Jessica Hung, Week 13 - Evolution of Recorded Memories
From paintings to photographs, we can examine the memories left behind by different people and civilizations. Throughout history, memories have been recorded using various types of methods.
Ancient cave paintings from the prehistoric age depicted scenes of daily life, hunting expeditions, and beliefs. While this way of recording memories does not seem as advanced and fast compared to photographs, we can learn so much from these paintings. The fact that these cave paintings have been preserved to this day is mind-blowing!
As civilizations evolved, the methods of recording memories changed. Different societies, such as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, documented their histories and ways of life on clay tablets, papyrus scrolls, and stone inscriptions. Memories were preserved orally as well. Many of these civilizations had folktales and songs passed down from generation to generation, preserving historical events, cultural norms, and societal values.
In the fifteenth century, the printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg, revolutionized how memories and events were recorded. Books and magazines were mass-produced, enabling the preservation and sharing of knowledge on a broader scale.
The invention of photography further transformed the way that people recorded memories. Photographs could now capture both happy and sad times in the moment. When we look at these photos again, our memories of these specific moments will flood back, and our minds will be filled with nostalgia. Social media has made it easier to document memories. People can post pictures of their sweet sixteen or the new car they received for Christmas. These memories can now be shared with the larger public, even with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Recorded memories play a vital role in shaping our understanding of history, and preserving memories for future generations remains as crucial as ever.
Ancient Cave Painting (from Google)
Hi Jessica! I loved your blog about the evolution of recorded memories because it is something I take interest in as well. Over the summer, I visited a museum in Hawaii where I saw many paintings from cavemen. These paintings featured families, animals, and houses. Together these images told stories about their lives and about important events. To this day, we value past memories greatly and store our favorite moments in our phone camera rolls. Like you mentioned in your blog, the jump from paintings on stone to camera rolls was a slow and steady one. It started with the printing press in Europe and then evolved to the invention of the photograph.
ReplyDeleteThese small but impactful advances in technology allowed memories to be stored much more easily as time passed. I now wonder what the future of memory recording might look like. Sometimes I envision a futuristic hologram device where one can replay the memory in real time. Only time will tell!
Overall, I loved that your blog had historical facts about inventions as well as analysis about how the evolution of recording memories has changed the way we keep “memories for future generations.” I hope to read more interesting blogs like this about memories from you in the future.
Hi Jessica! I love how you began your blog with a connective hook about examining memories. Your topic is also quite unique and I appreciate your choice!
ReplyDeleteI found that your chronological paragraph formatting was effective as it helped the readers understand the different items used to record memories in a historically ordered manner.
Your blog helped me to learn about the vast amount of ways that humans used to record memories and the development of technology itself. I like that you included that "memories were preserved orally as well" because it reminds us that there are many different ways to remember memories that do not include techniques and technology.
I love that you maintain a historical tone throughout your whole blog as it improves the credibility aspect of your writing.
I completely agree with you on the fact that "preserving memories" is extremely significant for "future generations." Thank you for this historical and informative blog!