by some comparative social studies, that the Etruscan society had similarity to the Minoan culture in many aspects for example in reward to the cult of the body, both lived life intensely, they loved dancing, music, nature and they were likely to perform physical exercises and maintain healthy body, both cultures like sports events and have polytheist religion.  The importance of the roll of the woman in both cultures; the economic trading based to obtain their wealthy and so others aspects have been the based over which they establish those parallel facts.

  But the Etruscan differed from the Minoans, however, since the Etruscans those have to surround their cities of fortifications with high and wide walls to be protected from their enemies and also mantein armies and military campaigns when they were required as a defense as well as to maintain supremacy in trade in the region defending themselves from pirates and invasions; It should be noted that the Etruscans were not prone to war or have an invasive nature as the Assyrians for example. In fact for a long period of history they made trade and treaties as it was the case with the Phoenicians to keep the peace. Although they have numerous other enemies by land and sea from whom they have to defend themselves from.

   

  

   

   

  Etruscan art and culture was destroyed as soon as the Roman Empire absorbed them. Thanks to the works of funerary art preserved in their graves is that it has been able to know more detailed aspects of the life of the Etruscans. We do not know for certain why the Roman Empire untie a hatred towards all Etruscan still and when the influence of this culture was present in facets of the life, politic and art of Rome, ultimately was a reach heritage and roots what they get  from their Etruscan ancestors to denied them like Romans did.

   

  

   

  Even the symbol of Roman nationalism of the Capitoline she-Wolf breast-feeding Romulus and Reno, is an Etruscan work; which figures of children were added in a later period. Countless written works were burnt by the Roman Empire, destroyed forever by what has not been possible to fully decode the language of the Etruscans.

  Etruscan Phonics is different from the Greek or Latin or any other native root of European origin. Have been calculated that from the 7th century approximately. Etruscan has the same Latin root of writing by what can be read without problems but cannot been understand anything of what is read.

   

  Religious beliefs

   

  There were rituals of all sorts, both addressed to the State as to the individuals; these were extremely serious and meticulous. There is certain equivalence with religions of Eastern regions in particular with the religion of Sumer and Chaldea and even also the Egyptian.

   

  

   

  Based on revelation and divination of the future and was keeping in a series of sacred books, which have various topics that were represented in the artistic manifestations among them we have:

  – The interpretation of the way in which the rays hit and are projected during electrical storms.

  – Divination and precognition of facts or events based on the observation of bodies organs of slaughtered animals and the flight of birds.

  – The righteousness of the State, the seriousness and good behavior of individuals.

  – They possessed something similar to the Egyptian book of the dead.

  The most important Etruscan gods were:

  Tinia (Zeus).

  Uni (Hera)

  Menrfa (Athena)

  There was also a belief in the existence of evil demons, to Assyrian mode. The Etruscans believed in life from beyond the grave, in a life after death, honoring their dead, perpetuating their memory narrating passages of their life when there were alive.  Artistic expressions in the places of burial had allowed knowing better about this rituals and religious belief.

  Etruria fell under the domination of Rome toward century II A.C and was absorbed; disappearing as independent culture toward the first century BC becoming almost a ghost after that. The life and customs of the Italian region where the families for centuries were raised according to the Etruscan precepts testified in favor of all the inheritances that one way or another they left behind.

  Greed toward the riches of the Etruscan cities created them several enemies throughout its history. The Etruscans as culture have failed in the fact of not having consolidated their region under a single unified state that would protect them and ensure their survival. In the following article we will address more detailed aspects of their art that is whom better enlighten about the Etruscan Culture legacy.

                         

   

   

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