Society is greatly shaped by ideas, norms, customs and practices and all these things are reflected through arts and architecture of that particular society. The information of the arts and architecture from the researches and investigations of the archaeologists, always add new dimensions to explore the past. The arts along with the architecture not only explore the daily activities of the people of the ancient times but also give clues to understand the societal contexts. Arts and architecture play a very crucial role in identifying the underlying background history and reveal the unknown past through giving clues to unveil the unknown social structure, culture, practice and overall the history of that particular society.
The ancient Egyptian civilisation was one of the richest and most powerful civilisations and, in this modern era, we have come to know about this great civilisation from the aesthetic arts and architecture that bear the testimony of the Egyptian civilisation. The ruins of pyramids, tombs, art works have provided significant evidence to understand the ancient Egyptian social context, culture and life. From a pin to the great pyramid, everything portrays the societal system, customary practices, and daily activities of life of the ancient Egyptian society. Archaeologists and anthropologists have recognised that the set of human practices that surround material culture provides evidence of the distinctive form of a past society.
Ancient Egypt produced so much monumental art and architecture, and private tombs in which the walls are covered with paintings and relics. Art history has also been an important discipline for study of the culture of ancient Egypt. The architecture, art and associated beliefs of the early Old Kingdom clearly evolved from forms of the Early Dynastic period. Notably, the depiction of Egyptian art provides a profound artistic expression of that ancient time in Egypt that simply portrays the socio-cultural, socio-political, economic, spiritual milieu.
The ancient Egyptians excelled in various forms of tangible arts, which include pottery-making, sculptures, paintings, etc. The paintings depict stories of their vibrant culture and life, as well as some myths. The most interesting and impressive art form that they had developed was the system of hieroglyphs, also considered their writing system, in which pictures and symbols represented sounds and words. This system was formed from more than 700 symbols.
The depiction of the arts of the ancient Egyptian civilisation reflects the various dimensions of their past history in front of us. In these drawings, it can be seen that people are going about the everyday business of baking, fishing, boating, marketing, and meeting together in family groups. Such drawings were also used to help the deceased to live forever by giving them all of the instructions they would need as they met the gods on their way to eternal life. Pictures of food, clothing, servants, and slaves could be used by the deceased just as the real things were used by the person when living. So, it goes without saying that, the religious ideologies, socio-political context had a greater influence over the majestic Egyptian arts.
Egyptian arts were almost entirely religious. Throughout the subsequent history of the Ancient Egyptian monuments of art had religious purpose, the creators of these monuments have been obliged to follow the established rules.
Ancient Egyptian architects are considered very proficient, knowledgeable and prolific builders. One of the most notable and long lasting evidence of the ancient Egyptian civilisation is their pyramids. Truly the finest example of the Great Pyramid of King Khufu of the 4th dynasty, at Giza still make us surprised about the proficiency of the artists at that time. The Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest amongst all the pyramidal structures, is an impressive example of mathematical perfection of the ancient architects. It is a mesh of chambers and shafts, and two of the shafts are perfectly in line with the constellations. This also throws light on the depth of their astronomical understanding. These compelling structures have so aesthetically made their mark on modern minds, that the pyramidal form makes its appearance in what can be regarded as some of the most impressive examples of modern architecture.
Egyptian architecture is world famous for its unique underground tomb design, exemplified by the Pyramids at Giza, along with its tomb artworks (mummy paintings, sculptures, ceramics and precious metalwork) and Sphinx. All the great monumental pyramids were erected during the earlier era, with only a handful of smaller ones being constructed in the era of Egyptian Middle Kingdom.
Many achievements of the ancient Egyptians included a system of mathematics, quarrying, surveying and construction techniques that facilitated the building of monumental pyramids, temples, obelisks and glass technology, a practical and effective system of medicine, new forms of literature, irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques, and the earliest known peace treaty.
The size, design, and structure of the pyramids reveal the skill of these ancient builders. The pyramids were great monuments and tombs for the kings. The Egyptians believed that a king's soul continued to guide affairs of the kingdom even after his death. To ensure that they would continue to enjoy the blessings of the gods, they preserved the pharaoh's body through the mummification process. They built the pyramids to protect the pharaoh's body. The pyramid was a symbol of hope, because it would ensure the pharaoh's union with the gods. In addition, models (eg. of boats, granaries, butcher shops, and kitchens) were included in the tomb in order to guarantee the future well-being of the dead person. The religious ideologies of ancient Egyptian civilisation had greater influence on the arts and structural settings and thus the majestic Egyptian arts and architecture are extensively focused on religious beliefs especially the afterlife.
At any yardstick, it is to say that arts and the architecture are the inevitable way of expressing the human thoughts that also reflect the socio-cultural context of a society. Moreover, the arts and architecture of a society give directions to the archaeologists for investigation and unveiling the lost history that has been lost with the passage of time.
The writer works at The Asia Foundation. Email:Â sariful.du@gmail.com
Art and architecture: Reflection of history
Md Sariful Islam | Published: April 04, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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