Archive for September, 2010

Art in Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian art dates back five thousand years ago. This art was created by the Egyptians to show the history and story of the ancient Egyptians. Some of the most common elements in this art are the depiction of gods and pharaohs. One of the strategies the Egyptians used in their art was to increase the figure size based on how important the diety was.

Gods which were more important than other gods and goddesses were shown larger. Along with art portraying the pharaohs as larger than all the other elements in the piece. Religion was a large inspiration for Egyptian art. Much of the pieces out there were inspired by a god or goddess.

Pharaohs were also considered to be god-like or divine so they were common in Egyptian artwork.

Ancient Egyptian Art Time Periods

There are several time periods that are relevant concerning Egyptian art.

The Protodynastic period started around the year 3300 BC, and this Egyptian art period ended in 26990 BC.

The Predynastic period of Egyptian art also covers the time before the first Egyptian dynasty, and lasted up until 2680 BC. After this is the Old Kingdom period, which started in 2680 BC and lasted until 2258 BC.

Egyptian art from the Middle Kingdom period dates back to between 2134 BC and 1786 BC.

The New Kingdom time period started in 1570 BC and then ended in 1085 BC, and the Amarna period started in 1350 BC and was prevalent for thirty years until the year 1320 BC.

Ancient Egyptian art from the Ptolemaic period dates back to 332 BC and the year 30 BC.

Art from each of these time periods differ from what is found in other time periods. Some experts can even date a piece of art simply by examining it closely, and evaluating the style and characteristics used in the creation of the Egyptian art.

The Styles, Symbolism, And Characteristics Of Egyptian Art

Egyptian art was created following strict rules concerning forms and the three dimensional representations of these.

The elements of nature and life were depicted on the art exactly as these were seen by the artist. The ancient Egyptians preferred art that was complete down to the smallest detail, instead of creating works that were intended to be merely beautiful or highly cosmetic.

The lines of the artwork are very elementary, clear, and cleanly done. Egyptian art also combines simple depictions of shapes and colored areas which are flat and stand out.

The size of the characters carried importance due to the larger figures being more superior to the smaller ones in this art. Colors were used to symbolize specific meanings.

Green and blue were used to show life and the Nile River, the source of life for the ancient Egyptians. The colour red in ancient Egypt was used to show power and strength.

Yellow was used to honor or represent the sun god. Animals were also important and were very popular in ancient Egyptian art. Because Egypt has dry air, what Egyptian art that’s been recovered is in excellent condition. The colors and pictures still bright and visible today after thousands of years.

Ancient Egyptian Art Forms

There are many different forms used in Egyptian art. Papyrus was a popular one that was used. Papyrus is also one of the earliest forms of paper used by the Egyptians.

Almost all aspects of the Egyptian society can be found written on papyrus texts.

Pottery was another form used in Egyptian art. Many burial chambers have housed numerous pieces of pottery for the afterlife.

Sculpture was another art form practiced in ancient Egypt. Many art pieces from this time have hieroglyphics included on them. Hieroglyphic writing is a highly collected art for Egyptian collectors.

Paintings, literature, and funerary art were also popular forms of ancient Egyptian art.

Ancient Egyptian Art Today

Egyptian art is incorporated into most cultures. You can travel to popular furniture stores and find a few pieces, or another niche hobby stores. Flea markets are a great place to check out to find one of a kind pieces.

But, if you’re looking for something specific and don’t have the funds to travel to Egypt, shopping online is a great alternative.

To find out more check out Ancient Egyptian Art. Or visit my website about Ancient Egypt.

All About Ancient Egypt Mummies

Ancient Egypt mummies are an interesting topic. The mummies are extremely well preserved and show us a part of history. Why did the Egyptians use mummification, and how do the bodies stay so preserved?

Mummification was performed because the Egyptians believed that the soul had three separate parts. If any of these three parts died or was left without the others then all three of the parts would die.

Ancient Egypt mummies were created with the intent of keeping the soul of the individual together for the afterlife. The process of mummification took a lot of time and effort. But it was done so the body would not decay in the afterlife.

Ancient Egypt Mummies And Animals

Ancient Egypt mummies were not just for humans. Cats were popular to mummify. It is also believed that other animals may have also been preserved this way. Cats were sacred to the ancient Egyptians, and were often mummified.

Priests and Mummification

Only priests were allowed to create ancient Egypt mummies. Specific steps were closely followed during the mummification process.

Mummification priests were highly trained, and the ritual aspects of the process were just as important as the surgical techniques used at the time. Priests could not create mummies in temples. Instead this ritual process had to be performed at a Wabet, which was a very clean location situated away from the population and outside of the town.

