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Office Hours
M & W 12:30 - 1:30 in the CHC or Classroom
proframsey@rocketmail.com
proframsey@rocketmail.com
3A Assignments
Will be revised as necessary:
Week 1
Introduction: Syllabus & Blog
Craig: Chapter 1
Week2
Neolithic man - Mesopotamia & Asia
Craig: Chapter 1
Quiz 1 & 2
Week 3
Revolutionary Thought & Religion
Craig: Chapter 2
Egypt Video 1-10
Quiz 3
Week 4
Greek Influence
Craig: Chapter 3
Quiz 4
Week 5
Looking at Asia and Africa
Craig: Chapter 4 - 5
Quiz 5
Week 6
The Roman World
Craig: Chapter 6
Week 7
The East
Craig: Chapter 7,8,9
Midterm
Week 8
The East, Persia and Islam
Craig: Chapter 10, 11
Blog Links on Persia
Quiz 6,7,8
Week 9
(Memorial Day)
Byzantine & Europe
Craig: Chapter 12
Quiz 9
Week 10
Native American Empires
Craig: Chapter 14
Quiz 10
Midterm 2
Week 11
FINAL PROJECT/DEBATES
Week 12
FINALS WEEK
Week 1
Introduction: Syllabus & Blog
Craig: Chapter 1
Week2
Neolithic man - Mesopotamia & Asia
Craig: Chapter 1
Quiz 1 & 2
Week 3
Revolutionary Thought & Religion
Craig: Chapter 2
Egypt Video 1-10
Quiz 3
Week 4
Greek Influence
Craig: Chapter 3
Quiz 4
Week 5
Looking at Asia and Africa
Craig: Chapter 4 - 5
Quiz 5
Week 6
The Roman World
Craig: Chapter 6
Week 7
The East
Craig: Chapter 7,8,9
Midterm
Week 8
The East, Persia and Islam
Craig: Chapter 10, 11
Blog Links on Persia
Quiz 6,7,8
Week 9
(Memorial Day)
Byzantine & Europe
Craig: Chapter 12
Quiz 9
Week 10
Native American Empires
Craig: Chapter 14
Quiz 10
Midterm 2
Week 11
FINAL PROJECT/DEBATES
Week 12
FINALS WEEK
Class Policies
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. During each class meeting class work, a quiz, or test will be given. If you miss this work you are counted as absent. Quizzes cannot be made up. If you miss more than four classes, you will be dropped. If you stop attending class after the official drop date, I will have to fail you. If you intend to drop it is your responsibility to do so before the official deadline.Class Etiquette and
Participation
Class participation is required. There will be many opportunities to discuss material in class and to dialogue with other students when appropriate. There will be class work, quizzes and written work that cannot be made up if you are not in class.You must have your reading done before you come to class. If you do not, you will be asked to sit in the back and finish your reading and will not be able to take the quiz for that day. You will also be expected to make comments on the class blog about your reading assignments, the lectures or films seen in class or as related to homework.No food or drinks in the classroom. No cell phones. You will be asked to leave if you bring a cell phone, PDA or any other electronic device that is a distraction.You will be expected to follow DeAnza’s College official policy of mutual respect.
ADA Statement
If you require reasonable accommodations because of a physical, mental, or learning disability, please notify the instructor of this course within the first two weeks of class.
Class Work/Homework/Blog Comments/Final Project
Class work will be assigned and done in class either individually or in groups. It cannot be made up if it is missed. Homework is rare, but when assigned is due the next class day and late work will not be accepted. Periodically you will be required to make comments on articles, videos clips or other material posted on the blog. This is a form of class participation and you will be graded on it.
The Final Project is an ongoing assignment which will be due toward the end of the quarter and will be discussed more in class.
Cheating
PlagiarismAccording to the MLA Handbook, “To use another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the sources is to plagiarize. Plagiarism, then, constitutes intellectual theft.” (p 30)If you do not follow DeAnza’s Colllege official policy of academic integrity you will be failed from the course and turned into the college.
CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM will not be tolerated.
Quizzes and Tests
There will be two exams given in this course, one midterm and one final. There will be ten quizzes. Missed quizzes due to tardiness or absenteeism will result in a ‘zero’ grade for that particular quiz and may not be made up.
