Cultural Artifacts

Cultural Artifacts

Introduction

Culture is a word that is used to describe something which is common to a group of people. A culture is like a common thread connecting people from the same country, same tribe or same religion. Every culture is distinct from another, and there are various traits with which we draw that line. With that said, it should be noted that a culture is always absorbing new qualities and the mores keep changing with time. What remains the same is the basic nature of the culture. We are proud bearers of the American culture and we pride ourselves in the fact that this evolution is part and parcel of our culture.

The paper requires us to choose an artifact that represents our culture. The country is around 236 years old, and there are countless artifacts that come to mind. Since we are to pick one, we would study Mount Rushmore for the purpose of the essay. We all know the masterpiece and thousands visit that great monument every year. Let us briefly describe Mount Rushmore and see what significance it holds for us Americans.

Discussion

Description

The massive work carved on the mountain face concluded in 1941. It is a sculpture designed by a prominent American born in Idaho, Gutzon Borglum (Gambino, M. 2011). The mountain itself is carved with the faces of four American Presidents who are considered to be among the founding fathers of the United States. The presidents who appear on the mountain are, Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln. The period these presidents represent is the first 130 years of American history. The proposal for such a massive project came from Doane Robinson who contacted Borglum in 1924. A sum of $250,000 was approved by the Congress, and the project was underway (Kelly M, 2011). Robinson was initially inclined ...