Ancient China 2019
Marist School's
Museum of Ancient Cultures
The Museum needs artifacts from ancient China. Because of your expertise in ancient civilizations you have been chosen as curators this term.
The museum only has space for a limited number of artifacts, so the Board of Directors has arranged a competition for its new curators. You must locate an artifact, research it, and present your findings. If you're successful, your artifact will go on display.
What's a curator?
Museum curators acquire artifacts for the museum. They know enough about the artifacts' construction to insure that they are displayed in a manner that preserves them. Curators also research cultural information about artifacts and interpret that information into displays that help the public understand the people who made them.
YOUR CHALLENGE
Fill the Museum with artifacts from Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties (A.D. 200-1644).
Research your artifact, its culture, and major events that happened in the area during that time.
Create a portfolio with a picture of your artifact, a map showing where it was found, a timeline, information on your culture, a list of works you consulted and pictures of your progress.
Create a museum card that describes your artifact and why it was important.
Present your artifact to the class, Mr. Martin, and Mr. Collier.
Complete Your Project in 5 Easy Steps
1
First you need to decide on an item that you think will make it into the museum.
Use the resources at the bottom of this page to find an artifact. Get at least one good picture of it.
FIRST WEEK TASKS:
1. Save a picture of your artifact to your network space or photocopy a picture from a book.
2. Write a citation for the picture like this:
"Title of the Artifact." Title of Website, URL. Date of Access.
3. Write down what your artifact is called, when and where it was found, and when it was made.
4. Begin planning your replica.
5. Document your progress--take pictures while you work.
You need to research your artifact's background so visitors to the museum will know more about it. If you're lucky, the source where you found your picture (in step 1) will also have detailed information about the item. If not, think about what your artifact represents--religious icon, food, game, tool--and look for information in the books.
SECOND WEEK TASKS:
1. Write about your artifact. Describe what it represents, how it was made, where it was found, and why an ancient person would think it was important.
2. Write citations for your sources of information like this:
Book - Author's last name, first name. Title of Book. City of publication, Publisher, copyright date. Print.
Web page - Author’s last name, first name (if given). “Page Title.” Title of Site, copyright date, URL.
Museum visitors will want to know more about your culture. Search the books and web sites for information about what was happening in the area when your item was made.
THIRD WEEK TASKS:
1. Use the Timeliner program to make a timeline of the period when your artifact was made and add five major points (migration periods, wars, important people's births and deaths, disasters, ruler's reigns, founding of cities, etc).
2. Write at least 3 paragraphs about the people who made your artifact.
3. Hand-draw a map of the area where your artifact was found.
Put the most interesting and important information from step 2 and 3 into a museum card.
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4
FOURTH WEEK TASK:
Type your information into a Word document.
Put the name of your artifact, its culture, when it was made
and your name(s) at the top.
Print out a copy to use for your presentation and bring it to class.
E-mail a copy to Mr. Collier collierb@marist.com
(Mr. Collier will use it to mount a card for your artifact.)
This information will hang in the museum alongside your artifact,
so be professional and make it interesting.
Example:
Stag Rhyton
1350 B.C.
Michaela Lopez
A rhyton is a drinking vessel that is shaped like an animal, in this case a stag. The head, body, handle, and antlers were formed separately and joined together. The head is connected by a checkered ring around the neck. Around the rim of the rhyton are a variety of carvings including a goddess with a cup in one hand and a bird on the other, a god standing on the back of a stag, and men worshiping the deities. Since the carvings depict a religious ceremony, it's likely this object was made for a religious purpose.
5
Put all your work together for your presentation.
1. Bring your artifact and your information to class.
2. Present the information you gathered in your research.
3. On the map, point out where your artifact was found.
4. Tell us about one or two important things on your timeline.
5. Show pictures of how you created your artifact.
You will have 3 to 5 minutes to present, so stick to the interesting stuff.
YOUR SOURCES:
WEBSITES WITH ARTIFACTS
Many of these links include items outside your culture or time period, so choose carefully.
You can adjust the date range using the "date/era" box.
Minneapolis Institute of Art: China Collection
Sort by list view to easily see the dates on objects.
Be careful! Some items may be outside your time period.
WEBSITES WITH MAPS, CULTURES, and DATES
Type in the name of your culture to find articles, maps, and timelines.
Click the time range for your artifact to learn more about the culture who created it.
BOOKS
with maps, cultural information and important dates for your timeline
Books about early China are at call number 931 and 950
Grading:
You will be evaluated on four aspects of this project: your presentation to the Board, the quality of your information, your cultural essay, and your artifact itself. Mr. Martin will grade each part of your project according to the handout given to you at the beginning of the project.
Conclusion:
Consider these questions:
Why was it important to use so many different sources of information?
Did creating a representation of your artifact help you better understand the people who wore it?
What did you learn about your civilization during this task?
What did you learn from your classmates' presentations?
Even though you may not become a museum curator, hopefully you will see where things you learn in Ancient Civ might apply in the "real world". You should have a better understanding of the ancient artist and a sense of style from the earliest cultures on earth. You will also exercise your ability to locate information in different forms and put it together so you can share your knowledge with others.