Culture of Death Project

In our culture there is an old saying that Benjamin Franklin once said “there are only two things certain in life – death and taxes”. What was Franklin getting at? In this essay I want you to reflect on Franklin’s quote in relationship to the early civilization’s ideas about death and establishing a society through laws and taxation.

The Egyptian civilization embraced life and wanted it to go on for eternity, so they developed an intricate culture around death (especially for their Kings or Pharaohs). The culture involved the belief that the afterlife allowed for a materialistic and physical element and that contributed to the rituals.

After reading the assigned article and watching the short film on Egyptian Death Culture and the Mexican film “Hasta Los Huesos” and reading the assigned articles related to ancient Egypt, reflect on the how death is perceived by different cultures and value systems. Write an essay, create a power point or video addressing the following questions.

1. How did the rituals and practices of the ancient Egyptians about death impact their culture and understanding of life?

2 What do you think the filmmaker in “Hasta” was saying about death? How does the Egyptian perspective connect with the Oaxacan one?

3. Hammurabi’s code established law and order and aided in the established of a sedentary civilization. Do you think the code values life? Why or why not?

4. And finally, why is taxation a necessary element to establish a sedentary society.

You need to cite your sources you use where you quote directly. The lectures, class activities and readings should be of help. Use the following website to help you properly cite your sources.

http://www.easybib.com/reference/guide/mla/website (Links to an external site.)

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