Late Work/Missed Exams
I do not accept late work. I do not allow for makeup exams, unless you speak with me personally before the exam date.You may not take the final early. Missed quizzes cannot be made up.
Grading
The course grading will be determined as follows:
Midterm 150
Quizzes 100
Class work 50
Blog comments 50
Project 100
Final 150
Total Possible 600
100 – 98% = A+
97 – 93% = A
92 – 90% = A-
89 – 88% =B+
87 – 83% =B
83 – 80% =B-
79 – 78% =C+
77 – 70% =C
69 – 68% =C-
67 – 63% = D
62 – 60 % = D-
59 % and below = F
All percentages will be rounded down. Example: 79.8 = 79% or a C. (See Extra Credit.) No emailed assignments unless requested by the instructor.
Extra Credit
Every student begins the semester with 20 extra credit points. You may keep these points by attending class. Ten points are lost for each absence. If you have extra credit attendance points at the end of the semester, this is to your advantage. The rounding down policy will not apply to you - your grade percentage for the course will be rounded up (74.5 is 75 but 74.4 is still 74).
Blog& Office Hours
The class blog is:
http://www.womeninamericanhistorywithramsey.blogspot.com/CHECK the blog regularly.
FOLLOW THE BLOG. I will update assignments, post notes for PP or lectures, share information, post grades and do a myriad of other things that you will be responsible for knowing.If you ask me about quizzes, assignments, tests, study guides, homework, etc. I will only respond: Check the BLOG.
Comments
You will also be required to make comments on the blog, as discussed in class. If you need to reach me, email me at: proframsey@rocketmail.com OR schedule an appointment during my office hours M-Th from 10 – 10:30.
Attendance is mandatory. During each class meeting class work, a quiz, or test will be given. If you miss this work you are counted as absent. Quizzes cannot be made up. If you miss more than four classes, you will be dropped. If you stop attending class after the official drop date, I will have to fail you. If you intend to drop it is your responsibility to do so before the official deadline.Class Etiquette and
Participation
Class participation is required. There will be many opportunities to discuss material in class and to dialogue with other students when appropriate. There will be class work, quizzes and written work that cannot be made up if you are not in class.You must have your reading done before you come to class. If you do not, you will be asked to sit in the back and finish your reading and will not be able to take the quiz for that day. You will also be expected to make comments on the class blog about your reading assignments, the lectures or films seen in class or as related to homework.No food or drinks in the classroom. No cell phones. You will be asked to leave if you bring a cell phone, PDA or any other electronic device that is a distraction.You will be expected to follow DeAnza’s College official policy of mutual respect.
ADA Statement
If you require reasonable accommodations because of a physical, mental, or learning disability, please notify the instructor of this course within the first two weeks of class.
Class Work/Homework/Blog Comments/Final Project
Class work will be assigned and done in class either individually or in groups. It cannot be made up if it is missed. Homework is rare, but when assigned is due the next class day and late work will not be accepted. Periodically you will be required to make comments on articles, videos clips or other material posted on the blog. This is a form of class participation and you will be graded on it.
The Final Project is an ongoing assignment which will be due toward the end of the quarter and will be discussed more in class.
Cheating
PlagiarismAccording to the MLA Handbook, “To use another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the sources is to plagiarize. Plagiarism, then, constitutes intellectual theft.” (p 30)If you do not follow DeAnza’s Colllege official policy of academic integrity you will be failed from the course and turned into the college.
CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM will not be tolerated.
Quizzes and Tests
There will be two exams given in this course, one midterm and one final. There will be ten quizzes. Missed quizzes due to tardiness or absenteeism will result in a ‘zero’ grade for that particular quiz and may not be made up.
Late Work/Missed Exams
I do not accept late work. I do not allow for makeup exams, unless you speak with me personally before the exam date.You may not take the final early. Missed quizzes cannot be made up.
Grading
The course grading will be determined as follows:
Midterm 150
Quizzes 100
Class work 50
Blog comments 50
Project 100
Final 150
Total Possible 600
100 – 98% = A+
97 – 93% = A
92 – 90% = A-
89 – 88% =B+
87 – 83% =B
83 – 80% =B-
79 – 78% =C+
77 – 70% =C
69 – 68% =C-
67 – 63% = D
62 – 60 % = D-
59 % and below = F
All percentages will be rounded down. Example: 79.8 = 79% or a C. (See Extra Credit.) No emailed assignments unless requested by the instructor.
