Weekly #2

Adam Beard
Honors Western Civilization

Question: Is 'Change' a Good Thing or a Bad Thing? (Relate to the origins of art, the agricultural revolution, architecture and urban planning in Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley.

            Change is a good thing in some points of views but in others, this topic can be used in a negative point of view. But in my view, change is a good thing for a number of reasons. Change was good especially in the times of the Mesopotamian and Indus River Valley civilizations because change was needed to progress forward in their civilizations. Changes in new ideas and how to do things helped these civilizations prosper and move forward in their progress. So I think change helped these groups do what was needed to stay alive and fight on and advance in their thoughts and customs. This is why change is a good thing for the civilizations in this era of history.

            The origins of art are what began our focus on historical events. The first know art piece is the Venus of Willendorf and many came after that like the cave paintings in Lascaux. These art pieces are the basis of what happened in the past and art has changed over the years to model different time periods. As new time periods came about, different kinds of art were made to depict that time in history, and it is changing. So change is good with art because we can see what the different cultures back then used as their beginning art drawings and figures, which can lead to change over time. With different cultures, we can see how change occurs through their origins of art since they depict what it was like at the time of their existence.

            The agricultural revolution was probably the most important event in the Neolithic Times. This event was a change from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement. Change was good with this because now people could settle in houses and grow their own food instead of hunting far wars for it. This time period also lead to the development of cities where people could have protection for their farms. This period was important for change because new ways of living were developed and people could live their lives in an easier but successful way. This revolution changed lives of many people and provided new techniques and ideas for people to be more efficient with farming and developing. With more families coming about, growing crops was essential for supporting them with a lot of food to eat at all times of the day. 

            Architecture also provides a positive change in history. People back then advanced to homes made from mud that would provide a shelter for them. This was a key piece of architecture that helped changed shelter for many hunters and gatherers that lived in the wild. The change in architecture back then was key for providing a safe place for people to live with city walls and vast structures protecting them from outside.  Also great statues for people to worship changed many people’s view of current religions in that time. Many tall and public palaces were also built with lavish furniture. This shows progression in the design of many buildings back then. So change in architecture was needed for many people so they had a sustainable and supported home to live in, instead of living in the wild.

            In Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, planning for cities was extremely important, as cities sheltered and protected many people. Cities back then didn’t just protect people; it protected their crops and agricultural products too. The change to cities during this time was extremely important to the farming and development of many people. This change to cities helped the civilizations back then prosper and grow with more jobs available for more people so they could make money to support themselves. Urban planning also gave change to social interaction since cities were a good place to interact with people of different cultures. The creation of cities also lead to a central marketplace where you could trade the crops that farmers grew with people of other countries in exchange for other crops. The change to cities was a huge part of history back then and they helped civilizations in so many ways possible that they were the main place to be in society. The creation of cities was one of the biggest changes a civilization back then could have.