Welcome to: Earth Sciences 089G. Earth, Art and Culture

Transcription

1 Welcome to: Earth Sciences 089G Earth, Art and Culture In this course, we will investigate connections between geological features, materials and concepts and the human experience. What might these connections be?

2 Humans and all other living things are products of the natural processes of the Earth. Just as art and culture provide insight into the human mind, geology provides insight into the inner workings of our natural world. WHAT IS GEOLOGY? Geology: from Greek geo (Earth) and logos (discourse) The science that pursues an understanding of planet Earth. Two main areas of geology are: Physical geology which deals with the materials composing Earth and seeks to understand the processes that operate upon and beneath its surface. Historical geology which deals with the origin of Earth and its development through time. Aspects of both physical and historical geology will be discussed in this course in the context of human culture.

3 A DEFINITION OF CULTURE The sum total of the ways in which human beings [Homo sapiens] live, transmitted from generaton to generation by learning. It includes the relations between people in pairs and in groups, human work activities involving natural materials [industry and technology] and expenditure of energy in the realm of symbols, including speech, music, the visual arts, and the human body itself. Culture is the sum total of the things that people do as a result of having been so taught. Carleton S. Coon (Anthropologist) The Story of Man WHY SHOULD CULTURE BE STUDIED WITHIN A GEOLOGICAL CONTEXT? The primary aim of this course is to illustrate the principles of geology within the context of human culture. By doing so, we gain not only an appreciation of natural processes but also a glimpse of how humans perceive, and interact with, the natural environment. Two major areas of interest: Materials - natural mineral substances derived from the Earth comprise the media that artists use (stone, clay, pigments, etc.), and have been the foundation of technological development and human industry over thousands of years. Aesthetics and impressions of the Earth on the human psyche- Earth s materials and physical features inspire artistic expression and a sense of wonder as to the processes that shaped the planet and the amount of time that was required in its formation. Occasionally, relatively rare geologic events have influenced artists on a subconscious level.

4 WHY SHOULD GEOLOGY BE STUDIED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF CULTURE? As scientists, whose goal is an objective approach to the acquisition of knowledge, geologists should be aware of any cultural biases, personal or otherwise, which might affect their perception of the natural world or its processes. For example, the concept of progress has strongly influenced evolutionary thinking, and as such it was generally assumed that all species gradually and directionally evolved from their ancestral species over thousands to millions of years. In actuality, most species seem to be quite stable in morphology and other characteristics over their lifespan. Features unique to their descendants typically appear over a very short period of geological time associated with rapid speciation events and are not acquired in a gradational or incremental manner. A few things we will touch on (not necessarily in this order):

5 Earth Materials and Artistic Media Pigments Clay Stone Rocks and other Geological Materials as Tools

6 Earth materials, Great Monuments, and Architecture Metals, their Origins, Cultural uses and Associated Technologies Native Copper (Cu) Bronze (Cu, Sn alloy) Axe head Iron Age weapons Iron ore mineral Hematite (Fe 2 O 3 )

7 Gemstones and other items of cultural value Emerald Diamond Sapphire Geological Events and Creative expression Mary Shelley Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus (1818) Edvard Munch The Scream (1893)

8 Geological Concepts in Literature and Film Geology, Agriculture, Food and Drink

9 and a few other weird and wonderful things END OF LECTURE