Features of ancient cultures

1. Primitive culture

The period of cultural antiquity (primitive culture) is determined by the following framework: 40-4 thousand years BC. e. Within this period are:

1) the ancient stone age (paleolithic): 40-12 thousand years BC. e.;

2) Middle Stone Age (Mesolithic): 12-7 thousand years BC. e.;

3) New Stone Age (Neolithic): 7-4 thousand years BC. e.

A common feature of all primitive cultures is syncretism (syncretism) - the indivisibility of different types of human activity, characteristic of an undeveloped, primitive state of culture.

Life processes were presented as a whole. The ritual preceding the hunt, the image of the animals being killed, the process of hunting itself are equivalent links in one process.

Totemism is intertwined with syncretism - a complex of beliefs and rituals of a tribal society associated with ideas of kinship between groups of people and totems (certain animals, plants).

There were totems of a particular person, clan, tribe. Totems were designed to protect people. The emergence of totemism is associated with the inability of primitive people to cope with the unpredictable behavior of animals with the help of rational means.

Primitive culture is a culture of taboos (prohibitions). The custom of taboo appeared along with totemism. Taboo played the role of the most important mechanism of control and regulation of social relations. Gender and age taboo regulated sexual relations in the team, food taboo determined the nature of the food intended for a particular person.

Other taboos are connected with the inviolability of the home or hearth, with the rights and obligations of each of the representatives of the tribe.

The taboo was formed as a result of the need for survival (the introduction of certain mandatory laws and orders for all). Exogamy arose on the basis of the taboo system.

Exogamy is a system in which the closest relatives (parents and children, siblings) are excluded from marital relations.

Exogamy contributed to the social regulation of marriage, the emergence of clan and family.

Ritual in the primitive era is the main form of human social existence, the main embodiment of the human ability to act.

The ritual became the basis of industrial-economic, spiritual-religious and social activities.

The ritual takes the form of prayer, chants and dances. Sign systems appear within the ritual, which later became the basis for art and science. Myth is born from ritual.

Myth - this is a kind of universal system that determines the orientation of a person in nature and society. The myth fixes and regulates the ideas of a person about the world around him, touches upon the fundamental problems of being.

In the primitive era, there were many forms of art. The magical concept of the origin of culture states that the origin of art is magical rites and beliefs.

The emergence of art in the primitive era is associated with labor activity and the development of communication.

Communication became possible thanks to articulate sound speech, through drawing, gesture, singing, dancing.

The oldest form of fine art is graphics. Then came painting, the first samples of sculpture, the first works of architecture (megaliths - places of worship made of huge unprocessed stone blocks).

2. Features of the great cultures of antiquity (Sumer and Ancient Egypt)

Culture of Sumer. The period of great archaic cultures (4-6 centuries BC) includes primarily:

1) the formation of the first centers of high culture in Mesopotamia: Sumer and Akkad - 4 thousand years BC. e.;

2) the origin of the ancient Egyptian civilization - the end of the XNUMXth millennium BC. e. The next after the primitive stage in the history of world culture is connected with Mesopotamia. It was Sumer that became the first center of statehood. The Sumerians, working tirelessly, laid the foundations for the further economic and cultural development of Mesopotamia (Mesopotamia). They invented the wheel to the wagon, the potter's wheel, and bronze. In the field of mathematics, the Sumerians knew exponentiation, they could extract roots, use fractions.

The Sumerians used visual arts to convey important moments in history. Thanks to the creation of cuneiform writing - the oldest known type of writing, a variety of ideographic writing - they were able to record oral stories, becoming the founders of literature. One of the most famous literary works of the ancient Sumerians is the Tale of Gilgamesh, the mythical Sumerian king.

Schools first appeared among the Sumerians - "tablet houses". The students read and wrote on clay tablets.

In parallel with Ancient Sumer, the Ancient Egypt. In it, the rules of Maat, the goddess of the world order, were essential. These rules were taught to people from early childhood. They contained the foundations of a culture of behavior, accustomed to discipline, restraint and modesty. If a person can adapt to all the rules of Maat, then he will be happy. Happiness for the ancient Egyptians is a great value; on the basis of this, the most ancient system of hedonism (ethics of pleasure) was developed. Life, its joyful moments were valued so that the Egyptians created their own version of the afterlife (in the kingdom of Osiris, only the best that was in their earthly life awaits them).

The Old Kingdom is the early period of Ancient Egypt. A written language was formed, which was due to the presence of large farms and the need to conduct state office work.

The figure of a scribe occupies a prominent place; scribes were specially trained in schools attached to temples.

Thanks to the invention of writing, the development of ancient Egyptian literature became possible (ancient myths, fairy tales, fables, philosophical dialogues, didactics, hymns, lamentations, love lyrics, etc.).

Specific Institute of Ancient Egypt "House of Life". It performed the following functions:

1) hymns and sacred songs were created in it, reflecting certain philosophical concepts;

2) didactic literature was developed;

3) magic books containing medical information were systematized, stored, made available there;

4) developed theoretical and practical guidelines for the activities of artists, sculptors and architects;

5) there were classes in mathematics and astronomy.

Authors: Islamgalieva S.K., Khalin K.E., Babayan G.V.

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