The History of Civilization
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Introduction
History plays an important role in our lives. From history, we make decisions that guide every aspect of our life. History makes us know where we have come from, where we are, and where we need to go. Throughout the history of humankind, there have been civilizations that have shaped life the way it is in the modern society.
This paper looks at civilization and the important role it has played in shaping our current society. It will focus on the history of civilization from the first civilization, medieval European times to the renaissance period. This is done with an aim to find out how these periods in civilization have shaped the current society.
The first civilization
Civilization refers to the time when man began to settle (History of the world 2014). The first civilization is believed to have taken place from about 3100BC (History of the world 2014). The focus in this paper of the first civilization will be Mesopotamia and Egypt. The focus will be in relation to art.
Egypt located at the upper tip of the Nile River is considered among the first civilizations (History of the world 2014). It was generally religious and therefore many of its great works are about gods, goddesses and Pharaohs who were considered divine (Hornung, 1999). The idea of order, which was depicted through clear and simple lines, combined with simple shapes and flat areas of color characterized the art of ancient Egypt (Hornung 1999). Symbolism was also part of art in this civilization. This included Pharaoh’s regalia, which symbolized his power to maintain order (Encarta 2009). The pyramids are so far the best known of Egyptian architecture (Hornung, 1999).
Mesopotamia was located between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. It is believed to be the cradle of civilization. Many civilizations contributed to art in Mesopotamia such as the Assyrian and Babylonian. The original inhabitants were known as Sumerians (Reade 1991). They decorated their pottery with cedar oil plants and believed to have developed jewelry (Millard 2008). One of their greatest achievements in architecture is the ziggurats (Reade, 1991).
Medieval European
This period lasted from about 350 AD to about 1450 AD (Encarta, 2009). European art, which is also referred to as western art, has influenced art since third millennium BC (Europe world, 2008). This period can be divided into Byzantine, Early Medieval, Romansque, and Gothic (Europe world, 2008). Each of these periods had its own unique art though the underlying message was similar (ibid).
Byzantine period saw merging of the European art and early Christian art with funding and influence from the Roman Catholic Church. Art in the early medieval period is referred to as migration period art since during this time the Germanic and Anglo-Saxon tribes were moving into former Roman territories (Europe world, 2008). At this time, there was a mixing of pot effect where there was blending of Celtic, Germanic and Anglo-Saxon art styles.
Romanesque art was coherent and similar throughout Europe (Europe world, 2014). It brought back the basic design concepts of the Roman Empire (ibid). This art also blended Byzantine and Early Medieval art.
Gothic art began in France and included painting (Europe world, 2008). It replaced Romanesque to be widely used around the world (Europe world, 2008). The term means barbaric and was therefore meant as an insult to the style (ibid). This work though meant to be blamed on the French spread across the world and influenced almost everything in the construction industry (ibid).
Renaissance
This period is also referred to as the rebirth. It saw the revival of classical art of the ancient Greeks and Romans (Beck, 2008). There was intensified concern with secular life and humanism, which asserted the importance of the individual. During this period, the artists emerged as independent personalities (Beck 2008). This period coincided with the development of humanism and scholars was studying and translating philosophical texts (Beck 2008). It is during this period that exploration on the sea intensified and the so-called discoveries of the new worlds. This period saw the likes of Leonardo da Vinci and Christopher Columbus (Beck 2008).
Conclusion
The history of civilization gives us an insight into how several major civilizations have shaped our world. Art has developed tremendously over the years and each period in these civilizations has had its own influence on the current society. It is important to note that this history has come from far, suffice it to say, from very primitive forms to advanced forms. Throughout these periods, there have been major achievements for the artist even as the art industry has progressed. The development has seen the rise of the artist to independent personalities who have influenced the world over. This history is very useful in enabling us to discover our path in life. We are able to know where we have come from, where we are and get direction to where we are going.
References
Beck, J. (2008). Renaissance art and architecture. Microsoft Student 2009 Microsoft Corporation
Europe world (2008). Medieval Europe art. Retrieved: December 8th, 2014 http//www.europeworld.com
Hornung, E. (1999) History of ancient Egypt: An introduction. Cornell University Press.
Millard, A. (2008). Mesopotamia. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Student 2009
Reade, J. (1991). Mesopotamia. Harvard University Press.