Hello Class.
The first artifact above is from Cleveland Ohio and the photo was taken in 2002. It appears that the background of this art may have been created with spray paint. The robot itself and the text appears to have been painted with a brush and some sort of chalky paint. It appears that the intended goal is to portray how technology and advancements may lead to destruction. In the top right, the text says, "Mission Destroy Everything." Hinting that the creator thinks that technology may get too much for us to handle, and would lead to our demise. With this photo being from 2002 its original function was to warn others about what might come with more technology. We might not have destruction robots 20 years later but this image still can warn us in the current day that maybe too much technology is a bad thing.
This second artifact is of a cuneiform tablet. We are not sure an exact time this was created but it would have been made sometime near 1800 B.C. The main purpose of this tablet was to document a loan of silver. It states that the loaners have until the next harvest to pay back on a third of the loan, and if not the remaining balance will be charged monthly with interest. There are also witnesses listed on the tablet. The tablet was created with wet clay that was then carved with some indentation tool. This functioned as an ancient form of a loan statement. An official document with seals, that although is very different than what one in today's world looks like, it serves the same function. The function today serves as a historical record that lets us know how ancient civilizations functioned, and how advanced they are. This tablet shows us that loans and interest were already being used in this time, which also tells us they had basic math and maybe an understanding of percentages.
The third artifact I have chosen is graffiti on a pyramid from El-Kurru Dyanasty's time ruling Egypt.
It is estimated it was specifically made between the 9th and 10th centuries, though there is no way to tell for sure when it was created. We also are not sure of the meaning of the graffiti. There were many drawings on the pyramids most of which showcases boats. These are different from the graffiti created in their temples. It appears that this was created using some type of engraving tool onto the stone of the pyramid. We will never know for sure its true meaning but it's estimated that the boats may represent the journey of the dead riding into the afterlife. Today these drawings could teach us about ancient religions, and what tools were being used at the time. Sources:
Art crimes - the writing on the Wall - Graffiti Art Worldwide. Art Crimes - The Writing on the Wall - graffiti art worldwide. (2002). Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://www.graffiti.org/
Cuneiform tablet: loan of silver. Metmuseum.org. (n.d.). Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/325858?searchField=All&%3BsortBy=Relevance&%3Bft=cuneiform&%3Boffset=0&%3Brpp=20&%3Bpos=6
Graffiti as devotion along the Nile: El-kurru, Sudan. Graffiti as Devotion | Pyramid Graffiti. (2019). Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://exhibitions.kelsey.lsa.umich.edu/graffiti-el-kurru/pyramid_graffiti.php#pg
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