Extra Credit
Every student begins the semester with 20 extra credit points. You may keep these points by attending class. Ten points are lost for each absence. If you have extra credit attendance points at the end of the semester, this is to your advantage. The rounding down policy will not apply to you - your grade percentage for the course will be rounded up (74.5 is 75 but 74.4 is still 74).
Blog& Office Hours
The class blog is:
http://www.womeninamericanhistorywithramsey.blogspot.com/CHECK the blog regularly.
FOLLOW THE BLOG. I will update assignments, post notes for PP or lectures, share information, post grades and do a myriad of other things that you will be responsible for knowing.If you ask me about quizzes, assignments, tests, study guides, homework, etc. I will only respond: Check the BLOG.
Comments
You will also be required to make comments on the blog, as discussed in class. If you need to reach me, email me at: proframsey@rocketmail.com OR schedule an appointment during my office hours M-Th from 10 – 10:30.
Followers
Blog Archive
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- PP Notes Olmec, Ancient America
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- Egypt 10/10
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- Egypt 8/10
- Egypt 7/10
- Video 6/10
- Egypt Video 5/10
- Egypt Video 4/10
- Egypt Video 3/10
- Egypt Video 2/10
- Egypt Video 1
- Quiz 1 & 2
- PP Notes Egypt
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- The Code of Hammurabi [18th Century BCE]
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The engineering feats that the Egyptians made are simply amazing. What really is impressive to me are how they managed to dig out the tombs under ground, and in the mountain sides,
ReplyDeleteI am amazed that nothing can compare to egyptian empire..every empire has it up and down, its rises and falls but for egypt, it was up and the most power empire for more than 3000 years now can any other super power beat that???
ReplyDeleteSometimes the history channel makes me feel groggy, but i kind of stayed awake for this. It was interesting to know that by trial and error over a few hundred years some managed to perfect the pyramid construct. It was kind of funny to know how organized they were. Djoser administered about ten thousand men to work on his pyramid, and housed them with barracks, 55 men per barrack. I would assume the area that surrounded the pyramid was vast, sort of like an army base you would see now.
ReplyDeleteThe Bent Pyramid was good to see, knowing attempts to make pyramid building were made. And i think my favorite Sneferu, as described he was kinder, sort of, to his workers by connecting to them completely while building the pyramid.
The architecture of the ancient Egyptians is absolutely amazing! They were able to overcome so many obstacles! I was also amazed by the reign of Queen Hapshetsut. She went to great lengths to prolong her reign as Pharaoh! even though it ended sadly, she managed to do great things for her country.
ReplyDeleteRamsses II seems like he was a legend during this time of Egyptian civilization. Playing the role of a Pharaoh and living as one looks like it would be pretty exhausting. The amount of children Ramsses had was outragous. But its fascinating to see how the royal bloodlines are carried on generation to generation in the dynasty families. The ways of the egyptains of that time were tradtional and very interesting.
ReplyDeleteHad at least 21 children by 21!! That shows how different our cultures are . The most interesting part of this history channel video was learning more about the pharos Hatshepsut .Her building projects are amazing especially Djeser-Djeseru project!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I am kind of jealous. The Egyptians are even more manly than even Arnold. They never use any sort of machine (by machine, I mean modern tech), they are master engineers, and can build fantastic monuments.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that's in order to feed the egos on the pharaohs. Perhaps the greatest pharaohs were the ones who made these grand structures.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNever knew how much the Egyptians were such perfectionists. They would even go as far as to build three pyramids if the first two were no good, despite economical problems that comes with it.
ReplyDeleteWhat surprises me even more was how there was a female pharaoh who would dress as a man to keep her reign over Egypt.
The whole structure that they come up with is really interesting. Also the fact that they have a whole tumb for there barial and belongings for their afterlife is unique.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteramsey the great seemed like he was really into himself. having a temple with tons of statues of yourself seem like a bit much. but what is really romantic is that he had many statues of his wife too and she was as tall as he was, much tells us that he was really in love with her. you would think that if you were king you would be with girl after girl. well he did have many kids with many women but that was just to have more kids, i guess he didnt love them, only his queen. the egyptians are an amazing culture and i would love to have lived in that time to see what they had to live like.
