Changes

__NOTOC__[[File:463174537 ac80e56a15 b.jpg|thumbnail|left|250px|Figure 1. The so-called Lion of Babylon is likely to be a basalt statue showing an unfished lion attacking a man. The piece was likely recovered in Syria and brought to Babylon to be displayed in its royal museum.]]Today we think of museums as areas that display the past, our culture, or natural history of our world. This certainly has developed to be the modern norm; however, when museums first developed they were for the private display of monarchs, showing war trophies and past societies. This evolution went further development in the Renaissance and Enlightenment, with the rise of intellectual wonder and development of social education.

====Early Developments====

</ref> Although some scholars claim the title of the first museum should be in the city of Ur, in the temple of Ennigaldi-Nanna, which did house ancient collections, this structure may date to a slightly later time than that of Nebuchadnezzar's displays.<ref> For more on early museums, see: Walhimer, Mark. 2015. Museums 101. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, pg. 6.</ref> During the Neo-Babylonian period (626-539 BC), there was interest in both the distant past, which by that time Mesopotamian urban complex societies were nearly 3000 years old, as well as capturing war booty from within the Empire as it expanded. King Nabonidus, in fact, commissioned the first known archaeological excavations at the time to uncover ancient remains from Ur.<ref>For more on Nabonidus' excavations, see: Schnapp, Alain, Lothar von Falkenhausen, Peter N. Miller, and Tim Murray, eds. 2013. World Antiquarianism: Comparative Perspectives. Issues & Debates. Los Angeles, California: Getty Research Institute, pg. 132.</ref> In essence, the concept of the museum as a display of the origin of a people as well as of its power was developed. Early museum collections included ancient tablets, statues, and religious relics that would have been seen as continuing to have important relevance. The importance and continuity of ancient religion, in fact, was another motivation to develop museums, in this case within temple complexes.

==Origin of King Nabonidus, in fact, commissioned the Word==[[File:Ancientlibraryalex.jpg|thumbnail|Figure 2. An artist's reconstruction of first known archaeological excavations at the Musaeum.]]The origin of the word museum derives from the Musaeum that once stood in time to uncover ancient Alexandria in Egypt remains from around 300 BC and lasted as an institution through the Roman period. This original structure once contained the famous library of Alexandria. While many ancient works, in particular writings, were collected in this institution, its core focus was on education and researchUr.<ref>For more on the Musaeum and ancient Library at AlexandriaNabonidus' excavations, see: El-AbbadiSchnapp, MostafaAlain, Lothar von Falkenhausen, Peter N. 1992Miller, and Tim Murray, eds. The Life and Fate of the Ancient Library of Alexandria2013. <i>World Antiquarianism: Comparative Perspectives. 2nd edIssues & Debates.</i> Los Angeles, California: Getty Research Institute, revpg. Paris: Unesco/UNDP132.</ref>LecturesThe idea or concept of these early commissioned excavations was to retrieve relics from the past that connected Babylonian civilization to the past, presentationsshowing its long history, and teaching bringing objects of the gods back to the world. The uncovered objects were conducted here during the Ptolemaic and Roman erasthen placed in a museum. In essence, it the concept of the museum as a display of the origin of a people as well as of its power was an institution that became comparable to our modern concepts of universitiesdeveloped. Therefore, museumsEarly museum collections included ancient tablets, early in their conceptual historystatues, became places of education and research and not simply places religious relics that housed ancient objectswould have been seen as continuing to have important relevance. Utilizing the knowledge The importance and continuity of the pastancient religion, including from very distant culturesin fact, became one of the key missions of the Musaeum. This is similar in concept was another motivation to our modern research develop museums that both display ancient objects but also conduct scientific research, in this case within temple complexes.

==Early Renaissance==Origin of the Word====The two oldest continuous museums are found in Rome, [[File:Ancientlibraryalex.jpg|thumbnail|left|Figure 2. An artist's reconstruction of the Capitoline and Vatican MuseumsMusaeum. ]]The former was essentially a collection of Roman sculptures gifted by Pope Sixtus IV. Discovery origin of sculptures also inspired the Vatican word museum, derives from the Musaeum that once stood in ancient Alexandria in Egypt from around 300 BC and lasted as Pope Julius II was inspired by an institution through the discovery to preserve Roman period. This original structure once contained the pieces famous library of Alexandria. While many ancient works, in particular writings, were collected in the Vatican's collectionsthis institution, its core focus was on education and research.<ref> For more on how Classical sculptors and their discovery spawned an interest in the past, including developing early museums in Rome, particularly Roman Musaeum and Greek historyancient Library at Alexandria, see: Haskell, Francis, and Nicholas PennyEl-Abbadi, edsMostafa. 19821992. Taste <i>The Life and Fate of the Antique: The Lure Ancient Library of Classical Sculpture 1500 - 1900. 2Alexandria</i>. print2nd ed., (with corrections)rev. New Haven LondonParis: Yale Univ. PressUnesco/UNDP.</ref> This interest spawns an interest in Lectures, presentations, and teaching were conducted here during the Classics in general Ptolemaic and a rebirth of ideas Roman eras, where the museum becomes associated with scholarship and focus on the pre-Christian past. Soon, objects began to be collected not just by officials or religious figures but by wealthy individualsa place to have old relics. By the 16th centuryIn essence, a new era beganit was an institution that became comparable to our modern concepts of universities, where large collections the museum was a place of artifacts were now collected for their sakeresearch. Therefore, museums, as interest early in the past continued. In Europetheir conceptual history, the so-called cabinets became places of curiosities began to be madeeducation and discovery, which were sometimes large private collections while not being simply places that housed ancient objects for the sake of ancient artifacts, fossils, or other remains that sparked interest in the pastobjects alone.<ref> For more on Utilizing the so-called cabinets knowledge of curiosities popular in Rennaisance and early modern Europethe past, see: Maurièsincluding from very distant cultures, Patrick. 2011. Cabinets became one of the key missions of Curiositiesthe Musaeum. New York: Thames & HudsonThe collections included objects from Assyria, Babylonia, ancient Egypt, Greece, and elsewhere.</ref> The interest This is also similar in the past continued as the Renaissance gave way concept to our modern research museums that both display ancient objects from around the Age of Enlightenment, which now began world but also conduct scientific interests as well as simple curiosity to collectresearch.

