near eastern art part i upload

Art of the Ancient Near EastReading: Stokstad, 27-38

Range:5500-1500 BCEProtoliterate, Early Dynastic Sumerian, Akkadian, Neo Sumerian, and Old Babylonian

Terms/Concepts:Mesopotamia, Cuneiform, Cylinder Seals, Register, Bas Relief, Hieratic Scale, Votive, Axial, Bent Axis, Ziggurat, Axis Mundi, Stele, Lapis Lazuli,

Monument List 2-2, Anu Ziggurat, Protoliterate

Sumerian, 3300-3000 BCE 2-3, Warka Vase, Protoliterate

Sumerian, 3300-3000 BCE Pg. 35, The Great Lyre, Early

Dynastic, Sumerian, 2600-2500 BCE

2-1, Stele of Naram-Sin, Akkadian, 2254-2218 BCE

2-8, Votive of Gudea, Neo-Sumerian, 2090 BCE

Pg. 38, Stele of Hammurabi, Old Babylonian, 1792-1750 BCE

Timeline of the Ancient Near East

Major Powers in the Near East

Protoliterate Mesopotamia: 5500-3000 BCEEarly Dynastic Sumerian: 3000-2340 BCEAkkadian: 2340-2180 BCENeo-Sumerian: 2125-2025 BCEOld Babylonian: 2025-1594 BCEAssyrian: 1350-612 BCENeo-Babylonian: 612-539 BCEAchaemenid Persian: 539-331 BCE

Mesopotamia: “Land Between Two Rivers”

Samarra

Protoliterate Pottery

Bowl, Protoliterate Mesopotamian, Samarra, 4200-3000 BCE

Bowl, Protoliterate Mesopotamian, Samarra, 4200-3000 BCE

Bowl, Protoliterate Mesopotamian, Samarra, 4200-3000 BCE

Beaker, Protoliterate, Mesopotamia, Susa, 4200-3000 BCE

Sumer: 3300-2500 BCE

Eshnunna

Anu Ziggurat and White Temple, Uruk, Iraq, Protoliterate Sumerian 3300-3000 BCE

Plan of the Anu Ziggurat and White Temple. Uruk, Iraq. c.3300-3000 BCE

Mud Bricks

Warka Vase, Uruk, Iraq, Prololiterate Sumerian, 3300-3000

Warka Vase, Uruk, Iraq, Prololiterate Sumerian, 3300-3000

Tammunz

Warka Head, Uruk, Iraq, Protoliterate Sumerian, 3300-3000 BCE

Lioness, Tutub (Eshnunna), Iraq, Protoliterate Sumerian, 3300-3000 BCE

Iraq, 3300-3000 BCE Germany, 32,000 BP

The Rise of Cuneiform

Cylinder Seal, Protoliterate Sumerian, 3300-3100 BCE

Cylinder Seal, Early Dynastic Sumerian, 2900-2334 BCE

Inventory Tablet with Archaic Cuneiform, Early Dynastic Sumerian, 3200 BCE

Administrative Tablet, Early Dynastic Sumerian, 3100-2900 BCE

Stylus

Evolution of Cuneiform

Gilgamesh: the king who was 2/3 god

“Gilgamesh” (Assyrian Hero) The Epic of Gilgamesh in Akkadian

Votive Figures from Eshnunna, Early Dynastic, Sumerian, 3000-2340 BCE

Royal Cemetery, Ur, Iraq, Early Dynastic Sumerian, 2600-2400 BCE

The Great Lyre with Bull’s Head, from Tomb 789. Royal Cemetery, Ur, Early Dynastic Sumerian, c.2600-2500 BCE

5’ 5

”

lapis lazuli

Sar-e-Sang, Afghanistan, is site of lapis lazuli mines.

Samples of lapis lazuli.

lapis lazuli

Standard of Ur, Royal Cemetery at Ur, Iraq, Early Dynastic Sumerian, 2600-2400 BCE

Standard of Ur, Royal Cemetery at Ur, Iraq, Early Dynastic Sumerian, 2600-2400 BCE

Standard of Ur, Royal Cemetery at Ur, Iraq, Early Dynastic Sumerian, 2600-2400 BCE

Standard of Ur, Royal Cemetery at Ur, Iraq, Early Dynastic Sumerian, 2600-2400 BCE

Standard of Ur, Royal Cemetery at Ur, Iraq, Early Dynastic Sumerian, 2600-2400 BCE

Akkadian: 2500-2200

Head of Akkadian Ruler, Akkadian, 2340-2180 BCE

Stele of Naram Sin, Akkadian, 2254-2218 BCE

Stele of Naram Sin, Akkadian, 2254-2218 BCE

Cylinder Seal with Weather God, Akkadian, 2334-2154 BCE

Neo Sumerian: 2200-2100 BCE

Nanna Ziggurat, Uruk, Iraq, Neo-Sumerian, 2100-2050 BCE

Votive of Gudea, Neo-Sumerian, 2090 BCE

Old Babylonian: 1792-1750 BCE

Head of Old Babylonian Ruler (Possibly Hammurabi), Old Babylonian, 1900-1700 BCE

Stele of Hammurabi, Old Babylonian, 1792-1750 BCE

Size MattersAkkadian, 2254-2218 BCE

Old Babylonian,1792-1750 BCE

Early Dynastic Sumerian,2900-2600 BCE

Neo-Sumerian,2100-2050 BCE

Material Matters

Material Matters

Neo-SumerianAkkadian Old Babylonian

Kingly Faces

Critical Questions

1. How is religious and political power connected in the cultures of the ancient Near East? How do these connections manifest in their art?

2. What is hieratic scale? How is it used in ancient Near Eastern art?

3. How is the bent axis used in Near Eastern architecture? What is its significance?

4. What is the importance of materials like lapis lazuli and gold? What social institutions and activities do they indicate?

5. What are cylinder seals? What function do they serve? What cultural institutions do they indicate?