Write an essay of 7 pages (double-spaced, 12-pitch, one inch margins) addressing the following topic. Visit a virtual museum that has a display that is pertinent to the Rise of Civilization. Then write a paper that compares the relative value in understanding the nature of the society or region under discussion, and its place in comparative history. Consider the advantages and drawbacks of each mode of presentation: the course (lectures, slides, readings, recitations) and the display (objects, architecture, written documentation, oral tour). How, specifically and conceptually, do the two modes of knowing the past complement or eclipse the other? There are many good displays around, but the following are favorites: Egyptian wings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum, and the Mesoamerican and Andean galleries at the American Museum of Natural History. There may also be temporary exhibits that are of interest – If you choose a large exhibit, such as the Met’s Egyptian galleries (open storage, so you see everything), narrow your topic. For example, you can focus on the New Kingdom, gender roles, rulership, or the relationship between humanity and other powers.
