I am introducing this assignment a bit earlier than I planned to give you more time to work on it, and I decided to give you only one option:  to write a short essay of three to four pages on the following topic:
The introduction of writing has allowed us to understand ancient cultures with greater precision than Prehistoric cultures. Discuss at least three examples whereby we can understand an ancient work of art more fully by looking at the writing and/or literature of the society that produced it, and analyze at least three examples by which we can gain a more complete view of a cultures literature by considering its art.  This will be a minimum of six examples total.  In support of your answer, choose examples of art and literature from at least two of the following cultures:  1) The Ancient Near East, 2) Ancient Egypt, 3) Ancient Greece, and 4) Ancient Rome.  Describe your examples clearly and explain how they support your essay’s main points.  The examples you choose do not have to be ones that we have read or viewed in class, but they can be if you wish. Use reliable sources. This is a challenging question/topic to answer, and I want to see what you can do with it.  There is no absolutely right or wrong answer. You need to plan your attack on the topic and approach in the way you think best.