Hieroglyphics and the Egyptians | 3,000 BC

In the sixth century BC, what three civilizations invaded Egypt? 
Persia, then later by the Greeks and Romans. Post an example of the inside wall(s) of an Ancient Egyptian temple.

What was discovered on the inside of the temples?
Carved and painted images on every wall and surface.
Scholars believe that Ancient Egyptians were inspired and influenced by which written language?
Cuneiform and was influenced by the concept of expressing words in writing. 
What is the difference between logographic and alphabetic elements?
Logograms are visual symbols representing ideas or objects.
The term Hieroglyphic derived from what two Greek words?
"Sacred" and "Writing" What is a scribe? 
A school where students went to learn how to read and write. 
Who else was trained to read and write? Why?
Military leaders so they could communicate while in battle. Post an example of hieroglyphics on papyrus.

What is papyrus and how was it made?
Substrate made form reeds native to Egypt. Wet reeds are placed criss-cross over each other and flattened and dried, then rubbed with flat stone until the surface becomes smooth. 
What is a substrate?
A layer that underlies something. 
What were the Books of the Dead?
Scrolls written for the pharaohs and other important egyptians on papyrus.
How did Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics become a forgotten language?
When the Greeks and Romans ruled Egypt, few people were capable of reading them or writing them anymore.Post an example of the Rosetta Stone.

What is the Rosetta Stone? Where was it discovered?
A stone that had ancient hieroglyphics inscribed on it. It was discovered in Rosetta, Egypt. 
What three languages are included on the stone?
Greek, Hieroglyphics, and Demotic 
Why couldn't the text on the Stone be deciphered?
No one knew the languages. 
Who finally deciphered the text? What was his breakthrough?
Jean Francois Champollion. When he was able to match up the hieroglyphic symbols with the greek versions of the name Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses. 
Why does the interpretation of the Rosetta Stone have such significance?
It gives us insight on the ancient written languages an how those people lived. 

Cuneiform and the Sumerians | 3,000 BC

The Sumerians were one of the earliest types of this kind of civilization? What does that mean?
One of the first to have a theocratic culture ruled by a priest king. 
Why is the region of Sumer considered the Cradle of Civilization?
The land was so fertile, and that is were the first recorded language started.
What could the Sumerians practice year round because of the regions climate?
Agriculture.
Post an example of early Cuneiform (Sumerian pictograph).
Why was Cuneiform created?To help keep track of business transactions.
What medium was used to "write" Cuneiform? Explain the process of preparing and writing on this surface?
Clay talets. First you wet the clay, then form it into a flat surface, then use a wedge shaped stylus to make impressions, then leave it out to dry.
What did Cuneiform begin as a series of? 
A a series of pictographs: a pictorial or visual representation of an object.
Post an example of evolved Cuneiform (wedge-shaped).





























After it evolved over time, what shape did the characters of Cuneiform evolve into?
Cuneiform evolved into a wedge shaped language. 
Post an example of Akkadian Cuneiform.

After the Akkadians conquered, what happened to the Sumerian culture and written language?
They adopted the Sumerian culture and their written language.
What is a pictograph?
A pictorial or visual representation of an object.
Why did the creation of Cuneiform allow the Sumerians to become a sophisticated culture?
Because it was a great new form of communication.

Assignment 14: Research and Inspiration

This design poster catches my eye because of the use of
typography. The letters them self actually make up the heart
literally and metaphorically. 

Though this is a cover of a book, I like that he added what Publication
Design actually is on the front. "A guide to page layout, typography, format and
style.  It is a little boring for a cover of a book though. 

I like this poster because of the fun colors. If I glanced at this
poster, I would interested in what it was saying or meant.

Visual Organization

Visual Organization- not directing the audience through the design is misdirecting them.
Eye Movement- the typical eye moves left to right, top to bottom.

•  Controlling eye movement within a composition is a matter of directing the natural scanning tendency of the viewer's eye. 
• The eye tends to gravitate towards the areas of complexity first. 
• In pictures of people, the eye is always attracted to the face and particularly the eye. 
• Light areas of a composition will attract the eye, especially when to an adjacent dark area. 
• Diagonal lines or edges will guide eye movement. 

Optical Center- the spot where the human eye tends to enter the page. Optical center is lightly above mathematical (or exact) center and just to the left.

• It takes a compelling element to pull your eyes away from this spot. 

Z Pattern- our visual pattern makes a sweep of the page, generally, in the shape of a "Z"

• Effective page design maps a viewer's route through the information. 
• The designer's objective is to lead the viewer's eye to the important elements or information. 

Fonts- 

• No more than two fonts on one page, fonts should compliment each other.
• Avoid all caps, except on emphasized words. 
• Choose the right font, font should fit the theme and the tone of the design.
• Don't over use fancy or complicated fonts.
• www.typography.com/email/2010-03/index.htm 

Visual Hierarchy- will establish focal points based on their importance to the message that's being communicated

• A crucial part of the design process is to establish an order of elements, a visual structure, to help the viewer absorb the information
• To establish Visual Hierarchy: Ask yourself, What do I want to viewer to look at first, second, third..? 

The Grid-way of organizing content on a page, using any combination of margins, guide lines, rows and columns.  

• Can assist the audience by breaking info into manageable chunks and establishing relationships between text and images.  
• A grid consist of a distinct set of alignment-based relations that act as guides for distributing elements across a format. 
• Every design is different; therefore every design will require a different grid structure...one that addresses the particular elements within the design.  
• A grid is used to help clarify the message being communicated and to unify the elements. 

Cave Paintings- 35,000 years ago

What are cave paintings? 
Beautiful, detailed and colorful representations found on the inside of cave walls and ceilings. 
Name several common themes found in cave paintings?
The most common themes are large animals like bison, horses, and deer and tracings of human hands and abstract patterns.
How were these paintings created (tools, pigments)?
From mixing water, plant juice, animal blood, soil, charcoal, and hematite, a form of iron oxide.What is the most famous cave painting site? When was it discovered and by whom?
A cave in Lascaux, France, it was discovered in 1940 by four teenage boys.
Post an example of cave painting(s) from this cave.



















Why did this cave have to be closed? What was done to satisfy public curiosity?
Wall paintings were being damaged by the carbon dioxide emitted form the tourists. The French Government created Lascaux II, a man made replica of Lascaux.Post an example of cave painting(s) from Altamira cave.

In Altamira cave, why do most of the paintings have a red hue?
The red clay in the soil that was used to make paint. Who discovered this site? How old are the paintings confirmed to be?
Marceline Sanz De Sautuola and his daughter Maria. Nearly 19,000 years old.  What is the oldest known cave painting site? When was it discovered and by whom?Chauvet-Point Arc. It was discovered in 1994 by three speleologists. 
Post an example of cave painting(s) from this cave.
























What was different about the painting techniques at this site?
The walls were scraped clear of debris, 3D effects were created by etching around the edges, and they also found fossilized remains used for brushes. What is "speleology"?
The scientific study of caves. What three reasons do archeologists and historians believe prehistoric man created cave paintings?



To tell a story or recount an event that already happened. Created as an instructional visual aid to help teach about hunting techniques. Or created for magical or religious reasons.