Anubis And Ancient Egypt Mummies

Anubis was the patron god for surgeons and healers, and during the process of mummification a mask of Anubis was worn by the head priest. The
Egyptians believed that Anubis would guide the priests not only in the ritual but also the surgical part of the mummification. The start of the mummification process involved the priest making delicate cuts. Precision and a high degree of skill were required, because the Egyptians believed if the body was scarred or damaged, the soul would not recognize it.

And if this was ever to happen, the soul would be forced to wander forever.

The Mummification Process

In ancient Egypt, mummies were created in a series of steps. Cutting into the left section of the abdomen where the ribs are, was the first part of the ritual. A special ritual knife was used to make this first incision, but all the remaining cuts were done using a regular knife. The organs were than removed from the abdomen and placed in special pottery called canopic jars. These containers were written with spells to help the organs join the body again. The liver, intestine, stomach and lungs were preserved.

Preserving Ancient Egypt Mummies

Ancient Egypt mummies were preserved almost perfectly each time.
The process started with the brain, which was taken out through the nose of the individual and then discarded.

A funnel was used to guide resin through the nostrils after the brain was removed, to preserve the head shape and prevent any collapse.
All of the body parts were kept, and either preserved to stay with the body or given away to family.

Ancient Egypt Mummies Kept Their Heart

The hearts of the ancient Egypt mummies were never removed. Egyptians believed you needed your heart because Anubis weighed it in the underworld.

The heart needed to be weighed because it helped guide the soul of the ancient Egyptian mummy.

Other Steps that Ancient Egypt Mummies Went Through

During the final steps of the mummification process, spices and natron salt were used to dry out the body and organs.

A mixture of these ingredients were packed into the body and rubbed into the skin.
Ancient Egypt mummies took time to make, the entire process took about two and a half months to complete.

Over time the body would dry into leather without decaying, and the priests would continue to rub the spices and salt all over the skin.

Wrappings For Ancient Egypt Mummies

Once the mummification ritual and process was complete, the preserved individual was completely wrapped up.
Linen was the cloth of choice; the quality of the linen would depend on the status of the individual.

Every ancient Egyptian mummy was given a death mask, as a second head in case the original was damaged.
The wrappings of the mummies would also include amulets which were believed to be powerful.

Ancient Egypt Mummy Tags

Each mummy created in ancient Egypt was given a tag.
The tag was used as an identification necklace. This ensured the the ancient Egypt mummies could be identified and properly entombed.

To find out more about ancient Egypt – the life and culture, check out Ancient Egypt.

The largest religious denominations continued to amass more wealth and it was due to the fact that the 20th century brought the most dramatic cultural, social and economic changes. By the 1930s more converts were coming to the black Baptist churches than to the white Baptist churches, however curious this may seem. As a matter of fact, the largest movements were not significantly affected by the Great Depression of the 1930s and they became more economically stable and independent. One of the most significant changes that were the result of the World War II and the Great Depression was the decline of the sharecropping system, which affected both blacks and whites and had a revolutionary contribution as the nation’s social system became more stable. It is important to realize that both blacks and whites called for termination to racial injustice, as the horrors of World War II only worsened the tragedy arising from racial hatred. This meant a lot of learned people would be required in the fight for end of racial segregation, so in Atlanta, for instance, the services of the Atlanta Certified Translation Centers were some of the most sought after, as they were expected to instruct the church members into being successful in international communication.

The social order specifically designed by God could be maintained by both rivals and supporters of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, which started and later shaped up as a religious movement. In the middle of the 20th century America was experiencing its most painful moral struggle and was in bad need of spiritual leadership, but neither the white nor the black churches had the capacity to provide it. Eventually, after lots of blood was shed and terror was exercised the days of racial injustice seemed to have ended as the principle of Christian equality won. As mentioned earlier the evangelical Protestants are the largest religious group, but there were also members of non-evangelical religious groups that represented other belief systems – Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and Mormons. New York was one of the major cities which was chosen by immigrants who first entered the U.S. and as most of them came from Europe this was one of the reasons why so many religious groups were established. As most of them had come to search for happiness without knowing the language the had to be assisted in order to get integrated into the new world and the Chicago Translation Association were the best in this business. Jewish and Catholics were the largest of these groups as they brought their religion along with their customs, traditions and language. And even though these two groups were often persecuted, their religion helped them overcome their status of outsiders.

The movement of Mormons was a non-conformist one but they were not able to challenge the existing racial traditions. Some African-American activists took interest in Islam and established a Nation of Islam movement in the early 1960s in Houston. The Houston Translation Servicess Cooperative were instrumental in translating the Koran and other significant Islamic works, which should be used as a basis for the introduction of the new members to the churches. The economic, cultural and social changes played a significant role in the expansion of the fundamentalism in the churches – a process that has been going on since the 1970s. Evangelical Christianity still continues to dominate the nation’s religious life at the beginning of the 21st century although many important debates – over abortion, public prayer at school and homosexuality – have been put forward by the other churches.

