Diana+L

=**Primary Source Unit Four:**=

= __The Trans-Siberian Railway__ =

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Construction began in 1891 when it was approved by Nicholas II, and was monitored by Sergei Witte. The Trans-Siberian Railway was inspired by the First Transcontinental Railroad in the US in it's building style. One of the first cities to be connected was Noconikolaevsk, which ultimately became the large city of Novosibirsk due to its integration with the rest of Russia through the railway.=====

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When Russia's industrialization began in the nineteenth century the entire nation changed. The originally serf-driven, agriculturally founded economy was transitioned into a more industrial and worker based one when the expansion of railroads allowed smaller, rural areas to be connected to urban ones so that workers could travel from home to their jobs with ease.===== Another thing that the railway has been credited for is Russia's loss in the Russo-Japanese War. This was was fought when the tracks were not very well developed and supplies were not easily delivered to soldiers. Trains could carry men and ammunition from east to west, but the delays created by the inefficient system allowed for the Japanese to advance further into Russian territory while Russian soldiers were busy struggling to find materials.

In the end, the Siberian agriculture took off to due it's ability to export not only around Russia but to Europe. Cheap grains coming from human labor were consistently being delivered from here, while Central Russia was still facing the effects of the emancipation of the serfs in 1861. To prevent any worsening in Central Russia, a tariff was passed for the grain in both Chelyabinsk and Manchuria, which could later have been a contribution in the Manchuria dispute that led Russia into war with Japan. = = = = =**Primary Source Unit Three:**= = __Dormition (Assumption) Cathedral, Moscow__ =

The results of the Tatar rule in Russia were devastating. People were both uneducated and lacking in Russian culture. After decades of healing, westernized architecture began to take a huge role in the recreation of Russia. A great symbol of this liberation and evolution was the creation of the Cathedral of the Dormition of Moscow (not to be confused with the one in Vladimir).
 * //Historical Significance// **

The Dormition Cathedral in Moscow was both the home and the creator of many huge events in Russian History. It was built by Ivan I in the 14th century originally, and repeatedly destroyed by poor architectural work and natural disasters until the 15th century, when Ivan III recruited an Italian architect and engineer to construct the cathedral for the final time, marking the beginning of a region-wide westernization. When completed it was said to combine both the Renaissance and Russian architecture. The Dormition Cathedral also served as a massive influence in the building of later Russian monuments.

Here is where Ivan the Terrible, the first Tsar of Russia, was coronated. Later on it would also be location of many Russian emperor coronations (late 1700's). The ritual installations of priests, or metropolitans, could also be found here along with the declaration of patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church. The cathedral is currently a tomb for many of these influential people. During the Time of Troubles, the Dormition Cathedral would be continuously looted and damaged until complete restoration in the 20th century.

It's cool to see how the Renaissance reached Russia. Because, at least for me, whenever I think of the Renaissance, I definitely never think of Russia because of the unique architectural style that can't be found in places like Italy which are famous for their artistic endeavors. It's interesting to see the similarities in architecture between countries which were touched by the Renaissance. Mojan



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The Cathedral is a 6-pillared, 5-domed building constructed of limestone and white-stone blocks. It also features columns that bear great resemblance to the well-known Greek Corinthian columns. Here you can also many religious icons inside along with great symbols of wealth and nobility, signifying the end of the Mongol rule that plagued their country with poverty and simplicity and the beginning of Russia's steps towards becoming more European-oriented.===== One thing that has me confused- if such great westernizing progress was already being made in Moscow, was it really necessary for Peter to move the capital to St. Petersburg? Or was that just him asserting his power and influence? This was very fascinating! Russian architecture is very interesting, and I absolutely love the round domes atop each of the high pillars. What were some examples of the religious icons within the walls of the cathedral? Very interesting! -Olivia Wargo

