Test Day

Today in Western Civilization we took our test on Ancient Egypt. I feel pretty confident in my test even though I didn't have much time to study. Yesterday I studied as much as possible all throughout the day and I'm hoping it payed off. Mr Shick graded the tests in class and I'm not that happy. I did well considering I basically only had one day to study. The rest of the class we just talked about the test.

Test Questions

Our Cyber Day assignment is to write five questions that we expect Mr. Schick to put on the test tomorrow.

What is a sphinx?

• A lion with a humans head
• A human with a lions head
• A tiger with a human head
• None of the above

What was the purpose for the black eye makeup?

What is the difference between hieroglyphs?

Why was being a servant for a Pharaoh or someone high in society, not a bad thing?

What important events occurred in July and October that would have been important to the farmers in Ancient Egypt?

This blog should be interesting...

Today in class we played a pyramid building game. Kendall told me a little bit about the game and it seemed very frustrating, but I did not realize how frustrating. I immediately partnered with Sydney and we started making our attempts to finish the game and receive an A, gradually getting more frustrated. I swore that I tried every single option but I just could not beat it. After the first two A's and B's were handed out I was so ridiculously confused and I just could not figure out what I was doing wrong. I was determined to figure it out even if it took me all night when I got home. Luckily, Sydney, some how, figured it out and got us a C. That is one of the hardest games I have ever, EVER played. Mr. Schick kept telling us that it had nothing to do with guessing and luck but I still cannot figure out how that is possible. At least now I don't have to spend all night trying to beat that game.

3 Videos and Notes

Pyramid Quest

• Great pyramid of Kinapse,( the pinnacle of which touched the sky) described in his time
• Harun al-Rashid's youngest son Al-Ma'mun set up camp looking for the Pharaohs treasure and to find the secret of the weapon that does not rust and bends but does not break (1802 AD)
• Al-Ma'mun came with hundreds of stone mason engineers and architects, not an army of soldiers
• Scribes said that everything he was looking for was behind the stone plates of the great pyramid (guarded by the sphinx)
• Pyramid looked much then than it does today (its sides were covered in shining plates)
• The pyramid could only be entered by a stone lifted on the side, this was very hard because all the stones looked alike
• When they finally got in (by hiring someone to break in), they found no treasures
• Even the pharaohs sarcophagus was empty
• The pyramid is still being studied today
• One question: Why were there so many rooms if the pyramid was built just to be a tomb?
• The main entrance to the pyramid remains sealed to this day
• Underground corridors that lead to different rooms
• A narrow tunnel connects the Grotto to the Subterranean Chamber
• Mysterious shafts in the King's and Queen's chambers (20 cm each in diameter)

I liked this video because I found all the information about the Pyramids to be very interesting. I specifically enjoyed the parts when they talked about the different rooms in the pyramids. I learned a lot about the different rooms of the pyramid. This video was definitely worth my time.

Mummification

• Mummy of a young man named Herakleides
• died in Egypt in the 1st century A.D. at about 20 years old
• Mummification was developed by the Ancient Egyptians to preserve the body for the afterlife
• Typically all internal organs removed before mummification, except the heart
• In Herakleides case, the heart was removed but his lungs were not
• Next, the body was left for about 40 days covered in salt until all moisture was removed
• Perfume and resin were poured on the body
• Resin acted as a glue for the linen
• Then placed on a wooden board and more linen was wrapped to bind them together
• A mysterious pouch (possibly for religious reasons) was placed on the mummy's chest
• A mummified ibis was placed on the abdomen as a sacrifice
• In this unusual case, the bird was buried and wrapped with the mummy
• More linen strips secured the wrappings
• A portrait of the mummy was placed over the face
• Large linnen cloth was wrapped around the mummy
• The mummy was then painted on with symbols of rebirth with pigments and gold
• Lastly, the mummy's name was written at the feet
• Herakleides body is still with us

I also enjoyed with video because I haven't really been taught in this much depth what goes on in the mummification process. It was very interesting and also worth my time.