ReplyDeleteBuilding more than one pyramid for the need to reach "personal" perfection seems a bit selfish, but the outcome of these architectural designs is phenomenal. If Amenhotep IV was such a dreadful ruler, than why wasn't he overruled? It seems like the only good that came out of his rule was the newly- developed methods of transporting smaller bricks vs. the larger building blocks, that made building much more efficient.
ReplyDeleteThis is Hillary I'm not sure why it won't let me sign in with an account that has my name in the username but oh well.
ReplyDeleteI found these videos very interesting, especially how the Pharaohs were seen by their subjects. For instance it seemed that sometimes when the leaders considered themselves gods, once they were dead their subjects defaced their images and didn't seem too fond of them but when the leader was considered a god by his people he was greatly respected. I also found it interesting to find out how the pyramids were made to be so smooth and even
Haha I swear I've seen this a million times now. Good stuff.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, and Ramses is a badass.
Those pyramids were MASSIVE! I can only imagine how much strength and labor was needed to pull on of those stones up, especially too the top. I also love how the no one knows how they got to the top of the pyramid. The evidence to the ramps were completely destroyed and that amazed me. The underground tombs were also insane; since it has to be dug out and everything. I'm still flabbergasted by this video!
ReplyDeleteIf ancient Egypt had survived through these millenniums, could they have conquered the entire world? Or would Greece. Rome and Asia be as advanced as them?
ReplyDeletei enjoyed learning about Ramses. His temple was great. It was interesting to learn that in his temple there are pictures of himself as a man worshipping himself as a god. Nefertari's temple was cool in that her statue was just as tall as her husband the king.
ReplyDeleteTimothy Mohnhaupt is my name- sorry
ReplyDeleteThis video was very informative and interesting. The pharoah Hapshepshut was interesting because she was a female pharoah that dressed as a man in order to hide her feminin characteristics. Ramesses II was also interesting because he fathered over 100 children and had about 17 wives. Egypt was also responsible for the world's first dam to protect its city from annual flooding from the Nile. I was also blown away by their engineering advancement without any help from technology. Egypt was truely the world's greatest civilization.
ReplyDeleteIts amazing that Abu Simbel was moved due to flooding. That is quite an engineering feat!
ReplyDeletei wonder how long it took to actually build a pyramid? i mean i seen videos on it before but never really knew. Egypt is one crazy place, would like to go there too see everything first hand then in just a video.
ReplyDeleteThe way the Nile took over the land and flood influenced the people. People lost their fields and disaster hit. The human labor it took to build and to fail is too bad. The mindset of the people those days when thinking they were going to build something was crazy compared to our thinking today.
ReplyDeleteTransportation by river was used for many things. The tombs that were made were amazing. Yet the idea of putting the bathrooms and other belonging of thiers was a unique idea. The first stone structure was another amazing structure. The idea of having woman and men drafted to build his tomb is another unique but good idea looking ahead.
His tomb was made in a unique way also. The process of the after life was thought out by having two tombs. Serving two purposes was really thought out, one for his organs, and the other for his wrapped up body. The structure of the tomb is confusing and others have been known for getting lost in there. A lot was put into the tombs for him and he had much power.
The architecture was all about trial and error. It’s interesting how they started one structure and realized that it wouldn’t work so moved onto another location with a different plan. Also the little part about marriage between bloodlines and how it worked back then is very interesting.
The work that was put into the first true pyramid paid off in the end when looking at the trial and error part. Because of this pyramid it took part on how his successors took on architecture.
The fortress was greatly made and was made with much thought that defense was an important aspect. Hatshepsut had a good amount of power considering she was a woman. I think its interesting how she changed the way she looked to really look the part.
Hatshepsut went out of her way to really claim that she wanted to keep her power rather than giving it over to the rightful ruler. The architecture and symbolism that was used is interesting. The use of the Nile River was used in many ways and one of the ways was to transport architecture. the fact that no one knows really what happened to her is a great mystery and I’m curious to know what happened.
The more history goes on the better ideas come up or more unique it gets. The new city that he made is unique just by how it was built and him and his family being put in the middle of it. Everything had a purpose to its building. Whether the purpose is religion, or just a special place to meet people. the power eventually faded.
