Instructions for Wiki Project
TheHumanTiesWiki
: RESEARCH PROJECT
Project Description &
Instructions
Course Assignment/Text-Based
Interaction
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Background
This project is an adventure in cultural exploration, focused on
examininghard evidence(objectsof creativity,
among which are artwork, buildings, and technological products). In this
examination, you will play the role ofcultural detective, using
those objects (from this point forward designated asartifacts) to
find out or speculate about the meaning
(which could be referred to as
themotive)the items had for their creators and to generalize
observations about creativity and artistic expression, applicable to a
diversity of human groups throughout time.
Task
The activity's core task is, for each of the two wiki pages that make up the
project, to chooseoneartifact representative of the cultures
and civilizations covered in this course and to examine it, following provided
templates.
In sum, you will be creating
two wiki pages, with one artifact chosen for each, for a total of two artifacts
explored for the semester.
Process
To put together the project, you will use thewikitool in
Blackboard (which you are already accessing here).
Using thistool, you will createtwo
wikipages with text
and images. You are provided with two
template
wiki pages that will give
you a model of what I expect and the basic format for your pages. In creating
each page, you will replace the text and picture of the template with your own,
while keeping the headings and paragraph structure.
For thisHumanTiesWiki,
you will be placed in a group with a partner, who, for each one of you, will be
me. This is so you and I can do collaborative work on thewiki. Naturally,
you will have the leading part, but I will intervene by providing the models,
suggesting modifications, inserting remarks into our sharedwikipage
and, in general, helping you sharpen your investigation.
MUST
USE THE HUMANITIES: CULTIURE, CONTINUITY & CHANGE FOURTH EDITION BY HENRY M.
SAYRE.
To create the wikipages,
use the two templates provided along with this instructions page. Do not edit
this page and do not create new wiki pages.
The due dates for each deliverable appear in the
Course Calendar
link in Blackboard.
Resources
The two artifacts you choose must come from figures
included
in any of the chapters (1-13) of the textbook, covered in this
course.
For this project, you may not, obviously, use the same
artifact I've chosen as an example.
As well, do not use any artifact you have already analyzed in
the discussion forums.
Lastly, do not use the following artifacts:
The Pyramid Complex at Giza (Egypt; Chapter
3)
The Sphinx at the same complex and same
chapter
The Minoan Snake Goddess (Chapter 4)
The Capitoline Wolf with Romulus and Remus
(Rome; Chapter 6)
You will refer to those images by using standard MLA style
citations, including figure and page numbers. A model for these citations
is provided in the included templates.
You will also include actual images (graphics)
corresponding
to the textbook figures of the chosen artifact. The picture of your
artifact will replace, obviously, the one displayed in the template.
However,
do not use the same picture displayed in the textbook.
Rather,
look up an online image of the same artifact, but with a
different
angle, zoom level, or other visual features
that will allow to see a
different
side
of the same object. Those images should be obtained
from the followingonlineart repositories:
ARTstor
http://library.artstor.org/library/welcome.html
ArtResource
http://www.artres.com/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3&VF=ARTHO1_3_VForm
WikimediaCommons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
National Geographic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
Websites of reputable museums (for
example, theBritish Museum,http://www.britishmuseum.org/,
theLouvre Museum,http://www.louvre.fr/en, or
theSmithsonian,
http://www.si.edu/Exhibitions
)
In addition to thetextbook,which is
required for this research,you may use other print media
oronlineacademic resources to expand your research, provided
you cite them appropriately.
VERY
IMPORTANT TIP
:
Create
yourwikipagesoffline—before posting any entries into
the text editor supplied with the journal tool in Blackboard, use a word
processing application to create and save all worklocally(to
your computer or storage device) so that you have an automatic backup copy of
all your work. This is a critical survival measure in the event that the
Blackboard server goes down and previously submitted data
isirretrievablylost. Bear in mind that, even in the case of an
outage involving data loss, participants in the course are still required to keep
up on all tasks and be prepared to submit work as soon as access is restored
.
Concluding Steps
-As you compose
yourwikientry, use thespellingandgrammar
checkingfeatures
of your word processor, making the necessary corrections.
-When you are finished
writing,rereadyourwikipage, making sure your
ideas are clear and coherently organized.
-Then, perform aword
countto ensure you are at or above the minimum of200words.
-Make sure to document all your
sources of information properly, including the textbook, followingMLA
standardswith in-textparenthetical citationsand
aWorks Citedsection at the end of the journal entry.
-Lastly, copy and paste your
work from the word processor file into thewikipage in Blackboard.
If you have trouble copying the desire image into the wiki page, please see the
Blackboard announcement
Tips for inserting images into a wiki
page. Make
any necessary format adjustments and post. Wait to receive input from the
instructor and respond to any requests for elaboration, touch-ups, or alternate
research paths.