John Green's Crash Course

• Ancient Egypt is the most influential river valley civilizations
• Ancient Egyptian Civilization lasted from 3000 B.C.E. to 332 B.C.E
• Resource distribution and geography
• The Nile River was one of the safest and richest agricultural areas in the world
• Planting was very easy for the Egyptians
• Egyptian communities existed only along the Nile
• Timber and gold - the divine medal
• The Nile is easily tamed
• Basin Irrigation - Farmers used flood waters to fill earth basins and canals for irrigation
• Big food surpluses with relatively little work
• After life was seen as a continuation of this life
• Old Kingdom lasted from 2649 B.C.E. to 2952 B.C.E.
• Middle Kingdom lasted 2040 B.C.E. to 1640 B.C.E.
• New Kingdom lasted from 1550 B.C.E. to 1070 B.C.E.
• Pyramids were build by peasants who were required to work for the government a certain amount of months per year
• Ra - a god central to the entire pantheon of gods in Ancient Egypt
• God of the sun and the God of creation
• In the Egyptian way of thinking, if the humans did their job, the pantheon of gods would maintain cosmic order
• Belief that animals had divine power, especially cats
• Two types of writing - Hieroglyphics for sacred writing and Demonic Script for contracts and agreements
• Middle Kingdom had some distinct changes from the Old Kingdom
• The rulers were outsiders
• New pantheon of Gods - star of which was Amon (Hidden gods did well because they were omni present)
• Amon-Ra - The mix of Amon and Ra
• Superior military technology like bronze weapons
• New Kingdom continued the military expansion but looked more like an empire
• Hatshepsut - a woman pharaoh who ruled for 22 years and expanded Egypt through trade
• King Tut did not do much besides reject his fathers god and change his name

I also enjoyed this video. I have watched some of John Greens youtube videos before and I find them very interesting including this one. I learned mostly about the different Egyptian gods so this video was also worth my time.

5 Different Technological Breakthroughs for the Egyptians

The Egyptians have had many breakthroughs that have paved the way for things that we use everyday. Here are my top five that I think are the most significant.

1. Hieroglyphics

Hieroglyphics were an extremely important invention for the Egyptians. Hieroglyphics are actually one of the few reasons why we know so much about their society and how they lived. Since the hieroglyphics themselves are very intricate and almost impossible for the average person to understand, we did not know much about them for quite a while. Thankfully, a man named Jean-François Champollion, who understood many different languages, helped convert these hieroglyphs into English. He also was the man to realize that these symbols, not only told a story, but had a sound almost like letters. Hieroglyphs were one of the earliest writings in history, and if you take a minute to realize how important words and communication through writing is in our daily life, you'll be amazed at where it was started.

2. Pyramids

Pyramids were another amazing creation of the ancient Egyptians. The architecture and engineerings skills it took to build these were way beyond there time. It is still completely understood how these pyramids could be built during that ancient time, and some even believe they were built by aliens from another world. The pyramid's main two purposes were for cult and funerary. The cult temples were for images of gods and idols to be stored and the funerary were for burial sites for past kings. These kings would have been buried with all of their belongings and even servants to have with them when they were resurrected in the after life. They are not important in our society other than a tourist site, but they were very important to the Egyptian culture.

3. Egyptian Astronomy

The ancient Egyptians were very advanced when it came to astronomy. They were aware that a calendar year consisted of about 365 days. They also knew that a day was 24 hours and divided it in half for day and night.These skills were very important because they needed to know that every July the Nile would flood and every October it left behind rich soil. They were also very good at charting the skies and dividing it into sections. This was very helpful for telling time.

4. Plow

The ancient Egyptians have been credited with the invention of the plow as from as early as 4000 BC. The plows were very light and could not dig deep into the earth. The early plows were mainly used by men. Later versions of these plows show that they were hooked up to oxen to make them more efficient and put less work on men. These plows helped the ancient Egyptians be better at farming. Plows are still used in todays farming society.

