HUM 100 Project 1 Artifact Chart
Although you will work on various assignments throughout the course to support you in completing this assignment, this project is not due until Week 6.
Artifact
| What is your chosen artifact? Include a link to or a picture of the artifact.
My chosen artifacts are Imprisoned in Ash: The Plaster Citizens of Pompeii.
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I. Describe the artifact in detail. For instance, how would you describe it to someone who could not see it?
These artifacts are sculptured bodies that represent the remains of the victims who were buried by volcanic ashes as they attempted to flee Pompeii. |
| II. Choose elements of the artifact that you believe are most important to how you experience it and explain why. For instance, what particularly catches your senses or makes you want to keep experiencing it? Does the choice of medium impact your experience?
Some of the most important items on the artifacts include the materials which were used to engrave the bodies such as clay and plaster. Also, compacted ash are noticeable from the artifacts. I believe the ash are important elements in the artifacts as they denote the remains of the volcanic materials that penetrated the skeletons. I opted to select this particular material as it brings to reality the Pompeii incident.
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Assumptions about your artifact
| III. State your opinion on what you believe is the purpose of this artifact and the success of the creator in achieving the purpose. For instance, what message do you believe the creator is trying to express, and is that message successfully expressed?
The purpose of this artifact is to help commemorate the Pompeii incident and help bring the actual picture of the incident to reality. |
| IV. Discuss how the artifact reflects the culture (or context) in which it exists. Be sure to address what aspects of culture have relevance for this artifact: politics, history, religion, social perceptions, technology, media, education, and so on. In other words, how do the artifact and its culture interrelate? For instance, how would a particular form of body modification reflect the urban culture in which you encountered it?
These artifact assist in bringing out the culture of the Italians, as they comprise of other items that were collected after the eruption as well.
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| V. Use the artifact to discuss how acts of creative expression impact and are impacted by the people and situations that surround it. How might the artifact and the person who created it have impacted each other? For instance, how might the geographic location where the artifact was made, the materials used to create the artifact, the medium of the creative process, or the environment where the artifact is displayed influence the creator’s life or future creative work? How might the artifact and the culture or context in which it was created have impacted each other? For instance, does the artifact add to the understanding of the culture from which it was created? What contributions does it make to continuing on a dialogue about that culture and the importance of its artifacts?
It is worthwhile noting that the skeletons were enhanced with plaster to help preserve the remains of the eruption. The artist behind the material did not the viewers to have a bad experience capturing the remains of the incident. He selected these particular materials as they would help remove any “traumatic” images.
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| VI. Questions: Pose questions you have after thinking deeply about this artifact. What more do you want to know regarding:
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| A. The relationship between human culture and expression
B. Question 1: What are some of the body language from the artifacts that could denote the mood of the victims?
Question 2: Aside from the human figures, what other specific objects could help determine the culture of the people?
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| C. Your personal assumptions about artifacts of this sort and why they exist
D. Question 1: How does the story of Pliny the Younger help one understand the incident of Pompeii?
Question 2: Why did the artists particularly select to preserve these artifacts?
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| C. How your values have shaped and are shaped by your expression and that of others
Question 1: Have these artifacts assisted me in considering the Pompeii incident as historical rather than mythical?
Question 2: How do the artifacts assist me to appreciate the victims of the incident?
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| E. The relationship between the possible intent of the creator and your own interpretation of its meaning
F. Question 1: Do these artifacts relate to the historical background of Pompeii as depicted by various authors?
Question 2: How do these artifacts assist one in building their theoretical knowledge on Pompeii?
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| VII. Speculate on how you would go about answering these questions. For instance, what sorts of things would you study about these kinds of artifacts and their contexts that might begin addressing these questions?
To properly answer this questions, I will need to have an ample knowledge on the incidents of Pompeii as depicted by various authors and artists. I could read novels on this topic, watch movies so that I have sufficient literature on the topic. |
