During the early 16th century, the Spanish arrived in Mexico for the first time. One of the eventual goals of the Spanish was to enlighten the local populations with tales from the Catholic church. This goal, as it turns out, was not as cut-and-dry as they had hoped it would be. In fact, a strange miscommunication would occur between the two groups that would go almost unnoticed.
Around 1174-1193 CE, in what is now Afghanistan, the people of the Ghurid Dynasty (a medieval Muslim empire) built a large tower. It’s construction was a symbol of peace and understanding between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Today it stands in a location where this peace has been nearly lost.
The term “graffiti” used to refer to any type of inscription or carving. But over the years it has narrowed down to general vandalism. Using this term we find that it (graffiti) has existed for millennia!
The earliest known case of graffiti is in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus (now Turkey). It is a simple drawing of a hand (oddly shaped like a heart) and a foot with numbers within it. Anthropologists and historians tend to agree that it is an ad for prostitution. The hand stating the “good time” and cost, while the foot shows how far away it is located. Read the rest of this entry »
Currently thinking…