What Are Cultural Artifacts - Essay Example

CULTURAL ARTIFACTS Submitted by Contents Introduction 3 Archeology 3 Indus civilization 3 Architecture and Sculpture History 4 Rock Architecture 4 Islamic Architecture 5 Modern Architecture 6 Architecture – form of artifact 6 Conclusion 7 Bibliography 8 Introduction What are cultural artifacts? Cultural artifacts are a vital part of humanities deep rooted in anthropology, ethnology and sociology. It comprises of the things created by human beings who enlighten us about the culture of the creator and the user. It encompasses all spheres of life including arts and literature, architecture, laws, religion even economics and way of living. All these and many other aspects altogether represent our culture and its evolution over time. To prove my point I will concentrate on architecture how it is reflective of the culture. It not only represents the present but also has traces of the past. By observing architecture of any society over the years you can observe the evolution of their culture. It shows our values and beliefs. Architecture actually encompasses all three eras, traces of our past, needs of our present and aspirations of our future. Archeology In order to fully understand evolutionary process of architecture we need to develop sound understanding of archeology and dating methods. Crucially understanding of the past depends on the efficiency of the chronological dating methods employed. Indus civilization As we all know Indus civilization is one the oldest civilizations of the world. Some of the things found in excavations dates back to as early as 2800 BCE (McIntosh). A good understanding of their culture was developed through the literature found in some of the writings, pottery and remains of the buildings. The Indus civilization is distinctive in its indigenous development from the cotemporary civilizations. Its architecture does not bear any sign of warfare of that time. They had elaborate drainage system and well planned urban layout. Although scarcity of any building was observed, which could be identified as temple or monument? Architecture and Sculpture History According to historians large wooden houses, palaces and barns were being built in India from around 1700 BC. Although it does not have much creativity and durability was also questionable. (Subcontinent) Some stone architecture and sculpture started in India in 300 BC under the influence of Greeks and Persians. Artifacts are a good source of studying the economic and cultural conditions of any time. It was well reflected in the buildings of that era also. In fact the understanding we have developed about the older civilizations and their evolution and growth was achieved by studying the artifacts of those times. Indians moved from traditional wooden architecture to stone architecture and fine masonry work under the influence of foreigners. But the artifacts they produced had the Indian touch and were reflective of their culture. Rock Architecture History of Rock architecture in India dates back to eighth century. There are remains of a temple in Ellora in central Asia. (William J. Duiker) It was named after the holy mountains and it is beautifully carved out of a hill side. Traces of this form of architecture were also found in Africa. It is reflective of the technological advancement of that time because carving a mountain needed a lot of skill and equipment. It is also reflective of the religious beliefs of the time. Most of the religious architecture of that time consisted of Buddhist cave temples and monasteries. The next millennium witnessed impressive sculptures and paintings. Religious architecture evolved from caves to monumental structures. They were even decorated with ceilings, door frames, relevant paintings and other accessories which marked the welfare of the civilization. Islamic Architecture When India was conquered by Mughals Indian architecture took a large leap forward. Mughals were found of architecture. Magnificent buildings all over India are a proof of their taste and love for architecture. Their passion for architecture I believe was bordering on madness. Hence what we witness is such jewels like Tom of Jahangir, Red forte and Sheesh Mahal in Lahore. The tomb of Jahangir made on the banks of the river Ravi gives an impression of a garden in paradise (John Burton Page). Prior to that building Minarets made by Indians were of no match to the ones built in Cairo, Istanbul and Ispahan. This building made the difference. Humayun built the Shalimar gardens inspired by Persian gardens. Gardens were unheard of in this part of the world. It had a pavilion stand and marble walkways. It is a treat to watch. The fort of Lahore was built in the sixteenths and seventeenth century by Shah Jehan. It actually fortified an earlier structure built around the walled city. It has many pavilion rooms, public rooms, courts, triple doomed palace mosque. It has very intricate tiles of mosaic. The Red forte in Delhi with its Divan-e-am and Divan-e-khas and many other jewels like Jami Masjid, Rang Mahal and Moti masjid etc. are a standing symbol of the wealth and prosperity and intellect and religious beliefs of that era. Modern Architecture The architecture and buildings which we witness today are reflective of our current culture values and beliefs. We don’t see huge palaces and monuments built these days. What we see and witness is huge skyscrapers, multistoried, commercial and residential buildings. They were unimaginable say about fifty years ago. With the advancement in science and technology, changing life styles these buildings reflects our present day needs. With growing urbanization there is no place for huge palaces and consistently increasing prices it is not only unwanted but unaffordable also. Growing economies and increased commercialization lead to mushroom growth of multinationals. To cater to their needs what we need today is chic sophisticated commercial and residential buildings which are cost effective. State of the art infrastructure is one other requirement hence what we observe is an intricate net of bridges, roads, highways and other sanitation facilities. Huge palaces and fortes are replaced by state of the art airports to facilitate the ever increasing no. of travelers. Architecture – form of artifact If we start thinking about architecture as a frame of practice then a large literature available on the architecture also supports the most obvious forms and functions of these buildings. They rest their attention on the material artifacts splendor and glory. But buildings have something more to it. They are reflective of the political and economic intentions. They are an outcome of a creative process. Architecture is basically a complex phenomenon in which various factors are interwoven and they interact with each other in a unique way. Conclusion Architecture of any civilization is basically a journey of evolving economic, religious, cultural, and technological and life style changes reflective of the values, beliefs of that time. Bibliography John Burton Page, George Michell. Indian Islamic architecture:forms and topologies,sites and monuments. Denvers: Brill, Hotoei, 2008. McIntosh, Jane. The Ancient Indus Valley: new perspectives. California: ABC-CLIO, Inc , 2008. Subcontinent, India The Ancient Past: A History of Indian. Burjor Avari. New York: Routledge, 2007. William J. Duiker, Jackson J Speilvogel. The Essential World History. Belmont: Thompson Higher Education, 2008. Read More