Compare Hatshepsut's obelisk(s) with the Harburg Monument in Germany Essay

Compare Hatshepsut's obelisk(s) with the Harburg Monument in Germany within the cultural context of each artifact - Essay Example The pharaohs erected the monuments to depict their reign showing a form of stability and continuity of the kingdom. The pyramid shaped top, pyramidion reflected the light to indicate the power of their ancient god, Ra to make a reflection to the land. Ancient Egyptians were intensely religious and believed in connection with the supernatural erecting symbols to honor the presence of the gods. In their efforts to create continuity of their rule, the pharaohs erected their personalized obelisk to glorify specific events. In the individual faces of the monolith, there were inscriptions that were made to glorify the pharaoh that erected the obelisk. In this monument, Hatshepsut features the story of her fathers that she honors Thutmose and Amun, dedicating the inscriptions to their memories (Seawright). This structure had been erected to indicate the strong belief in the traditions and honor outstanding societal members that acted as peace symbols. The monuments acted as unifying figures for the ancient Egyptian reminding them the value of upholding respect and discipline (Strouhal, 180). With the rule of the pharaohs, there was the order in the society as the people believed in serving their rulers and the gods would offer them blessings in turn. Today, fragments of the fallen obelisk are found at the MFA, Boston. The monument depicts a king carrying out a momentous event in the Egyptian culture that involved appeasing the gods through offering sacrifice. The female pharaoh of Egypt carried the routine of the society and the entire kingdom by honoring the religious entity of the tribe and ensured continuity of this meaning incised in the famous structure (Brand, 160). The piece, made out of graphite represent an inscription in the obelisk that relayed the god Amun and the figure of the head can be clearly seen. This had been one side of the fallen obelisk that Hatshepsut had erected in honor of their religion and to establish her rule as a dominant female pharaoh who managed to rule the Egyptians during her time. Today, the monument represents a rich tradition and symbol of the grand Egyptian kingdom that unified its individuals to uphold religion and authority. This particular monument is notable because it was erected by a famous personality of the ancient Egypt. The pharaoh ensured that the memory of the famed events in the Egyptian calendar are upheld and remembered through precise inscriptions to deliver the memories of her rule. Egyptian art was not only beautifully precise in nature, but the inscriptions had a meaning and purpose in this case religion and culture. Through visiting museums like MFA and the actual site to view the obelisk, an individual is able to revisit the ancient Egyptian history and be informed of the principal unifying figure. Image retrieved from: http://womenshistory.about.com/od/hatshepsut/ig/Hatshepsut-Female-Pharaoh/Obelisk-of-Hatshepsut.htm Hamburg Monument in Germany German artists Jochen Gerz and Esther Sh alev were accorded the responsibility to erect a monument that upheld the societal values of peace and anti-fascism to be introduced to the German society. The monument was initially intended to be placed in a fancy park to be viewed by the citizens, an attribute that the two refused erecting their piece in a

Course review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Course review - Essay Example However, the antisocial and terrorist groups and agencies play a certain monopoly whereby the solution is only in their grasp, and the victim is left completely defenseless. This is another nature of the manmade terrorist threats; they are targeted, so that a certain section of the population is at risk while the rest are safe or completely unaware of the posing danger (Covey). This makes the threat more dangerous and criminal. With the advancement in technology and the evolution of ideas, the nature of threats has also changed and modified, becoming more sophisticated and complex, and more targeted. The scope of these threats is also becoming more global, and surprisingly, more virtual or transparent, so that they are now very difficult to spot and equally difficult to defend against (Cyber Threats of the Future). The type of threat that society faces at a certain point in time depends upon the framework of that society, and the technical and educational advancement of that era. Whe reas there was, not long ago, a very imminent threat of nuclear warfare, and to some extent, still is, it has become more controlled now due to international treatises and the ownership of nuclear technology by many countries worldwide, so that it is no longer an exclusive technology (Covey). The defenses and the weapons have also been modified in lieu of the changes in the offense. Where there were once wars against entire countries and nations, such as the world wars I and II, more recently, the perpetrators are merely a few individuals who organize crime through the use of agencies and networks. Hence, in modern times, the targets are individuals and small organizations. This is due to the concept of organized crime in the recent times (Hoffman). The future threats and the defense against them would be, in the most likelihood, more technological and virtual than physical, and of a nature that few would have thought of or considered a serious threat. Many of these dangers still se em a work of science fiction films and novels, and the masses still refuse to accept them as viable and potent threats. However, there is growing evidence and attitude toward the application and employment of those technologies in a negative and anti-social manner for highly targeted and suspiring attacks and warfare. This paper purports to discus three of such threats: the cyber threats, artificial intelligence, and biomedical threats. The advent of the Internet has radically changed the nature of the global community, in terms of its reach, connectivity, and the speed of transfer of information and data (Cyber Threats of the Future). The world has literally been connected together through wireless and optical technology, shifting the paradigms of social interactions, educational and academic systems, government workings, military and defense mechanisms, private and public sector, and the corporate world (Cyber Threats of the Future). The technology has touched users on individual and personal levels, while the degree of customization and user-friendly interfaces are improving and increasing everyday (Cyber Threats of the Future). There is now more and more centralized collection and storage of sensitive and personal data, which in itself has become