Hypatia of Alexandria popped out to me in the beginning simply because she was the most prominent woman in the painting. Hypatia is known to be the first female contributor in the male dominated field of science and math, focusing primarily on philosophy- taught to her by her father. Hypatia's vast amount of knowledge gave her a prestigious teaching position where she taught the work of scholars like Plato and Aristotle. One may think at first that a well known father was the primary reason for her success, but she is remembered today mainly for her contributions in the math and science field- subjects her dad was never able to master. For example, Hypatia invented an apparatus dealing with water along with an advanced astrolabe that allowed her to measure the positions of planets, stars, and more. Hypatia is very inspiring, I'm sure she braved some strong opposition being the first woman to do what she had done. Besides the sexism she faced, because of her beliefs that contradicted common Christians ideals, she was facing a lot of pressure from many sources to end her research, which she refused to do. In 415CE Hypatia was eventually faced by an opposition so strong she was extensively tortured, burned, and killed. Her work is crucial to the success and impression of the Renaissance. One person I believe should've been included is Ferdinand Magellan. Although the majority of the people that were painted were not explorers, and were mostly philosophers and mathematicians, Magellan plays a large role in the history of the Renaissance. Magellan was the first person to (nearly) circumnavigate the entire world. This just shows that the Renaissance was a time of great academic advancement. Great suggestion! -SW
 * SCHOOL OF ATHENS: Hypatia of Alexandria **


 * PRIMARY SOURCE QUARTER 2: The Yasa of Chinggis Khan**

When Chinggis Khan was elected the khagan of the Mongol tribes in 1206, the Mongol domination of the world began. With the massive expansion of land came a huge problem- how were the Mongols going to guide their people along with their millions of conquered subjects? Governing a large area became an easier task when Chinggis Khan developed a code of law knows as "The Yasa" or "The Great Code". The Great Code was not seen formally written many times by the Mongols, rather referenced in many writings by the Persian and the Chinese. It was more of an unspoken mindset between the Mongols, while more specific within the conquered areas.

Adoption of the law was seen in nearly all conquered regions. The Chinese went as far as creating their own version of The Yasa. The laws primarily focus on the harsh punishments that many people were forced to face when committing relatively petty crimes (In this way, the Yasa may remind some people of the Code of Hammurabi). One particular thing that differed from previously seen codes was the mention of women in the Yasa integrated with the laws for men. This showed that Mongol women did not face the same political separation that we have seen in previous societies.

Besides the militaristic and political standards that were forced upon citizens, a part of the code revealed that the Mongols promoted a very appealing ideal that had not been emphasized before, "All religions were to be respected and that no preference was to be shown to any of them. All this is commanded in order that it might be agreeable to heaven." This religious tolerance was most likely put in place to prevent any religious dispute from conquered groups. The Mongols also specified who was to be taxed, and who was not, preventing them from transforming into what the Japanese became when their code was established. This might force one to wonder if more of an open religious mindset and a less gender oriented belief may have contributed to Mongolian success. And it also may force people to ask, is this comparable to the spread of Chinese influence? If they had a more flexible governing system- is it possible that they would have had more success in their spread, and ultimately have created a strong enough force to halt the seemingly invincible Mongol attack?

I don't think there was much the Chinese could do with having an enemy like the Mongols, being lead by none other than Genghis Khan, right at the northern border. What I'm more interested in is what would have happened in Russia if the princes there submitted to being ruled by the Yasa? Did the Golden Horde still follow the Yasa when they invaded? Would the Golden Horde have had enough time to conquer Europe if they didn't have to deal with those pesky Russians?-Keegan Hunter

 One of the greatest mysteries of the Olmec civilization in Mesoamerica is the Olmec heads that were found deep in the Mexican jungle. //How did they get there? What did they mean? How were they built?// //__**To begin with... Who were the Olmecs?**__// The Olmec civilization was one developed before the Mayans and the Aztecs in around 1200 BCE. When artifacts from the Olmec civilizations were first discovered, many believed that the advanced Mayans were actually the ones responsible for constructing them. After further research, it was found that Olmecs had predated all other Mesoamerican civilizations. Archaeologists went as far as referring to the Olmecs as the "mother culture of Mexico." The Olmecs were known to have a wide influence during their time, evidence of this is in central Mexico, where similar structures were constructed by the Aztecs. Did you know: Just a few years ago, researches uncovered an ancient city bearing similarities to Olmec culture. The city is referred to as Zazacalta, read more about it here: []
 * CLASS STARTER: OLMEC HEADS**

//What are the Olmec Heads?// Olmec Heads are monumental structures found within a city named La Venta. There are 17 of these massive statues known to man, all believed to be sculptures of Olmec rulers. These statues weighed nearly 40 tons and were two meters high. The date set to the building of these heads ranged anywhere from the beginning of the civilization to the end. Some traces of pigment left on the rock tell us that the heads may have been painted at some time. The heads have been found all around major Olmec cities including La Venta, San Lorenzo, Tres Zapotes, and La Cobata.

