Caves Museum
AOKs: History, Arts, Natural Sciences, Human SciencesMuseo Cuevas is a wonderful interactive museum that showcases how people traditionally lived in Sacromonte, and has detailed insight into the culture of the gypsy and flamenco. The museum has original cave dwellings that are kept in traditional fashion so that you may immerse yourself in them, and it also has a lot of information regarding the ecology and biodiversity of Granada. There is an abundance of information regarding the tools used and the foods that were cultivated. The Gypsy has been renown for having a deep routed knowledge of the natural environment (flora and fauna) of where they live. This knowledge gets passed informally from one generation the the next through teachings, stories and song. Unfortunately very little has been recorded of Gypsy culture.
As you make your way around the museum, you will notice that as well as having information posted on boards along the path, there are also little plaques that contain verses from Gypsy songs. These songs are an aid to understanding that the culture surrounding life in these caves is just as important as the caves themselves. First Order Questions: How is a cave dwelling constructed? What are the insulation properties of a cave? How do cave dwellers manage waste, water and refuse? Is it legal to live in a cave? Why are there not so many Gypsies living here now? Second Order Questions: What can art teach us about history? How much can we learn about a culture from their songs? In what ways is our knowledge of the natural world shaped by the usefulness of it? What can we learn about a people and their environment from looking at their diets? Even with advancements in scientific knowledge, it could be said that we are losing more knowledge of the natural world than we are gaining due to the demise of cultures such as the Gypsies. Discuss |
WOKs: Language, Reason, Imagination, Perception, Memory |
