Discussion Questions for Ancient Egypt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOUjDIX37o4 1. The Egyptian style of the human body lasted 3,000 years. Why do you think that Egyptians depicted the human body this way and why was it never changed?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yxn7ECkNOQ
2. What is the significance of Egyptian statues and Pyramids? How were the pyramids created and what did they symbolize?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWvr_8mk6iQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZe3sqvDSEc 3. Why was the art of mummification created? What were the bandages made out of? What is the significance of the rock-like shaped images that were put in certain areas of the mummies bodies? What do they symbolize?
1. Egyptians portrayed the human body in a way which was to show each part from its clearest angle. The chest was portrayed frontally so as to demonstrate its “v” shape while the face is shown from a profile view, although the eyes look straight on. Legs and feet are also shown sideways. The style lasted 3000 years and hasn't changed because of the grid system found on an unfinished wall of the tomb of a priest named Ramose which served as a template for each work. There, the figure was 19 squares tall, the feet 2.5 squares long and the pupils are one square off the center line. This grid was applied to other pieces all over Egypt and was found that they all fit the grid. Clearly, Egyptian societies did not want the portrayed image to change as they were about preservation.
2. The significance of Egyptian statues were that those located in tombs serve as a proxy to the Pharaoh should the mummy become damaged as well as to watch over the mummy inside of the tomb. Statues known as ushabti are significant because they are said to take your place in the next world as workers on your behalf. The significance of the pyramids is that they served as a tomb to the pharaoh and a passage through to the afterlife.
Pyramids were built by