WIKI PAGE 1
Modify
this template page by
removing this paragraph
and
replacing the sample image and text but do NOT remove the title, section
headings (in bold) or the questions in bulleted points included in the
template. Remember to cite all your sources both with in-text parenthetical
citations and a Works Cited section at the end. This extends to the textbook.
To modify a page, rather than creating a new one, click the
Edit Wiki
Content
button.
To
distinguish between the three sections these ideas may help:
The "text'
section is about describing the artifact; this is easily done by responding
concretely to the questions shown in the model below. The context analysis
should not be about the object itself and all its physical features (that’s
what the “text” analysis does) but about how the culture (ideas, attitudes,
customs) of the people who built the artifact are reflected in it. The subtext
analysis is about how you relate to the deep or broad themes you identified in
the object. In sum,
the “text” analysis is about the artifact
the context, about the people who made/used it and the time
period in which it was made/used
the subtext, about the deeper meaning of
it, involving here connections with other periods (preferably the present)
and the reactions of the “researcher”
Name of artifact and figurecaption:
Fig.3.24. Back of
Tutankamun
's Golden Throne
from Sayre, Henry M.The Humanities: Culture, Continuity & Change.
2
nd
edition. 1. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2012. 88. Print.
Image from
online
source and caption
:
![Image result for royal throne tutankhamun]()
SCALA/ART
RESOURCE.
Tutankamen's Throne from Thebes
. 2006. Photograph.
ARTstor
, Florence/New York.
Web. 6
Sep
2012.
http
://library.
artstor
.
org
/library/welcome.
html
>
[NOTE: For your
choice of artifact, obviously you cannot select the one I used as a demo, not
should you use any of the artifacts you have used as examples in discussion
forums.]
"Text"
[In this section,
simply respond to the questions below, in the manner I did in the example
below.]
What
is the artifact?
Royal throne;
furniture
Who
made the artifact?
Egyptian
civilization, New Kingdom
When
was it made?
ca. 1335
BCE
Where
was it made?
It was found
in
Tutankamun’s
tomb in the Valley of Kings,
Western Thebes.
Why
was it made?
As an item in
the royal treasure, this artifact had a ceremonial purpose as well as
being part of the display of power and luxury meant to accompany the king
in the afterlife.
How
was it made (process or technology,
materials, style, etc.)?
Carved and decorated; gold,
semiprecious stones, wood, and glazed earthenware;
Amarna
style
Context
[Again, here,
describe briefly the historical and cultural setting of the artifact.]
This work of art is
in the
Amarna
style, which focuses on realism. Egyptians focused more on
realism than perfection or idealism in these times. Their belief in the
perfection of their gods has changed, so they used realism in their art instead
of the formerly used idealism (Sayre 3.4). In this carved image,
Aten
, the sun god,
shines down on King
Tutankamun
and his wife (Sayre 2.4). This means
that the king has been blessed by the gods and that his kingdom will be safe.
This image shows that Egyptians believed that their gods blessed and protected
them. It also shows that the king was under the protection of the gods that he
worshiped.
Subtext/Symbolic
(Metaphorical) Thinking
[Here, write about what YOU think the object may represent
at a deep level, and your reaction to it. Write in first person, as I did in
the second paragraph of this section.]
This artifact
reinforces the fact that Egyptians believed in supernaturalism. It represents a
direct connection between divine power and royal power. Through this
connection, the temporal power of the Egyptians rulers (their political sway
exercised in the earthly sphere, so to speak) is expanded to a supernatural
dimension, as it is sanctioned, bestowed, and backed by a god figure,
Aten
, in this case.
This linkage can go as far as to confer divine status on the ruler himself.
Furthermore, the symbolic effect of the throne, by itself an icon of exalted
position in numerous cultures throughout history, is, in this example, lavishly
augmented with the visual language of wealth and dominion, including the materials
(gold, semiprecious stones), the lion heads, and the garments worn by the human
figures. The fact that the throne was found in the king's tomb establishes yet
another relationship with the theme of supernaturalism, as it reflects the
Ancient Egyptians' conception of the afterlife, a cornerstone of their complex
belief system
To me, as a
cultural detective, this piece of evidence represents a finding of exceeding
value for our case. I believe it allows us to peek into the life of characters
central to our understanding of this civilization through a snapshot of
familial dynamics that speak both of
tradition
and significant
change
. It is precisely
that strong paradoxical aspect what makes this artifact so special for our
research. The feminine hand reaching out and touching a royal shoulder is
certainly a most eloquent signal of quite a singular historical moment.
Work Cited
Sayre, Henry M.
The Humanities: Culture,
Continuity and Change.
Tulsa Community College Custom 1e ed.,
combined vols 1 & 2, Pearson. Electronic.