Reading comprehension 2

2. In Macauly’s excerpt, the main character finds meaning in archeological evidence uncovered at the Motel of the Mysteries.  However, his interpretations of the archeological evidence are inaccurate.  Part of his assessment could be based on his current culture, which is not given.  The other part of his assessment could be based on other previous information found or given.  One example of this is labeling the television as the “Great Altar”.  The reason for this deduction could be that in his culture television does not exist, at least not the box itself, and they could be strongly religious.  The information found through other sources might have implied that the 21^st century was ‘glued to this box’.  For the main character that could imply that it was a religious artifact and, ultimately, an altar.  Unfortunately, misinterpretations happen all the time, especially nowadays.  A personal example would be looking for chairs online and, based on the findings, draw the wrong chair instead of looking up the chairs in a book that has more reliability because not just anyone can input invalid information.

3. Queen Hatshepsut was the first female to rule as pharaoh.  Of her many accomplishments, two noteworthy ones were her unification of Egypt under her rule and her tomb in Thebes.  Although, there were previous pharaohs who built pyramids as their tombs, Hatshepsut was not one of them.  Instead, she used Mentuhotep’s tomb as her precedent.  Possible reasons for her to use this building form might have come from a mutual ruling with Mentuhotep, being different from other male pharaohs or a symbolic approach to her ruling.  Hatshepsut might have felt a bond with Mentuhotep because he was the first pharaoh to unite Egypt under one rule.  Although, she wanted to be called pharaoh and his majesty, she created a story of her divine birth to possibly merit her rule as a woman compared to the males that had rule before.  She might have used her temple as a symbolic approach to her ruling – she might have wanted to be see as a good ruler who cared and therefore built an approachable temple where the people were welcomed in to worship, unlike the pyramids which denied many entrance.

4. Although, Egyptian and Greek civilizations have some similar building forms and details, they also had differences, all of which were influences by their separate cultures.  While the Parthenon, in Athens, and the Hypostyle Hall, in Karnak, have similarities, there are also differences among these structures.  Some similarities between these two buildings are its grand size compared to the average person, being completely surrounded with columns, its rectilinear shape, its function as a place of worship, and its use of post and lintel.  Even with their similarities Egypt and Greece had different live styles.  In Egypt, there was little to no fear of outside invasion and because of the continuous cycle of the Nile River believed in the afterlife.  While in Greece, there were always threats of invasion which led to wars and because of the instability their beliefs were more focused on the here and now with a hope of a future. Based on these different cultures, some of the differences between them are its admittance – only priests and the pharaoh were allowed in the Hypostyle Hall, while anyone could enter the Parthenon; the shape and design of its columns – the Hypostyle Hall had floral capitals and the Parthenon had Doric columns; its decorative storytelling – Hypostyle Hall had its stories on the columns while the Parthenon told its story along its frieze on the outside and also along the walls on the inside.

Parthenon
http://hermes.ait.gr/dimea2008/?gallery,33



Hypostyle Hall
http://skyline-tours.com/mon.html













5. Many characterize the architecture of the Pyramid of Giza as massive and heavy while Egyptian furniture is lightweight.  A possibility for this could be the based on the fact the Pyramids of Giza were supposed to be grand and last forever.  Unlike its furniture which, most, were supposed to be adaptable enough for travel.  However, there is also the detailing which the was dependant on the owner of the furniture but usually included some detail of certain animals like the lion or duck, this could have been because the Egyptians would worship their gods in animal form.