Category: Objects As History

OBJECTS AS HISTORY(sem2)

11thFebruary2019

WEEK6

So for the 8th week review we had to make a timeline about a theme or objects included from the time of stone age till Alexander came. So we all started working on the research by then and also ma’am had formed the groups for the debate. The main topic for the debate was the Peloponnesian war. There were 3 main city states that were Sparta, Athens and Persia. And then there smaller city states Delos, Argos, Rhodes, Syracuse, Corinth.

There were two divisions involved in this and the main city states had more members and the smaller ones. Then we all had to research on our states and others as well to know how their connections were with our state as well. I was in Sparta so we all decided what each member will research and come and will discuss accordingly.

OBJECTS AS HISTORY(sem2)

21stJanuary2019

WEEK3

So today we discussed about the “Sumer Civilization” and no one could find out where they had come from or how they emerged out of nowhere. “Wheel was invented in Sumer. There were various reasons for the invention of wheel i.e, agriculture, transport, convenience.

Then we moved on to “Indus Valley Civilization”, that just disappeared, and there were various theories of what could have happened, like:

  • Threat of invasion
  • Sacred
  • Plague
  • Natural disaster

But there was no theory of war because there were no bodies found in that region.

Then ma’am told us about the first epic that was recorded, “The Epic Of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was a ‘Demigod’. He was during the Mesopotamian region. He was the ruler of “URUK” which was the first state of Mesopotamia.

The people of sumer believed in a lot of gods and goddess like, AN, Enki, Inana, Sin, Utu, etc. There was spirituality , Belief in god, and also leadership in this civilization.

Nature was the top most and then came the Gods, and then Kings and at the end Priests.

OBJECTS AS HISTORY(sem2)

14thJanuary2019

WEEK2

So today we discussed about the term called “Fertile Crescent”. Fertile crescent refers to a semi-circular area of the eastern-Mediterranean region including Nile, Tigris and Euphrates river. It was the place where the first civilization took place.

Then we looked at what all consists in a civilization:

  • A planned settlement
  • Language
  • Water
  • Sophistication
  • Leadership
  • Domestication of animals
  • Division of labour
  • Hierarchy
  • Religion
  • Rituals
  • Higher power
  • Administration
  • Community identity
  • Social practices
  • Handicraft
  • Beliefs
  • Architecture
  •  Material culture
  • Food practices
  • Trade
  • Art/culture

OBJECTS AS HISTORY(sem2)

7thJanuary2019

WEEK1

So I was wondering what objects as history would actually mean, I thought something to do with the objects that we use in our everyday life and how they have evolved during these years, or where it all began.

So it started with the question, what is history? to which all of us had different answers.

  • Record of the past
  • The back story
  • Evolution
  • Revolution(past, present, future)
  • To know the beginning
  • A learning curve( What to do/what not to do,  The only source of learning,  History repeats itself

We also discussed about why the dates are important to which one answered because if we don’t remember the dates then we will lose the concept of time. We discussed about the place where the first homo-sapiens were found, the place was Jericho. There was 20 layers of settlement found in Jericho.

We also learnt about three phases of history:

  • Paleolithic Age- Old stone
  • Neolithic Age- New stone (agriculture started to happen in this age)
  • Chalcolithic Age- Copper

We also discussed  about Harappa. Their burial practices that they buried the bodies under their living room and before the   burial their feet were amputated. By the end of this discussion our lecture came to an end.