Almost every culture defines sacred space, that is, particular places with the domain of the culture. These spaces may mark where certain important events in the life of the culture took place. It may mark a place where mysterious events took or take place, perhaps where gods of spirits are accessible. For state level cultures like ours, it may be a place where core historical events took place, an area related to civic pride, of an area that "glorifies" the organization itself. A sacred space may contain a few or many icons of the belief system.
Activity: The IUPUI campus and its
immediately surrounding areas are such a "sacred" space glorifying our ideology
about education. Go around the campus and construct a rough map of the
sacred space. Be certain to notice not just the buildings, but also
commemorative items, such as markers, fountains, and the like.
Go into the main library. Is it sacred space? What kinds of objects (besides books, computers, and the like) do you see there. Sometimes a building might have particular relationships with other buildings. For example, what is different about the library?
What about other campus buildings?
Is a museum sacred space?
What kinds of artifacts and features make up sacred space?
What natural or modifications of natural characteristics enhance sacred space? (Hint: look at items such as landscaping and where buildings sit in space in relation to each other. What features are nearby?)
What cultural features nearby enhance the sacredness? (Hint: consider the streets coming into and out of the campus?) How do structures such as the stadium, track, and natatorium fit into the picture?
Objectives:
Seeing the past as a cultural mirror of the present.
Understanding the arrangement of sacred space.
Being able to recognize the natural elements, features and artifacts of which sacred space is comprised.
Task: Prepare a 2-3 page report on your campus analysis, then find another sacred space, perhaps in the hospital area. On 2-3 pages, analyze it in the same way as you did the campus.
This lab is worth 20 points
Extra Consideration Points: Compare Stonehenge in England and the IUPUI campus in terms of being sacred spaces. For more information on Stonehenge, there are several good web sites. The Dating Stonehenge site is excellent (the nifty background on this page comes from there!). There are links to virtual reality tours of Stonehenge, but you'll need to download special plug-ins for that, usually available from the websites. For additional information, search for other web sites or look at Christopher Chippendale's Stonehenge Complete. Worth up to 5 points.