Archaeology and Art History

Hello classmates!  My name is Alissa Longo.  I major in Anthropology and minor in Art History at Rutgers Newark.  I am in my final year and plan to apply for a Graduate program in Archaeology and Art History.  I am drawn to the mysterious and obscure qualities of life which is probably why I have developed a particular interest in ancient cultures and civilizations.  Before writing early man relied on the visual arts to portray ideas.  Symbols, pictograms, and images mimicking what was observed in nature communicated religious, governmental, and ideological propaganda to ancient observers.  Even as pictorial images evolved into complex writing systems only few elite members of society had access to education and literacy.  The massive sculpture, sculptural relief, extravagant grave goods, and grand architectural design, for example of ancient Egypt, portrayed the magnificence and other worldliness of the pharaohs.  The pomp and grandeur of these massive works imparted the magnitude of the pharaohs' power with out the need of the written word. A great deal of knowledge is yet to be discovered regarding our ancestors of the distant past.  Most of the knowledge accessible today reflects the lives of the power elite.  I am interested in the lives of the seldom seen and heard of in studies of ancient times: women, children, slaves, etc.  In addition, I am inspired by those who break from tradition and accepted canons of art creation.  Akhenaten, Tutankhamen's uncle and brief pharaoh of ancient Egypt did just this.  Art from his period of reign shows representations of humans with more androgynous qualities than the figures produced earlier.

http://www.crystalinks.com/Akhenaten.html

I am also a fitness enthusiast and teach a variety of fitness related classes.  I often think of integrating my love of art, ancient civilizations, and exercise through fitness tourism: biking or hiking through ancient ruins with a group of tourists while educating them on the site at hand.