Friday, October 31, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Digital Scrapbook #3 - Mesopotamia
Trevor Jones
10/31/14
Per. 7
Beers Course Throughout History
Beer is one of the world's oldest prepared beverages that originated in Mesopotamia at the Goldin Tepe in as early as 10000 BCE, when agriculture first developed, but we first see evidence of beer in paintings in Mesopotamia around 3500-3100 BCE, where cereal grains were first farmed. Beer was most likely discovered on accident through grains used for bread making that fermented. In early Mesopotamia, Beer was not just a drink, but a way of life to the people. Beer served a religious, social and monetary value to the people of Mesopotamia which majorly differed from the purpose and meaning of beer today. Today, beer is used as a social drink and a luxury, that not everybody has to have. Beer has had a major impact on history for over 5000 years and continues to be a major part in some people's life.
As I mentioned in my introduction to beer, beer in early Mesopotamia was a way of life, not just a luxury like it is today. People in ancient Mesopotamia enjoyed beer so much, that it was drank with every meal and was consumed by men, women and children alike. Beer was also used somewhat as a currency. Beer was used for barter and people were given a daily ration of beer depending on their social status. People also traded beer, especially with the Egyptians who traded beer for certain technological advancements of their own. Most importantly, beer was used as a social aspect. Sharing a beer in ancient Mesopotamia symbolized friendship and trust, and ultimately brought people closer together as neighbors and a community. Today, beer still serves as a social aspect in communities but not a religious or monetary aspect. We still see aspects if mesopotamian culture today, such as sharing a beer with somebody still symbolizes a level of friendship and trust.
Originally, beer was discovered by grains used to make bread that was left out, probably on accident, and fermented. The process of making, or brewing, beer in ancient Mesopotamia was taking grains like barley and putting them in a mash tub where the grains can mix with hot water before yeast is added for the fermentation process. Eventually, the solution is given flavor given flavor with bappir, which is essentially flattened grains, and mixed together to make beer. The Mesopotamia's used straws to drink the beer for two reasons. The first reason was so the leftover grains floating on the top of the water would not be ingested by the drinker. Secondly so a person can share their beer with another for a social or religious reason. Beer brewing today has a similar approach, but is more complex. The basic ingredient of beer, wort, is made of a mixture of grains and water, which is then heated until enzymes break down starches into sugars. Wort is what gives beer its basic flavor. The grains are washed away from the wort in a process called wort separation where the grain bed is used as the filter medium. Wort must then be cooled witch leads to dissolved oxygen acting as a catalyst or fermentation and yeast production. There is also a great deal of science behind this process and is much more complex than the ancient Mesopotamia's way of brewing.
In conclusion, beer has had a tremendous impact on history and continues to make history every day with new development of private breweries. Beer was used as a monetary, religious and social aspect that overall made Mesopotamia's legacy. Today beer still lives on as a social aspect and traditions originally seen in Mesopotamia are still used today. Even though beer was most likely discovered on accident, the Mesopotamia's pursued and perfected beer brewing until it was a focus in each and every individual's life. That same idea lived on today, more complex obviously, but still shows the basic ideas of beer brewing. I believe that beer has a very prominent future and will continue to serve as a way to bring people together. Without the creation of beer, Mesopotamia's legacy would not be remembered as it is now, and who knows what society would be like today without the social aspect of beer?
Citations:
Ancient India Activity
Trevor Jones
10/30/14
Per. 7
Hinduism:
Hinduism is the dominant religion in India. It is the oldest religion in the world, it is referred to as the "eternal law". The code of behavior followed by Hindus is called Dharma. The religion started in 2600 BC.
Ganges River:
The most sacred river to the Hindus is the Ganges River. It is the life line to all Indians living on it and around it. The Ganges River is worshipped as the goddess Ganga.
Shiva:
Shiva is one of the primary gods of Hinduism. Shiva is called "The Destroyer". Shiva is the god of yoga and arts.
Krisna:
Krishna is the "Supreme Being", portrayed as a young boy playing the flute. Arts and regional tradition of devotion developed for Krishna in the 10th century.
Ganesha:
Ganesha is the god of wisdom, knowledge, and new begginnings, also the patron of Art sciences. Ganesha is honored at the begginning of Hindu rituals and ceremonies.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
My Egyptian Sarcophagus
Trevor Jones
10/23/14
Per. 7
Egyptian Sarcophagus:
This sarcophagus will lead me to a successful afterlife because it has all the major Egyptian symbols and modern symbols that describe me and that I will need in the afterlife. I included Egyptian symbols that signify protection, the spirit, eternity, royalty, and many more that will allow me to have a successful afterlife. I also included aspects that define me, such as a soccer ball or the a Arizona A, and items that I will need in the afterlife such as food, drinks and a door to get in and out of the sarcophagus. I believe that the ancient Egyptians saw death as an extension of life. And being an extension of life, every great ruler should have personal belongings that make it more enjoyable for them. In Egyptian culture, there are three different kinds of being, the dead, the living, and the gods. I believe that this attitude towards death is derived from the attempt at preserving the Pharaohs, so that they may live forever in the afterlife.
Thumbnail Sketches:
My Name in Hieroglyphics:
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
T&R on A Light that Did Not Fail
Trevor Jones 15/14
T&R on Ancient Mesopotamia: A Light that Did Not Fail
Source: E. A. Speiser
T&R on A Light that Did Not Fail
The reason that Mesopotamia was so ethnically diverse than other civilizations is because of the diverse cultures and ideas that flowed into Mesopotamia with its many rulers. Since other civilizations conquered Mesopotamia, their civilizations ideas and cultures mixed with Mesopotamia's cultural values and beliefs which lead to a somewhat mutated-ethnically diverse culture. Some of Mesopotamia's basic features and cultural values changed from ruler to the next ruler and some ideas remained the same throughout history. Since the Sumerians created the first writing system and later an alphabet, Mesopotamia's used that as a means of communication for millennia to come, and was modified over time based on efficiency and usage. Other aspects such as metallurgy or law code evolved with the times and evolved to fit the peoples needs. One aspect of Mesopotamian justice that is very unlike other civilizations of its time is its equality between people of different status. Even though the king is of a much higher status than the rest of the people, he still much respect and honor his people wishes and ideas. The reason that Mesopotamia's built their cities over and over in the same place was because of their location. The land in the Fertile Crescent is very rich and is perfect for farming and supporting life. Also, the people believed that the gods were displeased at abandoned temples, so that made the Mesopotamia's more sedentary to one location.
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