5. Eye Makeup

The Egyptians invented the first form of makeup in 4000 B.C.. They used different types of minerals and kohl to create a black outline of their eyes to protect them from the son. This is something that some women still use today for cosmetic purposes. Back in the time of the Egyptians, makeup was not just for women mostly because it was for medical purposes. Putting the makeup around their eyes was thought to prevent or cure diseases. Wearing a lot of makeup also showed that you were part of the upper class.

Adding on to my Notes

Today in Western Civilization we went over more notes about Ancient Egypt. I already had most of the notes because I put them on my blog last week and had a chance to write most of them in my notebook. There were some things Mr. Schick said in class that I didn't weren't added in the notes and here they are.

• Hieroglyphs - stories
• Hieratic - symbols like letters
• Upper Land was rich
• Lower Land was poor
• Religion and Government were considered the same idea and were controlled by the Pharaoh
• The wood weapons that had bronze held up better
• Not all soldiers had the privilege to ride on a chariot

Checking Our Tests

Today in Western Civilization we went over our Guns, Germs, and Steel test and went through the answers. I was not happy with the grade I got so I know that I need to study harder for the next test. I thought that I knew the information well. I put all the notes we took in my blog and I did study. When I took the test, I knew there were a few that I didn’t know. For the next test I am going to make sure I study harder and study more in advance. Some of the questions that I got wrong were careless and I think I would have gotten correct if I would have taken more time to read through the questions and answers. Rushing through a test definitely is not a good decision. Today’s class went by pretty quickly considering all we did was check our tests and was the last class of the day.

Writing Notes on Our Own

Today in Western Civilizatioon we took notes on Ancient Egypt by ourselves because Mr. Schick was absent. Here are the notes I took.

Daily Life Continued...

• Scribes kept records, told stories, wrote poetry, described anatomy and medical treatments
• They wrote in hieroglyphs and in hieratic
• Soldiers used wooden weapons (bow&arrows, spears) w/ bronze tips and might ride chariots
• Upper Class, known as the "white kilt class" - priests, physicians, engineers
• Religious and Political leader
• Pharaohs - The political and religious leader of the Egyptian people, holding the titles: 'Lord of the Two Lands' and 'High Priest of Every Temple'.
• As 'Lord of the Two Lands' the Pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt.
• He owned all land, made laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners
• Hatshepsut was a women who served as pharaoh
• Cleopatra VII also served  as pharaoh but much later (51 - 30 BC) more on her when we study Greece

Goddesses and Gods

• Over 2000 gods and goddesses
• They "controlled" the lives of humans

Ancient Egypt

Today in Western Civilization we started taking on our new section called Ancient Egypt. Here are the notes I took.

Geography

·      Egyptian life is centered around the Nile River

·      The Nile River flows from South to North

·      Cataracts – water is rocky and rough

·      Water from the Nile was used for irrigating, for bathing, and for transportation

·      Every July it floods (snow melts/ rain water)

·      Every October it leaves behind rich soil

·      The delta is a broad, marshy triangular area of fertile soil

·      Managing the river required technological breakthrough irrigation

Pyramids

·      The Great Sphinx of Giza

·      Built 2555-2532 BC

·      The Sphinx is a recumbent lion with s human’s head

·      The oldest monumental statue in the world

Daily Life

·      Pyramidal Society: Pharaoh, Government officials – Nobles and Priests, Soldiers, Scribes, Merchants, Artisans, Farmers, Slaves and Servants

·      Slaves and Servants helped the wealthy with household and child raising duties

·      Farmers raised wheat, barley, lentils, onions – benefitted irrigation of the Nile

·      Artisans would carve statues and reliefs showing military battles and scenes to the afterlife

·      Merchants eventually used the money/barter system – merchants might accept bags of grain for payment – later, coinage came about

                                                

Test on "Guns, Germs, and Steel"

Today in Western Civilization we took our test on "Guns, Germs, Steel." The test was not that hard but some of the questions were a little confusing for me. The test was multiple choice and had twenty five questions. I studied a lot and I felt pretty confident before I took the test. Now that I have taken it, I'm still pretty confident that I did well and I did my best. I think the test was pretty fair. I have been studying all throughout the day when I had the time.