It’s interesting to hear that it took a while for them to master the interior space. It’s interesting to see the trial and error and the process of some of the architecture. Using the oil lamps to tell how much time has been put into the work is a unique way of time management. The idea of the secret staircase was amazing. The false tomb was a great idea leading to the secret staircase.
Wow, 17 wives and many many children was an amazing way to look at how their culture or morals were set. There was meaning behind the facts. Its cool how things are built and made in honor of important figures. It’s a shame that most of these temples built were buried in the sand. The construction was very unique and made in confidence.
Its very interesting how there was a pharoh Hatshepsut was the first woman to be pharoh. Throughout the tide of history there have been many woman in positions of absolute power. Cleopatra was not the first egyptian woman in power, deffinetly an interesting fact. Egypt had many different pharohs that all impacted the egyptian government structure in many ways. Pharoh DJoser pioneered the structure of the first "step Pyramid".
ReplyDeleteLike Bliss stated, it kind of took me aside to hear that Hatshepsut was able to reign as a Pharaoh in those times, centuries before Cleopatra. At least she had shown that she would attempt to overcome her feminine ways to rule as close to a man as she could. Her contributions to the society were also amazing; it is unfortunate that she had such a mysterious death, even though I am sure it was her stepson.
ReplyDeleteMy personal favorite contribution of Egypt overall would have to be the one built under the ruling of Setii. Not only did it hold all the original architecture of the previous tombs, but it also housed architectural intelligence, which was my selling point.
On a different note, the History channel seems a little hit or miss, but this one kept flowing, creating a very informative piece of work on Egypt.
I think all of this construction is amazing. That first dam around Memphis was brilliant especially since they lived based on the flooding of the Nile. Seeing the different phases of the pyramids from the mud huts to the step pyramids and finally the perfect pyramids was interesting. The tomb of Seti I, in the valley of the kings was breathtaking only to be followed by that monument for Ramesses III. Those were two of the most mind bogglingly brilliant pieces of construction, with the trap to catch robbers and the fake burial chamber for Seti and those huge statues for Ramesses. I can't believe they were able to construct something so detailed and perfect by hand without even a calculator. However, I have to say the amount of ego floating around in Egypt was probably nauseating with all of the pharaohs, but without it the empire wouldn't have lasted that long and the construction wouldn't have been so monumental.
ReplyDeleteGosh they were crazy in architecture and building. They did kinda have a giant ego. But to me they were the best civilization known to man, they were exactly like us just less advanced.
ReplyDelete-Christina Bishop
The great minds that live in Egypt were amazing, the building styles and the sizes are crazy. To know that they did this with just man power and great thinkers. I wish that the videos would have had more info, now all I have are more questions. I think that they were more advanced then we were a 100 years ago or more, considering the structures they built without any machines something to lift the huge rocks.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I have always been fascinated with Egyptian life. Their way of dressing was so elegant and they had this air about them that seems so enthralling, not to mention how professional they were with their artwork (another fascinating aspect of Egyptian history).
ReplyDeleteAstonishment is what pretty much overtook me when they built the dam to protect themselves from the Nile, not to mention that crazy style that they built pyramids and tombs. And people say that creativity can only go so far...
Nonetheless it brought pleasure to my ears when I heard that Hatsheput was the first female pharaoh who took power, Cleopatra succeeding afterward.
The way they preserved bodies was without a doubt ingenious. And sure, it was a lot of trial and error, but then again, what comes to perfection without trial and error?
The architecture designs in Egypt were crazy yes, but their art and way of designing tombs and ideas about the afterlife were on another level. The idea that the afterlife is like the present life practically begs to be thought about. And their gods are definitely one of the most well-known (in my opinion) gods besides the Greek gods.
The Egyptians were most definitely amazing and had great thinkers among them that flourished with creativity. If I was asked if I wanted to travel back in the past to any point in time, I think Egypt would be my first choice right off the bat (Olmecs and Greeks coming after).
Egyptian by far had excellent engineering skills when it came to building pyramids, tombs without the use of computers or machines. This video clearly points out the craftsmanship of Egyptians using labor and basic tools to build these massive building back in BCE era. Also, must have been a luxury to have 17 wives as a Pharaoh.
