Talking with the Past. My interview

For my interview I decided to carry on the theme I started in my first post on the Khmer, so I talked to a eastern studies Professor and to a survivor of the Khmer Rouge. For my brief summary of Cambodian History and the distinction between the Khmer and the Khmer Rouge click here.

Khmer History

As I have been talking with you this week I have realized that I have been unclear in explaining the actual history of the Khmer and Cambodia. Here is a brief summary of the events that I have mentioned in my two previous posts and an explanation of the terms I used.

The Mycenaeans Continued.

Sorry for the late post! I was unable to conduct my interview for this week, so instead I decided to focus more on the transfer of knowledge within the Mycenaean (Greek) culture.

Like I noted in my previous post, there were different social classes among the Mycenaeans, the king (or rulers), palace men and the peasants. But even though "there was a distinct pecking order within this highly structured society...it was not overwhelmingly oppressive" (Rodney Castleden 84). Because of this, the lower class members of society had considerable freedom of action, which allowed them to speak their mind and pass on oral information without much censorship by those in power.

Socrates.

During this time, knowledge was passed on verbally through mentors. Philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle verbally communicated their ideas and thoughts with their mentors and students through the questioning and debate methods.

As citizens began to develop a better understanding of oral communication, the development of two different dialects began to occur. "The Mycenaeans spoke at least two different dialects, unrelated to the different Greek dialects of later times" (Castledon 89). One dialect was used by the upper class scribes. They used their spoken dialect when using Linear B writing system, a written form of communication that the Mycenaeans are most known for. The other dialect which sometimes appears in the Linear B tablets seems to reflect how the lower class citizens spoke.

Plato.

Aristotle.

This form of writing tells of the Trojan War, mentioned in Homer's epic poems. It is unsure if the Trojan war had anything to do with the downfall of the Mycenaean Civilization, however, it is known that the Mycenaean Civilization fell shortly after (within two decades).

Today, much of what we know about the Mycenaean language and culture has been passed down mostly through written history. "The language of the Mycenaeans, however did survive, as Greek, and from what we have seen some of their history and poetry survived too, in the tradition preserved in Homer" (Castleden 229).

Castleden, Rodney. Myceneans. New York: Routledge, 2005. Print.

A) True B) False C) Other

The last few weeks I have posted a bit about the Hopi and their oral history.  First I gave a bit of an overview of their beliefs and then I posted more about their story and legends of how the Hopi people came to arrive here.  This week I want to talk a little more about how these stories are passed on and may evolve over time.  The picture below is of some Hopi kachina dolls.  Kachina in the Hopi tradition are spirit beings that represent anything in the natural world or in the cosmos.  They are said to have power over the many elements.

Hopi Kachina Dolls

Oral Education and the Etruscan World, part 2

Last week, I posted about education in the Etruscan world, based on my reading on the topic. Earlier today, I posted a bit about the process it has been to try and contact someone for an oral interview this week. It was really a lot more work than I planned to put into this class. However, something finally came through! 

group discussion link on YouTube

Our discussion is on YouTube in 720p!
Check it out here!

Stay Tuned. Here's Why.

This week, our assignment was to conduct an oral interview with someone who knew something about the civilization to which we were assigned and the aspect of it to which our group was assigned. For me, this meant conducting an oral interview with someone who is an expert on education within the Etruscan Civilization. How do you do such a thing? That is a very good question. Let me tell you.

YouTube under construction

YouTube is under construction right now and I can't post the video yet...
I will as soon as humanly possible though...

Choral Recitation at gaming events

I wanted to make the conversation I had with Morgan after filming our discussion today. We were walking to the homecoming devotional thing and started doing the football cheers. Who are we? BYU! Who are we? BYU! BYU! BYU! And then we realized this is exactly what we had been doing in class.
In class today, Mrs Burton came and presented on Choral Recitation. She is a Kindergarten teacher for special need children and taught us to all respond in unison to her questions. This is an effective way to teach things.
Obviously we are being clearly taught about our identity and how to spell C-O-U-G-A-R-S at sporting events. We therefore decided to classify them as important educational rituals.
Remember that as you visit your next football game!

Library Experiences!!

Since we are doing oral knowledge, I woud like to tell a story with my post, that has to do with the Phoenicians, education, and unfortunate events.

A couple of days ago, I did a little research on the subject librarians at the Harold B. Lee Library (I learned that they existed through my honors writing class last year).  I found one that dealt with ancient history and the middle east, a Mr. Ryan Combs, and I thought 'perfect'! Yesterday, I got up the courage to go ask for help on my research about the Phoenicians and I am so glad I went.  I had to nervously stand out side his office for a few minutes after I realized that he was actually in there, studying the books on a nearby shelf and telling myself that I was silly not to ask for help.  Finally, I went and stood in the doorway and knocked lightly on the metal door frame. He looked up, turned off whatever game he was watching, and invited me in.  I stepped into the room and explained who I was and what I was looking for, all in a crazy rush, hoping to convey in as few words as possible the topics and assignment that I was trying to learn about.  He immediately turned back to the computer and started typing,  then almost absent-mindedly invited me to sit down.  I got out a pen and a notecard, and we started our discussion on the library's resources on the Phoenicians.

Preserve the Maya language!

Talking with Jose Canché was a bit surreal and very interesting. He is a member from one of the wards I served in on my mission in Los Angeles. I met him because he approached us asking us if we knew of a way he could get a Book of Mormon in Maya (officially classified by linguists as Maya- Yucatán). Yes, the same language passed down from the mysterious Ancient Mayan people. Jose is from Guatemala near the Yucatán peninsula in Mexico. He grew up speaking the language Maya. It isn't one of the 22 or so dialects found in Guatemala, rather it is simply Maya. 

map of the Ancient Mayan empire (green)