Learning from History
..., a simple Aztec flute. I don’t have a specific reason why I chose this one, just thought it was interesting. The Stela 14 monument was anywhere from ten to twelve feet in height. It is covered with scriptures and hieroglyphics. The monument was created to document events over a period of time. Carved on the monument was a depiction of a female ruler. She is sitting on top of her throne and there is a man at her feet. It is suggested that the person is a victim of sacrifice. According to the description of the artifact, Stela 14 helped to prove that the Maya inscriptions spoke of history. This statue represented to the Maya’s what encyclopedia’s represent to us today. A timeline of historic details beautifully inscribed, which has provided us today with insight on the events of Mayan history. When looking at the mummies in the Egyptian gallery, one thing that struck me right away was there how small a frame they seemed to have. I wondered if I would be a giant to the people in ancient Egypt? The PUM II was a small man between the age of thirty-five to forty, wonderfully preserved. You could still see his toes, teeth, and hair fragments. The PUM II reminded me of how a human life span used to be so much shorter. When someone died, it’s almost unbelievable the steps taken to preserve the body. After observing the PUM II, one could determine that death was treated very different in Ancient Egypt than in modern times. Perhaps part of the mummification process was to believe the dead would one day come back to life, fully preserved. My third artifact is a flute from the Aztec civilization in central Mexico. The flute was wood carved and very small. It is an example of the Mesoamerican love for music that lasted for centuries. Obviously there were not as many musical instruments during the Aztec civilization as there are today. This simple flute must have represented to Aztec...