Evaluation

     The weekly blog post I think is helpful for students who are eagerly interested in knowing more about history because we get to summarize something that has been taught in class or any topic of our choice. It helps students to get a clear understanding of a certain topic, and it improves students writing. Also, the ScoopIt! pages give students a more explanation to the topic, which is also helpful.

     Each student learn differently; I like lectures. Although our class is not that interactive, I enjoy listening to the discussion. The visual aid used is helping me a lot to pay attention to the details that are given, and gives me enough time to take down notes. It is nice to have three quizzes based on the topics covered and not cummulative, which is reasonable considering the workload in this class.

     I am honestly not into technology, and this is the first history class I have ever had that is really into use of technology. I think the projects get a bit complicated sometimes because we have to post them to different websites. However, I appreciate having to deal with it because it enhanced what I know, and at the same time I learned new ways of expanding my knowledge in making good videos and auras. But overall, I enjoyed and learned a lot in this class despite of the workload that is given to us.

 

Foot Binding Practice

     The first foot binding recorded was in 10^th century in south China.  According to the story, the emperor of China had a favorite mistress; a dancer who built a lotus-shaped stage. She bound her feet into a hoof-shaped like, and she danced on the stage. The other mistresses thought it made her more attractive than them, so they made their feet bound to gain approval from the emperor. This practice soon reached north China. In the 12^th to mid-17^thcentury, foot binding became popular widespread, and for every woman who wanted to get married had to make their feet bound. Although many people followed this practice, very poor and women who worked in fishing did not bind their feet because they needed normal feet to balance on the boats.

     Between the ages of four and six were the preferred ages that girls could bind their feet. The toes were bended underneath the sole and wrapped with long ribbons all the way to the ankle. The idea was to break the feet whenever it grew too big. This process took for about two to three years, and then the feet would be bound for the rest of the women’s life. The bounding of feet developed strong muscles in women’s hips, thighs, and buttocks, which became attractive to Chinese men.

     The foot binding practice, though, became unfashionable when the Qing dynasty had fallen in the 19^th century. When the Western countries colonized with China, they had a great impact in eradicating this practice; but not in the mountainous areas. The unfashionable bound feet affected many marriages. Women with bound feet were humiliated and many never showed their feet to their husbands again.  

 

This blog post is based on one the scoopits!

http://www.theatlantic.com/china/archive/2013/09/the-peculiar-history-of-foot-binding-in-china/279718/

Sunken Ottoman Ship Found

     An Ottoman ship with Dutch cargo is found off the coast from Uria in Izmir. This merchant ship is believed to be transporting plates from the Netherlands. The excavation is led by Professor Haya Erkanal with twenty underwater archeologists. It is coordinated by the Ankara University Underwater Research and Application Center. The excavation is taking place in Limantepe, a site of prehistoric settlements from being hunter-gatherers to farmers. The Ottoman ship is determined that it was from the seventeenth century.

     Erkanal reported that the ship had sunken along with more than a thousand plates. Because the remains are not fully-embedded below the sea floor, Erkanal and the team needs to desalinate (take out the salt), or else they will break easily. Though, the teams lacks of equipment and system to remove the remains from underwater. Since the new center will open next year, the team began removing some of  remains, and next year they anticipate to remove the plates and the parts of the ship and they will start the restoration and conservation processes. Finally, they plan to exhibit the shipwreck with the plates, the way they were originally. This excavation will be the third in Turkish history. After all the processes, Erkanal plans to make a proposal to the Culture and Tourism Ministry to present the ship at an archeological park near the excavation site. If permitted, the shipwreck will be in a monitored room. Erkanal added, the excavation site attracted attention from the public, and the team aims to excavate the entire pier of Limantepe.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/sunken-ottoman-ship-ready-to-surrender-cargo-for-exhibition.aspx?pageID=238&nID=52970&NewsCatID=375

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/images/news/201308/n_52970_4.jpg

Artifacts Found in a Drainage Channel

My blog post is based on the scoopit! page entitled, “Artifacts breathe new life into the destruction of the Temple.” This article grabbed my attention because it represents the Rome’s power taking over other cities.

     During the course of work of the drainage channel between the David’s city and the Jerusalem Archeological Garden, the Israel Antiquities Authority found a sword in a scabbard, a case for sword, and a stone engraved with the Temple’s menorah, a handle for more than one candle. The sewerage was believed to be in existed 2,000 years ago. During the destruction of the second Temple, the people in Jerusalem used the drainage channel as their hiding place from the Romans.

     The preservation of the sword surprised the excavation director Eli Shukron and Ronny Reich, a professor of the University of Haifa. The 60 cm iron sword has traces of the leather scabbard and some decoration. The sword was believed that once owned by an infantryman stationed in Israel. The sword, then, “breathe new life into the story of the destruction of the second Temple.”1 Another artifact was , an engraving of the Temple’s menorah was also found. The stone, though, was discovered in the road on the side of the sewerage. According to Eli Shukron and Ronny Reich, the menorah’s image has only five branches, which contradicts to their depiction of seven-branched candelabrum. The base strongly supports the original menorah having a tripod-shaped base. What is interesting is the stone was found near the Temple Mount, and researchers believed that a person saw the stone and just threw it, not knowing that the piece would be found 2,000 years later.

1. ” Artifacts breathe new life into the destruction of the Temple” August 8, 2011

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ” Artifacts breathe new life into the destruction of the Temple.” Last modified August 8,      2011. Accessed November 2, 2013. http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/israelexperience/history/pages/artifacts_destruction_temple_8-  aug-2011.aspx.