==Birth of Modern Museums==Early Renaissance====By After the 18th centuryClassical period, scientific progress and ever increasing knowledge about the world increased interest idea of a museum seems to not be utilized very much, although studying ancient scholarship continued in creating large public galleries. Furthermore, similar to the interests Near East for many centuries long after the fall of the Babylonian EmpireRome. Therefore, the new empires past was still seen as a source of the worldknowledge, although we don't know much about formal museums. The two oldest continuous museums are found in particular Britain and later France in the late 18th centuryRome, began to see the collection of artifacts Capitoline and objects as a way to display power and dominance in the globeVatican Museums. The British Museum former was opened based on the principal it would be accessible to essentially a collection of Roman sculptures gifted by Pope Sixtus IV. Discovery of sculptures also inspired the publicVatican museum, although mostly it as Pope Julius II was inspired by the privy of discovery to preserve the middle and upper classes, and it began to display pieces in the wonders of BritainVatican's every increasing dominance and thus by extension reflect British superiority to the worldcollections.<ref>For more on how large national Classical sculptors and their discovery spawned an interest in the past, including developing early museums played a role in colonialismRome, particularly Roman and Greek history, see: AronssonHaskell, PeterFrancis, and Gabriella ElgeniusNicholas Penny, eds. 20141982. ''National Museums <i>Taste and Nationthe Antique: The Lure of Classical Sculpture 1500 -Building in Europe1900</i>. 2. print., 1750-2010(with corrections). New Haven London: Mobilization and Legitimacy, Continuity and Change''Yale Univ. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: RoutledgePress.</ref> This continued into interest spawns an interest in the 19th century, where the Louvre Classics in general and British Museum began a type of competition to collect the best objects from natural and ancient history to show their respective state's prowess on the world stage. Soon, with the increasing collections, museums began to be divided into different types rebirth of museums, such as natural history ideas and archaeology. However, it was only by the late 19th century were museums beginning to become more scientific in developing disciplines in studying ancient objects. With the advances made by Charles Darwin focus on the Theory of Evolution and archaeology becoming a more modern discipline led by Augustus Pittpre-Rivers and Flinders Petrie do we see museums now retrieving objects with more care. The collections also now became more studied for greater insight into knowledge about the deep Christian past, including the natural and human-made world.<ref>For more on the history of archaeology and how the Theory of Evolution and excavators such as Pitt-Rivers made it a well developed discipline, see: Renfrew, Colin, and Paul G. Bahn. 2008. ''Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice''. 5th ed. London: Thames & Hudson.</ref>

Soon, objects began to be collected not just by officials or religious figures but by wealthy individuals. By the 16th century, a new era began, where large collections of artifacts were now collected for their sake, as interest in the past continued. In Europe, the so-called cabinets of curiosities began to be made, which were sometimes large private collections of ancient artifacts, fossils, or other remains that sparked interest in the past.<ref> For more on the so-called cabinets of curiosities popular in Rennaisance and early modern Europe, see: Mauriès, Patrick. 2011. <i>Cabinets of Curiosities</i>. New York: Thames & Hudson.</ref> The interest in the past continued as the Renaissance gave way to the Age of Enlightenment, which now began scientific interests as well as simple curiosity to collect. ====Birth of Modern Museums====By the 18th century, scientific progress and ever increasing knowledge about the world increased interest in creating large public galleries. Furthermore, similar to the interests of the Babylonian Empire, the new empires of the world, in particular Britain and later France in the late 18th century, began to see the collection of artifacts and objects as a way to display power and dominance in the globe. The British Museum was opened based on the principal it would be accessible to the public, although mostly it was the privy of the middle and upper classes, and it began to display the wonders of Britain's every increasing dominance and thus by extension reflect British superiority to the world.<ref>For more on how large national museums played a role in colonialism, see: Aronsson, Peter, and Gabriella Elgenius, eds. 2014. <i>National Museums and Nation-Building in Europe, 1750-2010: Mobilization and Legitimacy, Continuity and Change</i>. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.</ref>  This trend continued into the 19th century, where the Louvre and British Museum began a type of competition to collect the best objects from natural and ancient history to show their respective state's prowess on the world stage. Soon, with the increasing collections, museums began to be divided into different types of museums, such as natural history and archaeology. However, it was only by the late 19th century were museums beginning to become more scientific in developing disciplines in studying ancient objects. With the advances made by Charles Darwin on the Theory of Evolution and archaeology becoming a more modern discipline led by Augustus Pitt-Rivers and Flinders Petrie do we see museums now retrieving objects with more care. The collections also now became more studied for greater insight into knowledge about the deep past, including the natural and human-made world.<ref>For more on the history of archaeology and how the Theory of Evolution and excavators such as Pitt-Rivers made it a well developed discipline, see: Renfrew, Colin, and Paul G. Bahn. 2008. <i>Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice</i>. 5th ed. London: Thames & Hudson.</ref> ====Conclusion====

====References====