Art history task，Read and write

Paper Topic (1800 words) Papers are due Nov 26th in lecture to your TA. Electronic copy must be submitted before lecture on Nov 26th on GauchoSpace. Below are two separate press releases announcing new theories connected to recent archaeological finds. Each press release makes a claim and then relies on an archaeological discovery to prove it. The local news has called on you – an eminent expert in the field – to either support or argue against the stated claims. Choose either the first or second prompt, and in your paper make a case for or against the proposed theory. You must use at least one of the “found” unknown objects listed in the prompt as the main focus for your argument (whichever way you decide to argue). Your paper must have a thesis statement and make a clear argument throughout. (You may also choose to briefly address the counter-argument within your paper.) This is not a research paper and you are not to use outside sources. You are only to use the knowledge you have acquired from lecture, from the textbook, and from the articles assigned to make up a strong, supported argument for or against the reported theory based on the new archaeological object. Whether you decide to prove or disprove the new theory, you must base your argument in actual objects and cultures and sites we have studied. You will be graded on the strength of your argument and how effectively you rely on specific visual evidence to support your case. In your paper, you must use at least three sites/objects we have studied to help support your argument about this new find and theory. Have fun with this assignment! You’re free to choose either side to support, as long as you base your argument in actual objects we have studied. While you do need to focus on actual objects and sites and make an argument around them, you should feel free to make up archaeologists’ names, ancient artists, stories, affiliations, expertise, etc.

Theory/Find #1 Life-Like or Actually ALIVE? Ever wonder why those ancient sculptures looked so life-like? Art historians assume there was a stylistic change over time and that statues became less rigid and more life-like. But now a collection of newly discovered statues from a shipwreck off the coast of Turkey (see figures below) proves that ancient bronze sculpture did not just become life-like – they were alive! New evidence points to the fact that ancient bronze statues were actually not molded on clay and wax models… but that the molten bronze was in fact poured over human subjects (most likely prisoners of war or slaves, one scholar suggests). Dr. Farfenugen, Professor of Physical Calisthenics at East Ohio College, has recently examined a number of ancient bronze statues using CT scans and has made this frightening discovery: “Art historians always just say the ‘eyes are life-like’ because of the time period and the conventions of the period. I’ve always said that’s a lot of hooey! There’s gotta be more to it. My study shows the eyes are life-like because there were once living eyes beneath!” Dr. Farfenugen was inspired to look more closely at the composition of bronze statues after studying the collection of plaster casts at Pompeii: “Why has no one ever compared these casts to our ancient bronze statues? Seems obvious to me. These life-like casts are made from the space created by the disintegrated bodies of actual people, so why can’t the realism of the bronzes be because they poured hot metal over human flesh and bone?” After months studying a new hoard of statues (original bronzes and Roman marble copies) that were found in a recent shipwreck, Dr. Farfenugen broke the news: “We now have confirmed evidence for possessed statues. Actual humans were once trapped in these art works!” Dr. Farfenugen went on to say, “No wonder so few survive for us today – they were possessed, may have come to life during the full moon, and eventually had to be destroyed!”

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Theory/Find #2 “The Etruscans were Vampires!” (adapted from the Independent for a new press release, 11/17). “The Twilight Saga: New Moon's release fuels vampire mania around the world. While teenagers go completely nuts over the film's hunky vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson)… other die-hard fans of the Twilight books, written by Stephenie Meyers, are also descending on the small hill-top town of Volterra, in Tuscany, where some of the action of the film is set …. As a result, hoards of teenagers have been visiting Volterra – a town with Etruscan roots and its own heritage of Etruscan demons, gods and goddesses associated with death, resurrection and the night.” This may seem like fun, games, and fiction, but new discoveries in Etruria have proven that Stephenie Meyers was on to something when she set her drama in this region of Italy – the Etruscans were vampires! Dr. Uni, Professor Emerita of Cognitive Telepathy at South Nevada State College has recently published her findings arguing that new evidence points to the fact that the Etruscans were always underground and could never be exposed to sunlight. “After all,” she says in a recent interview, “think of our Etruscan artifacts. They are all buried underground and have to do with the dead! The Etruscans knew only the dead.” To support her new theory, Dr. Uni relies on a group of new finds (pictured below) from the site of Volterra that a worker plowing the field just found. “This provides conclusive evidence for where the Etruscans slept during the daylight hours,” Dr. Uni said in a recent interview, “we even now have evidence for a breed of vampires with wings!”

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