Development of Ancient Greek Burial Customs Essay

Development of Ancient Greek Burial Customs - Essay Example While certain cultures developed deep veneration such as worshipping one’s ancestors, other cultures developed more simple attitudes such as leaving the dead to the mercy of the elements. In this sense, the burial rites and their evolution in ancient Greece was of importance since Greece is considered as the pinnacle of the earliest ancient civilizations. Burial rites underwent major transformations in ancient Greece as the civilization moved from one period to another. The practices revolved around inhumation, cremation, leaving offerings, buildings graves and tombs. Various periods had various characteristics that defined burial rites. This paper will explore the various ideas and attitudes in regards to Greek burial rites, rituals and customs that evolved over the years. The practice of burying the dead existed in ancient Greece early on and there were little changes in the basic practices. The earliest burials in Greece can be traced back to the Mycenaean period. The Mycen aean culture tended to bury the dead along with his possessions and there is some evidence to indicate that graves were being reused. The Mycenaean burial tradition is special since a connection to the dead person was always maintained. Graves typically had an altar and a funnel like structure that extended into the grave. These funnels were used to pour libations into the graves (Stevanovic 40). Inhumation was the dominant practice but there is evidence to suggest cremation as well. The dead were cremated so that their souls could leave the body easily and immediately. In addition, cremation was carried out so that the ghost of the dead would not disturb the relatives. The cremated remains were typically entrusted to an amphora that was then buried as a regular body would be buried. This method of burial was practiced just before the Bronze Age. Greek burial practices differed widely from previous ones in the Bronze Age. Previously both adults and children had been cremated or had been alternatively buried as per the dominant cultural trend. However, in the Bronze age it was common that the adults would be cremated while the children would be buried. The only common feature in these burials was that both were inhumed either in pit graves or in chamber tombs as per social status. It was typically to bury items of personal possession as well as items related to daily use. An exploration of graves and tombs from the Bronze Age in Greece has revealed that burial areas contained utensils, cooking pots, oil flasks, jewelry and in a few cases weapons. It is believed that the weapons have been removed from the graves of adult warriors. In certain cases, offerings of food and drinks were also buried with the dead, perhaps with the view that the dead may require this for his journey into the afterlife. It must be noted that graves from this period did not contain the funnel like structures from the previous periods and libation into the grave was not possible. Addition ally, since the buried person was already cremated, there was little possibility that libation could be poured into the amphora. As the Greek civilization progressed from simple religious structures to more complicated ones, the manner of burial evolved with it. Compared to the earliest times, the Greeks had begun to distinguish between adults and childr

The cultural impact of computer recording on popular music Essay

The cultural impact of computer recording on popular music - Essay Example ement of old analogue machines used in music recording by computers should be considered as unavoidable since computers ‘are able both to store and reproduce sound much more accurately than the old analogue machines’ (Dawe 2004, 125). Another important aspect of the introduction of computers in music recording is highlighted in the study of Dawe (2004); in accordance with the above researcher, the use of computers in music recording allowed the increase of production of music (Dawe 2004, 19) – reference is made specifically to the pop music which has been mostly benefited by the involvement of computers in the specific field. In any case, the introduction of computerized systems in music recording increased the potentials of music producers for the production of high quality music – referring to the advanced features available to the music producers compared to the past where the time required for the recording of a music piece could be significant mostly b ecause of the limited technical potentials of the analogue systems – which were used in music recording up to the introduction of the computer systems in the particular field (Baldauf et al 2008, 319). The above fact is also highlighted in the study of Gordon (2005) who noted that the production of music of improved quality – referring to the aesthetic aspect of each music piece, is another benefit of the use of computerized systems in music recording (Gordon 2005, 184). Moreover, it is noted that the introduction of advanced computerized systems in the music recording supported the development of certain brands – mostly those related to the clothing/ accessories of pop music; the volume of pop music produced was increased and its expansion globally made easy; industries which were depended on the pop... This "The cultural impact of computer recording on pop music" essay outlines that the involvement of computer in the production and the process of pop music changed it. Important aspect is highlighted in the study of Dawe (2004); in accordance with the above researcher, the use of computers in music recording allowed the increase of production of music (Dawe 2004, 19) – reference is made specifically to the pop music which has been mostly benefited by the involvement of computers in the specific field. The introduction of computerized systems in music recording increased the potentials of music producers for the production of high quality music – referring to the advanced features available to the music producers compared to the past where the time required for the recording of a music piece could be significant mostly because of the limited technical potentials of the analogue systems – which were used in music recording up to the introduction of the computer sy stems in the particular field. The above fact is also highlighted in the study of Gordon (2005) who noted that the production of music of improved quality is another benefit of the use of computerized systems in music recording (Gordon 2005, 184). Apart from the historical development of music recording, the sociological aspects of the specific activity are also important for understanding its cultural context, especially in regard to the freedom provided to music producers to produce and sell their music pieces in the international market.