//The Mystery: How did the Olmecs transport the rock they needed to build the statues?// The mystery remains in how the Olmecs transported the basalt rock necessary to build the statues. The closest area where the stone used was naturally occurring was anywhere from 50-100 miles away from where the statues were found in the Tuxtla Mountains. Between La Venta and Tuxtla were winding rivers and hills making the moving of such massive amounts of rock unimaginable. Seeing that the transportation was so difficult, there was no way to have easily constructed these statues without the use of hours of manual labor. It is clear that nobody had enough influence to invest this much time and effort into the construction besides a ruler himself.

//What did the Olmecs use to construct the heads?// The Olmecs used stone tools (hammerstones) to carve the heads out of massive chunks of rock, for they did not have any metal tools. This fact makes the entire artifact far more significant. The amount of effort placed into each one of these shows evidence of a developed civilization.

//What resources were utilized in the construction?// The labor necessary to make these statues originated from many different men of many different skills. The task would require sculptors, boatmen, tool constructors, not to mention those responsible for helping the statues move across land (the pushers and the pullers!). The raw material comes from a volcano, so quarrying was never required.

One major idea to take from Olmec Heads is the amount of cooperation and coordination required to construct these heads. These heads show evidence of an advanced civilization.


 * Primary Source: The Egyptian Sculpture of** **Tutankhamen**

Tutankhamen was an Egyptian pharaoh around 1300 BCE, but many people know him as King Tut. Tutankhamen was buried in a lavish tomb located in the Valley of the Kings that was nearly intact when discovered in 1922. This re-sparked an interest for Egyptian history, and more details were soon uncovered. A common pattern we have seen is the tendency for rulers to intermarry within their families, what we may not have considered is the severity of the birth defects. Due to the mummification executed by the Egyptians, we are able to observe that the genetic features that he carried may have not been as subtle as one would imagine. Tutankhamen's family was known to have heads that would bulge slightly more than usual, and he himself suffered from a case of scoliosis. In ancient artwork this idea is never seen. Without being told, looking directly at the art would not give one the idea that the ruler of the civilization was the product of incest. Is it possible that the Egyptians wanted to portray their leader as more iconic than he truly was? Pharaohs were seen as God-like figures, would showing that they have imperfections ultimately weaken the overall appeal factor of Egypt? This creates a new question entirely; Did the Egyptians know incest would ultimately lead one of their rulers to an untimely death at the young age of 19?

In this picture we see the Khepresh, or the //blue crown//. The blue crown would typically be worn in military and ceremonial circumstances. This was claimed to evoke the divine power of the pharaoh, which is the reason we see it so often in royal Egyptian artwork.

Source: The Metropolitan Museum Timeline of Art History

Hey Diana! I love your questions about a pharaoh having imperfections…it really does lead us to wonder what it was like in Ancient Egypt. Did the public actually ever see the Pharaoh or did they only see the perfect artwork portraying the Pharaoh? The incest aspect was very interesting as well and I know it has been repeated throughout history in different ruling families. Was incest possibly a way to keep the royal blood pure? I can't think of any other reasons someone might want to marry their brother or sister. -Grace Lane

Hey this is awesome stuff Diana, nice research. I think it’s very interesting that the Pharaoh would allow artwork to portray his imperfections. It seems like the Pharaoh would see himself as perfect and would ensure that any artwork of him would show that. Also if the people of Egypt believed their Pharaohs were gods wouldn't they see them as flawless and perfect? Why would the Egyptians leave their Pharaoh's legacy as flawed or even see him flawed in the first place? - Justice Read