ReplyDeletewhat i thought was interesting in this video was the fact that Ramesses's queen Nefertari (spell check?) had a pyramid in honor of her, had 2 statues that were just as tall as Ramesses, and was considered a divinity just like he was. normally women are second class citizens, so to see her have the same status and godliness as Ramesses is neat because Ramesses was the most divine ruler of ancient egypt at the time.
ReplyDeletei went to the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland and watching these movies about tombs reminds me of that experience. It's so eerie with all that earth above you.
ReplyDeleteok... people who even think about having more than 10 children is deemed insane nowadays... (at least by me) it just shows you how different their way of life was... i mean maybe the being the richest guy in town helps but still... how many wives did that take because i highly doubt 1 would be able to sustain that much labor!! WOW thats just unbelievable...
ReplyDeletei really liked watching what it took to build the pyramids! they are just fascinating to me... simple by the first look but absolutely wicked when the process is broken down. and even more crazy they still exist after all that history after them. how did they do it?... those blocks are huge... its incomphrensible to me!
i really like how the egyptians idolized their Gods through art... made them tough enough to last thousands and thousands of year...
-s. arroyo
Wow, what a very interesting and informative documentary. By now Ramsey's bloodline must be in the millions. It is a common question asked today by today's upper society, "how will you be remembered and not forgotten?" Well, these Egyptian pharaohs sure make it hard to forget. With massive architectural innovations to the conquering of nations, each landmark leaves a piece of history. It is documented through their carvings and they are immortalized through their sculptures.
ReplyDelete110 sons and just as many daughters? King Ramsey status is just like a god? And everyone in the family is a descendant of god? And Ramsey himself was a warrior and a descendant from warriors? That is pretty damm fascinating family at the age of 21.
ReplyDeleteI find that a story of Ramsey the 2nd about Ramsey the 2nd depicting Ramsey the 2nd a odd turn of events. People revered him so much that he has a temple/building carved into a mountain? That is a great welcoming building to the kingdom. Ramsey What a deity....
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAncient Egyptian architecture really impresses me. Building columns using mud as scaffolding was smart. And i found it interesting that Nefertari had her own shrine! Which really encompasses her power and her stature as the number one woman by Ramesses the Great, who from the sounds of it was a very respectable man.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm trying to wonder how recently in history the desire for many many children diminished, because almost everything we're been talking about in class, and with Ramses having 21 kids by 21 and then ending up with over 100 sons?? I know a lot of religions speak highly of fulfilling your "duty" by having hella kids.
ReplyDeleteAlso I will admit I have no idea that temple entrance in the wall of a mountain was about Ramses. Now I know!
Pretty crazy what got done without modern tools. I guess with the right motivation a lot can get done!
ReplyDelete-Paul B.
Damn, even though it was stated multiple times by other posters, I'm also impressed by the number of children Ramses had, especially by the age of 21. And he had 17 wives? Quite a pimp. Just by being pharaoh, you have so much power to yourself.
ReplyDeleteThese were some very interesting videos.
I'm really surprised as to how many children he had. Countless people could be part of his bloodline. It is as though he really was a divine god. What I could never really understand was how much trouble the people had to go through and how long it took to erect such structures. Talk about leaving your mark.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea how massive the the structures of ancient Egypt were. The computer generated pictures of the dam and the pyramids were incredible! I thought it was really interesting how the idea of slavery has changed meaning. To Americans, it's thought of as completely inhumane and wrongful treatment of a person, but to the Egyptians, it was a lifestyle that wasn't seen as anything unlawful or wrong.
ReplyDeleteThis video made me wonder about the techniques that we use in architecture today. It's so impressive how grand a scale the Egyptians built on. In the near future, I feel like we should start reverting back to how they built. The most impressive visual, for me, was the parts underground, how the tombs were laid out, and the whole structure of the passages. Since the land that people populate is growing more and more crowded, I think soon the only place for humans to build will be down.
Comment by Katherine Carmack:
ReplyDeleteI was really amazed by the columns that the Pharoeh Setti built. He was trying to build a huge room,but since they never really figured out interior space it turned out to be a huge room of 134 colums. And the whole process of building the columns was crazy. Build up the blocks while surrounding them with dirt and then digging out the column by removing the dirt. Such a tedius process for 134 columns...you would think that they would try another way like packing it with wet dirt or something to speed up the process??
