Power Dynamics in Archaeology, Essay Example

Sources of power

Michael Mann relies on the IEMP model to define power. He views power as controlling influence resulting from the combined aspects of ideology, economy, military, and politics, which create different yet complementary sets of power for people within a specific society or state. In his view, ideology, economy, military, and politics are inherently independent sets of processes and institutions.

Based on the IEMP model, Mann identifies four sources of power: ideological, economic, military, and political. According to Mann, these sources of power consist of an establishment of key social networks existing in real human societies since the start of historical records to this day.

Ideological power emanates from the need by people to search for the definitive meanings of life, to take part and share in ritual and aesthetic cultural practices. Archaeological evidence of the Bronze and Neolithic Ages of the Thy in Denmark also provides evidence of ideological power in Europe. In particular, it shows the “Single Grave Culture” of 2600 BC, where the low heap of the earth with battle axes mark the graves of single while those with elaborate amber necklaces mark women’s graves. These showed some form of ranking and personal status.

Political Power refers to the concentrated regulation of social aspects of life and territories. Its key function is to identify and enforce order in the society. Archaeological evidence of the Bronze and Neolithic Ages of the Thy in Denmark consist of the megalithic monuments and the impressive barrow cemeteries that show the Thy people’s historical, social ranking and central leadership. The megalithic monuments in Denmark have become significant for the study of the evolution of chiefdoms in Europe, and how productive resources were the futile source of social power.

Civilization

Civilization is an advanced state of human society where a high degree of science, culture, government, and industry has been attained. Examples of ancient civilization include the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilization. Based on Childe’s list, the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilization can be analyzed based on the monumental art, System for recording information and religion.

In Egypt, the process of hieroglyphic writing to record information dates back to c. 3000BC. It allowed Egyptian linguistics to record their works. An example includes the Rosetta stone of ca 196 BC. It consisted of formal scripts for tombs and stone monuments. It was written from right to left, and often in rows that ran horizontally. In Mesopotamia, the early forms of recording information were cuneiform, which dates back to the mid-4th millennium BC.

Religion was inherent in the Egyptian civilization since its beginning. The Pharaonic rule was rooted in the divine privileges of the kings. Examples of archaeological evidence include the Ka statue that offered a physical place for the Ka to stay. In Mesopotamia, polytheistic religion goes back to the start of Mesopotamian civilization. The gods and goddesses also stayed in pantheons. Enlil was considered the most powerful god.

Monumental Arts in Mesopotamia date back to the 4th millennium BC. The most famous architectural remains from Mesopotamian civilization include temple complexes situated at Uruk that was built in the 4th millennium BC. It consists of palaces and temples from the Early Dynastic period. In Egypt, the monuments also date back to the start of Egyptian civilization. Examples of early monuments include the monumental temples, pyramids, and obelisks of the New Kingdom (1549–1069 BC), such as the ‘mortuary temple’ called Djeser-Djeseru is at Deir el-Bahri.

Discovery of King Tut’s tomb

In 1922, the discovery of King Tut’s (who ruled Egypt between 1333 B.C and 1323 B.C) tomb presented the modern world with a concrete evidence of one of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs. While King Tut was initially thought of as a minor king who died aged 19 years, the discovery of his tomb, which contained unexpected wealth, has made historians to acknowledge that he was indeed the most famous of the Egyptian pharaohs.

The tomb also triggered a new public and archaeological interest in ancient Egypt for which Tutankhamun’s golden death mask has remained a popular symbol of Egyptian civilization. King Tut’s mummy was also wrapped in custom-made bandages, which provided the first concrete evidence for Egyptian burial rituals, as well as insights into pharaoh’s mummification. The beetle-shaped yellow-green glass that King Tut wore as a necklace, known as scarab, was also a symbol of power. It has a silica content of around 99%, and as such, is the purest glass in the world.

The tomb has also ensured that King Tut remains one of the most unforgotten Egyptian Pharaohs. Ancient Egyptians viewed the treasures in the tomb as the continuance of the King Tut’s life. The tomb also provided evidence into the belief of the Ancient Egyptians in the afterlife, as well as their customs and traditions regarding a preservation of the body of the kings and religious beliefs regarding the afterlife.

In sum, since the discovery of the tomb, King Tut has become the most identifiable Pharaoh in the modern world even as he was initially thought of as a minor ruler. The idea, however, changed based on the materials discovered in his tomb, all of which attest to his greatness.