- 26 Feb, 2021
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MODULE 3 DISCUSSION FIVE AND SIX
For our work this week, we focused on the Ancient Egyptian fixation with death, specifically in regards to the preparation of elaborate funerary monuments. In my lectures, I tried to make the point that this focus on death was not simply a macabre fascination, but could best be understood within the Ancient Egyptian belief that this life as essentially transitory, and that preparations needed to be made for the much-more-important eternal life that lay beyond.
Do you think we, today, share a similar fascination with death? If so, how is it manifested?
More importantly, I would like to know what you think about the basis/motivation/warranting of this fascination. Is our contemporary interest in death (if there is one) fueled primarily by a desire to prepare for ‘what happens next’, is it generated out of fear, or is it truly motivated by the macabre? Is it even possible to say that we, as a society, can even share a root cause for our fascination with death? If not, what can the splintered cause tell us about the bonds that cohere us into a functional political/sociological/anthropological unit?
Discussion Six: ISIS’s Destruction of Important Archaeological Sites
In their bid to maintain a political/military presence, groups like the Islamic State have made the strategic destruction of important archaeological sites part of their mode of operation. To date, these sites have been located primarily in present day Iraq and Syria, which were once part of Ancient Mesopotamia. Islamic State, however, has indicated its desire, however, to continue its destruction as they expand their area of influence.
I want to think about this strategy both on its own and in relation to the larger issue of the enduring importance of cultural artifacts like the Egyptian Pyramids:
What strategic purpose do you think that ISIS has for destroying these sites?
What does the world community lose with their destruction? What do local communities lose?
How important is it for us as a world community to try and stop this destruction? Why is it important?
You do not have to answer all three prompts. For your first response, however, I would like you to address at least one. For your second contribution, please respond to the initial post of one of your classmates.