MESOPOTAMIA“Land between the Rivers””

The Ancient Fertile CrescentThe Ancient Fertile Crescent

“The Cradle of Civilization” “The Cradle of Civilization”

Ziggurat at UrZiggurat at Ur c. 2100-2000 BCE

Temple

“Mountain of the Gods”

c. 2100-2000 BCE

Temple

“Mountain of the Gods”

Ziggurat at Ur (modern day Iraq), c.2100-2000 BCE

SOUNDBOX OF A SUMERIAN LYRE (UR, IRAQ), C. 2600 BCE

FROM SUMERIAN ROYAL CEMETERY

Standard of Ur (Ur), c. 2685-2645 BCE

Contrast between war and peace/ use of registers to depict a narrative/ discoveries from royal Sumerian graves/ depiction

of human figures/ lapis lazuli (Blue Stone)

“WAR SIDE” OF THE STANDARD OF UR

“PEACE SIDE” OF THE STANDARD OF UR”

WAR SIDE OF THE STANDARD OF UR, FROM TOMB 779, ROYAL CEMETERY, UR (MODERN TELL MUQAYYAR),

IRAQ, CA. 2600 BCE. WOOD INLAID WITH SHELL, LAPIS LAZULI, AND RED LIMESTONE, 8” X 1’ 7”.

PEACE SIDE OF THE STANDARD OF UR

Votive Figures (Ur,Iraq), c.2600-2100

BCE

Gypsym, Lapis

Lazuli

Dying Lioness, Assyrian relief from the Palace of Ashurbanipal (Ninevah,

Iraq) c. 650 BCE

Stele with law code of Hammurabi (Susa, Iran), c. 1760 BCE, basalt

USE OF LAW TO ESTABLISH A

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT (TALION LAW)/

GOD (SHAMASH) AND RULER

LINKED

Left: Layout of Persepolis

Below: Bull Capital Iran c. 518-460 BCE

Royal Audience Hall (apadana) at Persepolis of Darius I (Iran),

PERSEPOLIS (APADANA IN THE BACKGROUND), IRAN, CA. 521–465 BCE.

Art of the Ancient Near

East