AHIS Block 1

Material Culture Midterm Study Guide

Material Culture

Refers to objects, their properties, materials they are made of, and the ways in which these material facets are central to the understanding of culture and social relations. Understanding an objects role in our lives beyond what it is.

Formal Analysis

Description of artwork based solely on visual evidence. Explains how a work of art is visually structured. what it looks like rather than what it is or means.

FORM elements

Line, shape, colour, light, texture, space, mass, volume, composition.

Prehistoric

before written history

Allochronism

Term coined by Johannes Fabian to describe tendency in the field of anthropology to observe the colonized other as existing in another, past time, despite the fact they both exist in the same, serial time.

Universalism

Starts from observed material similarities. The social terms we set up to “discover” a common explanation. Privileges similarities over differences and assumes that a common explanation must exists. Hard to disprove as a theory but its generalizing and assumes that things mean now what they did then.

Contextualism

Possibility that there is no common explanation. The meaning is different depending on historical context.

coffin and pyramid texts

Pyramid texts are among earliest religious writings containing a collection of recitations and instructions designed to help the deceased in their afterlife journey (royalty). These texts developed into a collection of spells (coffin texts) found in graves and coffins.

mastaba

common Egyptian tomb structure (early dynastic) Flat-topped, one story building with slanted walls erected above an underground burial chamber. Can be steeped as well. Earliest funerary structure designed by first named architect in history (priest Imhotep)

Ka Statue

Statue that held the “Ka” or aspect of the soul that survives death, Ka can pass through living and dead realms. Place for soul to observe living. The ka was forever engaged in activities enjoyed in life. Elaborate funerary practices fulfilled the requirements of the Ka. Representative of deceased person.

Ma’at

Divine order that Pharaohs are responsible for maintaining.

Book of the dead

Continuation of the earlier coffin texts and pyramid texts that made these afterlife texts more widely available to the public. Instruction manual for naviagating the afterlife.

Obelisk

monolithic stone with quadrangular base, upright with pointed top. Body and pyramidon top. Symbols of solar god Ra. Represents backbone of physical world and the channel in which the divine spirit might rise to rejoin its source.

Byzantine Icon

Orthodox Christianity scared imagery of saints and events to serve as focus for prayer and devotion to transmit divine grace. Material gateway to spiritual world. Reflect relationship between material world, human beings, and divine power.

Iconoclastic Controversy

debate between church leaders over the use of religious imagery to depict Christ and saints. (icon or idol?) Old testament forbids.

Iconographic attributes

features and symbols that are used to identify a holy person or figure. (identifying traits)