Three Ways to Save Fossil Fuels

We should all be thinking about ways to save fossil fuels by reducing our heavy dependency upon them. Fossil fuels have become such a part of our lives, that it is often difficult to picture a world without them, but one day this will be a reality.

This makes it very important to look for ways to save fossil fuels or use alternative energy sources so that we no longer need to use them. These fuels are a non renewable resource, found deep within the bowels of our planet. Once we extract them, they are not replaced, ever. 1

There are some ways to save fossil fuels and to move away from their use that we can all work on each and every day.

1. Think about your car and your daily use of it. Is your car an older car that consumes a lot of gas? If so, you may consider purchasing an updated, more fuel efficient vehicle, or a vehicle that runs on an alternative fuel source, other than fossil fuels. 1
2. Consider alternative sources for heating your home, other than oil. There are far more efficient methods of heating and cooling your home, including geothermal systems and heat exchange units which are also very energy efficient. For more information visit Fossil Fuel
3. Look into alternative ways to produce electricity in your home, other than your local electrical company. These methods can include the installation of solar panels and wind turbines. These are two very good ways of harnessing natural, renewable energy and also saving a lot of money in the process. For more information visit Fossil Fuels South Africa

Making many of these choices on our own and working towards reducing our overall carbon footprint is crucial, before those choices are made for us. Most people think we have endless resources, but the truth is that if we do not smarten up and start to conserve resources and non renewable fuels, we will run into a lot of problems in the future.

Article done by Hans_Chia Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hans_Chia

THERE is an alliterative saying I learnt in the Air Force: Prior Preparation Prevents Pretty Poor Performance.3

The 6P Rule is central to many things, especially those requiring structure and excellent organisation. Why? Because if you don’t get it right, every one of the participants will know you have dropped the ball.3

The first necessity is to know exactly what you want; will you provide lunch, include accommodation, include freebies such as brief cases, package the conference with discount airfares, hire cars and a trip to a local tourism venue? What about spouses and partners, will they be included? Once you know exactly what you want … and it’s a sound idea to contact several venue providers to ask what they will do for what cost, make sure you have a written agreement about:

-what you want
-when you want it
-where it will happen at what cost
-who will carry out the various roles/activities
-what will happen if something goes wrong (contingency plan)

Once you have agreed what you want and the venue provider has agreed to provide it, you are on your way. Or are you? You aren’t, because there is much more to do … like communicating with the intended participants … the reason for the conference. For more information please visit conference speakers South Africa.

You need to be explicit in what the conference offers, how people nominate and pay, when it will start and so on. In fact what you should do … mentally, is think through the various ways and options for people to attend. Go through each step and ask yourself, ‘What happens here, how will it be handled?’

Imagine yourself writing a cheque to pay your nomination … where will you send it, what will happen once it is received? By doing this mental thing, you can identify ‘fail points’, which may prevent embarrassment and inefficiencies somewhere down the track. For example, incorrect payee details on a cheque will require you to contact the sender and have another cheque raised … all valuable time and resources wasted.

Make sure participants are fully aware of what they are expected to do and what you, the organiser will do. Don’t allow any room for errors. For more information please visit business speakers South Africa.

Some specific points to watch for are:

When you arrange food, such as lunch and morning and afternoon tea, make sure you know what size and composition the food portions are. If necessary get photos – ask for descriptions or have a look at what you are buying. It’s easy to buy sandwiches for 250 and find that the last 50 people don’t get a sandwich because the first 200 took too many. Nothing is more off-putting to clients than missing out on food or receiving what they consider small portions. Make sure you know what you are paying for and that you get it on the day (quality control!)
Ensure everyone knows where and when sessions are and how to find them (provide a map) or written instructions
If spouses and partners are accompanying members, consider arranging some discounted prices for meals, car hire, trips etc – you can ask for a commission
If you are presenting, make sure you know what technology will be available and that your version of software is compatible – have a contingency plan for technology just in case it fails at the critical moment. Tell other presenters what is available
Some of the little things matter; catering for vegetarians, ensuring water jugs are sitting on something that will absorb condensation so that participants don’t get droplets of water on their paperwork or clothes, seat comfort, adequate breaks, good airconditioning or heating, no distractions from outside noise etc
Finally, when people book their attendance, send them a letter confirming accommodation, specific events for which they are booked, timings, and give them a contact number of someone who can handle last minute cancellations, changes or problems that arise

The secret to successful conference organisation is good planning and meticulous attention to detail. If you aren’t a ‘detail’ person, think about hiring a conference organiser who is or get a conference planning checklist and use it.For more information please visit celebrity speakers South Africa.

Copyright 2006 Robin Henry | First published Jan 2006

Original article done by: Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_Henry

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