Introduction:

Discussion of the historical accuracy of the Trojan war. To cover this topic here are some points that are included, When did troy enter the Greek society, Is the Trojan War fact or fiction (was it written as a myth). Is there any problems with homers sources, Is there any sources besides Homer and his writings. Has there been any archaeological evidence that have been found that point to the Trojan War , Is there any problems with that evidence. Is there any modern authors and there interpretations about the Trojan war.

site about troy 4000 years ago

http://www.iit.edu/~agunsal/truva/truva/truva.html

trojan war history and what it is about

http://www.stanford.edu/~plomio/history.html

the greek history website

http://home.swipnet.se/~w-63448/grekhist2.htm

^^^ Troy and the Trojan war

assessment task 2

Possible questions:

Analyse and discuss the outcome of the evidence given for the Trojan war?

Discussion questions and answers:

Q1.) What perspective is represented in Josephus’ reconstruction of what happened at Masada?A1.)The perspective which was represented in Josephus of the reconstruction of the events that happend in Massada.

Was that josephus was bias and biased against the jews as he we just following the Romans. Even Though Josephus was

a jew He would follow the Romans so they do not kill him.

Q2.)What perspective does Yadin offer?

His perspective was that he thought that the Jews Fought the war against the Romas till death. He found three human remans

Within where the Masada war Was fought Which he believed to be Jewish skeletons. Yadin Gave this remains a full respective

Military burial in the Masada site.

Q3.)What purposes can you identify in the reconstruction of Josephus and Yadin?

I think that Josephus and Yadin had two different point of views. As Josephus  was a follower of the Romans and said that

the Jews killed them selves in the Masada war. But Yadin is from Jeruslem and he believes that the jews fought to death

against the jews. As In this age people do not know what to believe as it is confusing how both of them are bias and one sided.

Q4.)How are their respective audiences involved?

The respective audiences are involved is they have questioned both Historians accounts of Masada, they believe Josephus was

 bias with his accounts to support himself so the Romans do not kill him. Yadin was questioned about the bodies he found as he does not

 no for sure if the remains are Romans or Jews. 

Q.5)How have both Josephus and Yadin selected and omitted sources?

Preservation and destruction of evidence

Using all resources at your disposal, discuss what factors affect the preservation and destruction of evidence.

Destruction of Evidence

These are the things that may affect on the destruction

Of evidence:

WarWhen the Gulf War ended, robbers smuggled thousands of artifacts out of Iraq. Many other priceless monuments from thousands of years old cities and towns were left lying around to be destroyed carelessly and casually. With the new U.S. – Iraq war, the specter looms of smart bombs hitting thousands upon thousands of archaeological treasure troves. America assembled and archaeology team to uncover the artifacts before being destroyed. But that is not the case, and there are many archaeological sites in Iraq that haven’t been explored. There is a real likelihood of massive destruction of six or seven thousand-year-old treasures from the cradle of the world’s civilizations.

Weather Weather would be one of the most destructive things to artifacts and evidence but it also can preserve artifacts like below. When a flash flood or a earthquake happens it may destroy the evidence and never be found again

TouristsOne of the worlds biggest tourist attractions is set to close, to preserve the tombs of many Egyptian kings including those of Tutankhamen and Rameses III. They plan to build replica tombs for those who still want to visit. Should they close it or would you rather visit the real thing.

http://www.blubet.com/bet/1.7.2008_Should_the_Egyptians_close_the_Valley_of_the_Kings

They are planning to close it down because tourism are destroying the evidence. That are uncovering the Egyptian History.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y_vw3N78qk

This video shows how the temple in Jerusalem being destroyed today.

Preservation of evidence

Weather: Weather can help preserve ancient evidence through the preservation of ice. An example would be the ice man who was discovered under layers of ice and is believed to be over 5000 years old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUQItEnRnGE

Here is a video of chinese woman who lived 5000 years ago and still in contact. Her skin and her hair is still there also you can move her joint with out destroying this magnificent evidence. But still till today they do not no how she stayed preserve like this to this time.

Lesson for Wednesday 5th March

1. Using examples (modern or Ancient), discuss the difference between ‘fact’ and opinion’.

A fact is something that is something to do without dispute. An example of this would be Julius Caesar’s assassination in 44BC. Opinion would be something like it is a personal belief with no sufficient evidence. An example of this would be Masada if the jews really killed them selfs our not.

2. What factors affect the objectivity of authors of written sources?

bias and gender bias

3. What is gender bias? How has it manifested itself in the reporting of history over the millenia? Give three examples of gender bias? Is it still a problem today in historiography?   

Gender bias is when it is written by only one gender. In ancient times, it was only written by men so we only have the male perspective of life back then and not the females. Examples of gender bias is written can be Josephus how he wrote about the Roman emire.Gender bias is still a problem in today’s society.

Who is Josephus? When did he live? What did he write about? How have modern authors ‘deconstructed’ Josephus’ accounts? Do they consider him biased and Why?  Lastly, is his Bellum Judaicum useful as a source for the Jewish Revolt?

