Augusta McMahon’s ‘Space, Sound, and Light: Toward a Sensory Experience of Ancient Monumental Architecture’

Augusta McMahon’s article ‘Space, Sound, and Light: Toward a Sensory Experience of Ancient Monumental Architecture’ discusses the aspects of movement created by a manipulation of the space, sound, and light in the ancient Mesopotamian architectural structure of a 1st millennium neo-Assyrian citadel in Khorsabad. The article points out that the citadel of Khorsabad was a representation of imperial power. As the article mentions that architectural structures could be representations of archetypes such as power, authority etc. McMahon also mentions that the lack of symmetry in Khorsabad’s citadel is not a testament to the lack of power represented by this Mesopotamian structure rather it means that the citadel uses other architectural features to enhance the ideas of power and authority, for instance light and sound. McMahon also builds a sense of the power the city of Khorsabad would once have commanded based on an architectural analysis of the city walls and the structures located within the city. The observation of the Mesopotamian also revealed that cities during this ancient time were not extensively planned like they are today instead the cities just developed according to necessity and the time’s requirements. Thus, the concept of urban planning was not in practice in structuring Mesopotamian cities. Similarly, Khorsabad too was an unplanned city. The citadel of Khorsabad utilized techniques of architecture that played with light, sound, and space thereby creating an impact of power through the structure.

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            The book chapter ‘An Archeology of Violence’ by Zainab Bahraini discusses how war is a form of organized violence. The chapter also explores the practices of violence and war in the Mesopotamian societies. Bahraini highlights that in the Mesopotamian society war and violence was not considered as something bad but rather it was a necessary part of urbanized interactions. War and violence was not regarded as being barbaric instead it was a form of civilized behavior for the Mesopotamian people. The chapter offers an introductory foundation for the rest of the book which analyzes the ideologies and philosophies regarding war for the Mesopotamians. As the Mesopotamian civilization was one of the first in the world to expand as an imperial force war and violence was a major part of this civilization because expansion equals conflicts and wars. The chapter also summarizes what each book chapter is going to include as it is an introductory chapter of the book. Lastly, Bahraini ends the chapter by drawing links between modern ideologies and attitudes regarding war and violence with those of the Mesopotamians.

 

 

 

Works Cited

Bahrani, Zainab. “Introduction: An Archeology of Violence.” Bahrani, Zainab. Rituals of War: The Body and Violence in Mesopotamia. New York: Zone Books, 2008. 9-21.

McMahon, Augusta. “Space, Sound, and Light: Toward a Sensory Experience of Ancient Monumental Architecture.” American Journal of Archaeology (2013): 163-179.

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