Archaic is a primitive culture or not? The meaning of the word "archaic"

The history of mankind is divided into many periods. It is believed that this method allows you to better understand the past. The oldest periods in which humanity existed are called archaic. What this concept means and where it is used - you can learn from the article.

Translation and general meaning

The word comes from the Greek language and is translated into Russian as "old" or "ancient." What is the meaning of the word "archaic"? There are two dictionaries in their dictionaries.

The first means an early stage in the historical formation of some phenomenon. The second meaning is described in more detail, since this is the period in the art of ancient Greece. That is, the archaic is the period that preceded the classics.

Archaic period of Ancient Greece

The period was introduced by historians in the eighteenth century. It dates from 750-480 BC. Such a time frame was not in vain. In 750 BC there was a peak of the sharp growth of the Greek population and improvement of its material well-being. The archaic period ended in 480 BC, when Xerxes invaded Hellas.

Archaic is the concept of the culture of ancient Greece. It arose as a result of the study of Greek art, namely, decorative and plastic.

Later the concept spread to the whole history of art and the public life of Hellas. In the archaic period, there was a significant development of philosophy, political theory, poetry, theater, as well as the rise of democracy and the revival of writing.

Scientist Anthony Snodgrass criticizes the term "archaic" for the history of ancient Greece. For him, archaic is primitive, so it is unacceptable to apply such a concept to Hellas of that time. He considers this period to be the most fruitful in world history. What is this historical phenomenon in general terms?

Archaic culture

This period in its historical development precedes the civilized world. It is the earliest form of human collectivity with a corresponding culture and beliefs.

Archaic is a definite constant value that guarantees a constant and stable reproduction of a sociocultural object. Time in this culture is an endless chain of return to primary sources. Thanks to this, the world never changes and remains at the stage of its appearance.

What is archaic for the spiritual world of man? It represents the absolute immutability of life. Its mechanisms protect a person from new patterns of behavior in the world. Sociocultural mechanisms hamper the emergence of new desires.

The existing myth of a constant return to the sources gave the person of this period the opportunity to overcome the transience of his being. The world in this culture was distinguished by its orderliness. He remained the same as when he was created from chaos.

The principles of archaism are the basis of ethnic cultures of human history. In the sphere of art the archaic was finally introduced in the period of the New Time.