I also was interested why many of the pharoehs decided they needed to set up their own structures away from the main city? Like they had to prove that they could build something from nothing and move everyone thier? why? I dont get it?? Why not just build on the city that you already have and develop it further.
Overall, very interesting and enlightening videos of Egypt. Definatley enjoyed learning more about Egypt and its Pharoehs.
Comment by Michelle Mayfield-Swencionis
ReplyDeleteOne person that I found extremely interesting from this film was Hatsheput. She is a widow queen who gets a chance to "jointly" rule Egypt. She becomes extremely powerful and actually is reported to have called herself "king". Because only men could "rule" Egypt she had to remove her gender from the equation. She essentially had to "switch" genders. She went so far as to wear a strap on beard. What was so interesting was that a woman assumed a man's identity to rule this great civilization.
I also found the architecture to be amazing :)
I had no idea that the structures of ancient Egypt were that huge. The computer generated pictures of the pyramids were the perfect way to really get that perspective. I also had no idea Ramses had 21 children, by the time he was 21. I am 21 and that is just mind boggling to me. And to go a step further... he had about 110 sons (and just as many daughters) in his lifetime. Although he only had up to 17 wives, bases on the child to mother ratio, i would wonder how many of those children actually resulted from his wives, and how many came from alternative women i.e. concubines. Regardless however of how he came to accumulate that many children, since pharaoh was a symbol a pristine bloodlines and peak fertility, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the guy was in demand. :)
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video and reading some other posts I feel we're all in agreement that Egypt was a technologically advanced society. It was clearly valued and all the under class citizens were put to work on constructing these monumental structures. I guess these are the kind things that can be produced over centuries of back breaking labor and oppressive "slave drivers". It must have been expected for all citizens to work for the Pharaoh because compared to the time we now live in, the amount of labor that occurred would be impossible to duplicate. Also, Hapshetsut taking over the crown for the younger male heir definitely creates a good amount of drama. She had to play the role of the male in order to gain the trust of the people, we have still yet to experience our first female president in the united states. The trends of history always seems to fascinate me. I'm sure there are more aspects to Egypt's history but those were the ones that stuck out to me while watching.
ReplyDelete-Nick Maggipinto
When we talk about those things like science, technology and rationality, we usually see their origin in the ancient Greek culture.
ReplyDeleteBut looking at how great those egyptians in the video were at architectural technology, making detail plans of constructions, setting long term goals, I think they somewhat shared quite similar, advanced rational and technological values with modern western rationalism.
And the ancient egyptian leaders would definitely knew at this stage that those constructions were also good method of relief work of the poor since there'd be no rebelion as long as people are constantly fed.
Anyway, thank you for sharing us a great video.
Its too bad theres no archeological evidence left of the dam surrounding the original capital of egypt. an engineering feat like that is incredible considering this around 3000 bce.
ReplyDeleteSomething else i find interesting is that nowhere in history (except in christian bible) is it mentioned the the jews as an entire race were ever slaves in egypt. i think its ironic how more often than not religious "facts" are mistaken for historical facts thus creating an inaccurate alternative history. -Gary Yoesle.
After watching the video I was really amazed with the structures of ancient egypt and how the pyramids were build. What also interested me was that Hatsheput had to switch gender to actually be called king since the citizens would only accept men as the ruler of egypt. I was also impressed by how many wives and children ramses had by the age of 21.
ReplyDeleteThe way the Egyptians raised their obelisks was amazing. I would have thought they had used some kind of crane, instead of their double ramp system with the sand in the middle. It just goes to show you what can be done with limited technology and enough ingenuity.
ReplyDeleteI was also wondering if the limestone covering on the pyramids was that smooth when it was finished or if it could have been polished down by the wind and sand over time to make it seem that way.
-Clem Carrig
What astounds me the most is the precision that the ancient Egyptians achieved with little more than stone tools. To have the four sides of the Great Pyramid of Giza be almost exactly the same is a great feat of engineering. Even today with advanced geometry and GPS, its difficult to get precision on that scale.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Obelisks. Those are astoundingly impressive.
