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It is not just because of this new perspective that looking at previously researched material is
important. Every individual is influenced by their own ideas, the ideas of the culture they live in
and ideas specific to the period they live in. This is also influenced by the amount of available
knowledge. Since our knowledge keeps increasing with time and opinions and viewpoints keep
changing, it is important to keep looking at old material and review earlier interpretations instead
of blindly accepting the opinions of researchers of the past (Hodos 2017, 3-7).
Globalisation has certain general characteristics that can be found in different periods and places.
It is not however always exactly the same. Globalisation is influenced by the specific characteristics
of certain societies and periods. It is therefore important to understand the way in which the
Roman empire functioned to a certain degree in order to understand the way globalisation worked
in that place and time.
Methods
For my research I have chosen three case studies, the temple of Taffeh, the temple of Dendur and
the temple of Shenhur. I will first discuss each temple separately. I will start with a description of
the architectural and decorational elements. Then I will describe how it was described by previous
researchers.
The next step is to make my own interpretation of the temple. I will look at the architectural and
decorational elements, then I will interpret these elements using the globalisation perspective as a
theoretical framework, which means I will use it as a tool to think with, to try and find out the
function of the temples and the reason why they were built.
The fact that I am using the globalisation perspective means that I will take into account the
increased connectivity that was taking place in this period and the effects that came with it, which
probably influenced the reason why it was built, the architectural style and decoration that was
used, the function it had in the society of the location it was built in and the function it had to the
people that built it. Lastly I want to look at the possible differences between my own interpretation
and the already existing interpretation.