Josephus, was a 1st century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and royal ancestry who survived and recorded the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70. He lived from 37 until sometime after 100 AD. He wrote about the Jewish War and about the romans. They consider him bias because he only wrote about the good things about the roman empire.

MACHU PICCHU’S LOST TREASURES  

1. Where is Machu Picchu?

located between soaring mountains in the lush green highlands of Peru.  

2. The site was left to ruin in the ­­­­­­­­­­16 century until 1911. 

3. Who discovered the site and when?

In 1911, Explorer and Yale Professor, Hiram Bingham .   

4. For which university was he working?

Yale University.  

5. What did he find?

He discovered thousands of Silver statues, jewelry and human remains. 

6. In which museum are the finds located?

 Yale’s Peabody Museum.  

7.What is the debate surrounding these finds?

The Peruvian Government believes that all the pieces belong to Peru and to its people. These pieces located at Yale’s Peabody Museum come from Peru and have the right to Peru to own the pieces. As a result, the Peruvian Government strongly believe that the Museum have the right to own the pieces.  

8. Why the legal action?

Yale felt otherwise of returning the artifacts but Peru was unrelenting and legal action proved imminent.    

9. According to the spokesman from the Museum, why can there be problems if  artifacts are returned too quickly?

 One thing it is not really honoring its duty to preserve and protect the objects in the collection. There could also be another claimant the next day and you could only give an object back once, so you got to be sure your giving it back to the right heir.  

10. What has been the resolution of this ‘treasure war’ and why does this mean so much to the people of Peru?

Yale and the Government of Peru worked out a compromise. Yale agreed to return most of the objects following the completion of a travelling expedition co-sponsored by Yale and the Peruvian Government. The artifacts mean so much to the people of Peru because it is a source of national pride for Peru and they would be the guardians of there history.

PARTHENON MARBLES BATTLE

1. The Parthenon was built in honour of which ancient Greek goddess?

Greek goddess Athena.  

2. Where on the Parthenon is the marble frieze located?

band of the Parthenon above the columns.  

3. When and how did the Parthenon come to lie in ruins?

In 1687, it was blown up during a war between Venice and the Ottoman Empire which was then occupying Greece.  

4. Who was Lord Elgin and what did he do with sections of the frieze?

he was a British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire received what he construed as permission to remove the marble friezes and take them home to England.   

5. Why do some claim Elgin was the “vandal”?

 He cut up the frieze into sections so they can be shipped more easily to England 

6. Why does the British Museum (BM) claim legal title to the frieze?

The British Museum has legal title to the marbles. Moreover, it has a mission as a museum of all world cultures. The British Museum can uniquely provide is an opportunity see the Parthenon sculptures in context to civilisations that flourished around the times of ancient Greece.  

7.How much of the original frieze still stands in Athens?

Approximately, 50% are in athens and 50% about of that are in London.  

8. What is the opinion of Greek archaeologists on the matter?

The frieze itself depicts an important Athenian religious procession. They believe all the surviving pieces should be exhibited together because seen together they have a narrative. It is not correct for pieces so important to have fragments in different places and not placed together to the original building. 

9. How does the BM suggest they could resolve the ‘complicated’ situation?

They intend to in fill in the gaps of the Athenian frieze with copies of the British museum’s frieze so the visitors can have a more complete vision of the procession that’s depicted. On the basis of an exchange, or for a friendly co-operation would be possible to get back the absolute pattern. The trustee’s fund of a loans policy for Greece could take place.  

10. What is your stance on returning the frieze to Athens?  Do you agree that it should remain permanently in the BM except for loan periods?

I think that that the Bm should return the frieze to athens i do not agree for it to stay in Bm as it is athens culture and there history and a strong heritage to the greek god athena.

nature of sources and evidence

What are the main types of sources? archaelogical and written

What kinds of questions need to be asked of archaeological sources?

What is it?

In what context was it found?

Can it be accurately dated?

How does its condition affect its interpretation?

Is it reliable and useful in providing evidence about the past?

What evidence does this source provide about that past?

Do these questions differ from the questions asked of written sources? Why? Yes, because artefacts are not a written source they are something that some one may have created and the written evidence found has to be examined differently

What is meant by the saying that ‘historical writings reveal more about the author than the events or personalities being related’?this is is meant because the author is writing what is happening in the era and all the events that are occuring.

Go online and find one example of an ancient written source and one ancient archaeological source. Anaylse each one .

An exmaple of an ancient archaeolical source is the finding of tutankhamuns tomb.Tutankhamun died when he was around the age of 18 and stayed in has been his tomb at rest for about 3,300 years.tutankhamuns tomb wasa discovered by grave robbers in 1922.The major artifact that was found in his tomb was his golden pharoah mask.

An exmaple of an ancient written source is an ancient scroll from ancient greece archaeoligist believe that this scroll is europes oldes surviving book today.This scroll was found about 1962 it dates to around 340 B.C