Things I Need to Know For the Test

In Western Civilization, we went over some things that will be on the test that will be on Monday. We also got our tests back. I am very happy with my test grade that I received but I am interested to see what I got wrong. Everyone got new seats and I'm still in the front row which is what I really wanted, so I'm happy with my seat I'm definitely going to study over the weekend. I'll study my notes, my blogs, and I will probably watch the movie again, just to refresh my memory. Here are some notes that I wrote down so I know what I have to study for the test. 

How did Jarod end up in Papua New Guinea? - Studying Birds

Name some of the 14 domesticated animals - Goats, Sheep, Pigs, Horses, Donkeys, Yaks

People there are happy with their lifestyle

What did Jarod Diamond do for a living? - Biologist and Author

2/5

Today in Western Civilization, we finished the movie we have been watching. Here are the notes that I wrote down from today.

• These people invented plaster
• Plaster made the house smooth inside
• Created a new job for the people 
• Stone had to be heated for days at over 1,000 degrees
• New Guinea never technologically developed
• Spent too much time feeding themselves
• Fertile Crescent is no longer the power house
• Most villages were abandoned
• Too dry for farming
• Entire communities were forced to move on
• Animals moved from the Fertile Crescent
• Once they reached Egypt, they caused an explosion of civilization
• Suddenly - enough food for everyone
• Same is true for European civilizations
• 16th century - crops and animals taken to America from Europe
• Diamond was criticized
• Divisions of the world are not set in stone
• Some New Guineans try to catch up to the rest of the world but they still have a long way to go
• Geography is the answer to the New Guinean's question
• All of their time was spent making sure there was enough food for their people
• Used to farm as much as possible and then moved on to a new location

2/4

Today in Western Civilization, we continued to watch the video and we also took more notes. Mr. Schick was having problems again with the sound, so he had to use a different computer. I accidentally forgot my note book at home, so here are the notes that Sydney let me use so I could still have the notes from today in my blog.

• 2 million domestic species in the world
• Diamond eliminated 
• reptiles
• insects 
• fish
• rodants
• carnivores (meat eaters) 
• best animals can give birth at the age of 1 to 2 years old
• Zebras are the ideal domestic animals but they are very nervous, meaning if the hear a little sound and it scares then they word run away
• Here are the 14 domestic animals 
• goats 
• sheep
• pigs
• cows 
• horses 
• donkeys
• bactran camels 
• arabian camels 
• water buffalo 
• llamas 
• yaks 
• mithans (ox) 
• reindeer 
• bali cattle 
• none of these animals come from papuanew Guinea, Australia, or North America 
• 13 animals are from North Africa, Middle East, Asia, and Europe 
• cows, sheep, pigs, goats native to the Middle East. 
• The middle east also known as fertile crescent, all the animals native to that land 

2/2

Today in Western Civilization, we took more notes on the video that we started watching last week.  The class was short because we had a two-hour delay. The sound wasn’t working for about half of the class. When it started working we immediately started watching the video. Here are the notes that I took.

Only a few places were people farming independently

·      China – rice

·      The Americas – corn, squash, beans

·      Africa – millet, yams, sorghum

·      Good civilizations followed independently farmed places

·      Papua New Guinea did not get the same benefits

·      Farming in Papua New Guinea is almost 10,000 years old

·      Farmers suffered protein deficiency in Papua New Guinea

·      Spiders are sometimes eaten to supplement their diet

Most productive crops lead to most productive civilization

·       Comes down to geographic location

·      The island is secluded

·      People could live only by becoming better farmers

·      Humans controlled animal breading

·      Animals could be used for meat, milk, clothes, and fertilizer

·      Not every place is lucky enough to have animals that can help them out