In a previous life, I worked at a granite countertop company as a CNC operator. My job was to get a giant 3-axis mill to edge the sides of countertops. Lifting and placing granite gives one a very keen sense of how brittle and fragile that stone can be. To have a towering obelisk lifted and moved into place without cracking or destroying it is impressive. AND they carved it, by hand, with a blunt rock. Keep in mind that all granite tools now are diamond-encrusted carbide steel, and even then the tools wear down pretty quickly. To do that with a blunt rock? Incredible.
- Alok Bhandarkar
p.s. Robocop rules.
Seeing all the different buildings and structures amazes me. Its incredible how people of ancient times, with just man power, can create such wonderful and beautiful, not to mention colossal, projects. Its also really amazing how innovative they were to be able to make these structures stand up -considering how big they were- and figure out a way to preserve them through the wear and tear of time.
ReplyDeleteI think it was a great thing that they decided to removed the temple and relocate it to conserve it.
How is it that the myth that the pyramids were created by slaves was perpetuated throughout history when this was not the case?
ReplyDeleteAlso, the variety in construction styles is interesting. Kinda funny when you look at Chinese construction, which was far more uniform and almost regulated.
Oliver Manning
I'm amazed by Queen Hapshetsut and how great lenghts she went throught just to stay as a pharoah. trying to change her appearance and becoming more man like. i love the beards.. i also impress with their architecture. its must of taken days to build the perfect pyramids
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the architecture of the pyramids. I am amazed by how they were constructed. Their construction of pyramids were so perfect for the time at which they were made. It was also interesting to see how they dug up the tombs. I can't imagine the time that was put into making these tombs.
ReplyDeleteComment by Maria Hernandez:
ReplyDeleteAncient Egypt is full so many accomplishments and architecture that just seems to amaze people till this date. I A civilization that lasted 3,000 years is not one that was something of wonder, it was the world's first empire. The pyramids which were built to perfection just shows the dedication the pharaohs had to make something amazing and the power they held over their people for having everything built by man and not machine. To me all the pharaohs where narcissistic, building great structures to perfection, having hundreds of children and thinking they were all descendants of god. Well all their egotism has paid off for us, because they left behind a country full of history and amazement.
So I got annoyed with switching in between the 10 minute segments on this website and decided to watch the original 90 minute video online (in HD also :)). I also looked around at some of the other comments and documentary and i noticed quite a few comments about the "Black Pharaohs". At first i thought it wrote it off as people just blabbing random things, but then i thought about it a bit.. Egypt is in Africa, and seeing how most of history is written from "the white person's perspective", it would be quite probable that if there was a "black" part of Egyptian history, it was most likely ignored (as in this documentary, where the pharaohs are played by white actors). A simple google search immediately redirects to http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/02/black-pharaohs/robert-draper-text.html, one of the many articles on the matter.
ReplyDeleteI guess this is similar to the popular vision of Greek sculpture as being white marble, when in fact they were brightly colored.
It is interesting how sometimes people have such a skewed version of history, especially endorsed by the media.
Ngan Vu:
ReplyDeleteI think that the two pharaohs that caught my interest the most would be Remsey and Sheshepsut. I found Remsey pretty interesting just because of his age and how he fathered 21 kids by the age of 21. And Sheshepsup was very interesting because she was a woman ruling in a time where only man were permitted to rule. It was very interesting on how she had changed herself, physically and mind, to suit the image of a male ruler.
It was interesting that Ramsey's tomb was carved into the side of a rock, rather than constructed freely out of stones. His 21 accountable children was mentioned as him spreading his power and royal blood, but I saw it as a lack of birth control.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching this video clip.
ReplyDeleteI've always been pretty amazed by Egyptian culture, and all of the things they've created and accomplished. Their architecture is amazing as well. And their writing style is so unique and original. No one seemed to do it like the Egyptians. I'm also quite pleased with how the queen was looked at as an equal to the King, and those huge statues showed it.
Very interesting stuff.
Well, there were a couple of things which I found to be especially interesting. First, that Ramses II had so many children when a pure blood line was so important. Also, that there was so mention of the honor it must have been to be a wife or mistress of the pharaoh and to have one of his divine children. Nevertheless, it was said that this was symbolic of his fertility, so I guess it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, it is truly awe inspiring to consider the amount of time and intensive labor that went into constructing the temples and the pyramids. I cannot even fathom working in the hot sun for days on end without the use of any modern day tools. The Egyptians had a great deal of patience and determination. That alone is a great lesson we can take away from learning about their history.