Part A: Scavenger Hunt—Material Culture and Symbols

Identify an item of material culture or a symbol that you can specifically relate to a myth from any culture that is appropriate for a general audience. Embed a picture of the item with a citation for the image. Write a one-sentence caption for the image that names the related myth and links to a version of the myth you can find in our Required Learning Materials, UMGC library, or on the Internet.
Part B: Discussion Question

Choose one of the following options.
Option 1—Research

FIRST, identify an artifact, symbol or form of iconography by conducting research in reliable, scholarly resources from the UMGC library. Include a picture of your choice embedded in your post, if possible.

SECOND, explain the relationship of this artifact, symbol, or form of iconography to

the culture that it belongs to,
a specific myth (origin, historical, folktale) from that culture, and
the specific element(s) of nonmaterial culture you think it represents.

Make sure to consider its creation, use or location, as well as how this item has evolved or appeared in other cultures in various forms to talk about its significance. Also, be sure to explain how you came to your conclusions.

FINALLY, briefly note something specific from the Required Learning Resources from this week that you think can relate to this piece of material culture and explain how it relates.

For example, in America, Southern Baptist culture uses the purity ring as a symbol of chastity before marriage. This value is derived from Christian beliefs about premarital sex that are justified largely through the writings of Paul of Tarsus, as well as other Old Testament passages. This could then be related to some discussions about fertility in the readings on the tree symbol.

Note: Try to find something unique that has not been mentioned in class yet. Items like the Christian crucifix and Jewish Star of David fit this assignment, but try to find something less common.
Option 2—Built Environment

FIRST, identify an artifact, symbol, or form of iconography in your local built environment related to a specific culture or group of people. The built environment is the human-made structures, features, and facilities included in the environment where people live and work. Be sure to include a photograph of your choice.

Some examples could be:

A shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in a park
A red cross on a building
A Masonic symbol on a gravestone

SECOND, conduct some research about your choice in local history in reliable, scholarly resources from the UMGC library if possible and explain the relationship of this artifact, symbol or form of iconography to:

the culture or group to which it belongs
the history or stories from that culture or group
the specific element(s) of nonmaterial culture you think it represents for that culture or group

FINALLY, briefly note something specific from the Required Learning Resources from this week that you think can relate to this piece of material culture and explain how it relates.

Be sure to consider its creation, use or location, as well as how it might appear in other localities in your discussion. Also, be sure to explain how you came to your conclusions.