CONTENT AREA 2: THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

CONTENT AREA 2: THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

APAH –

GARDNER

CHAPTER 2-1

PP. 31-42Slide2

And so they traveled until they reached Uruk

.

There Gilgamesh the king said to the boatman:

“Study the brickwork, study the fortification;

climb the ancient staircase to the terrace;

study how it is made; from the terrace see

the planted and fallow fields, the ponds and orchards.

One league is the inner city, another league 

is orchards; still another the fields beyond;

over there is the precinct of the temple. . . . ,

Three leagues and the temple precinct of Ishtar.”

Measure

Uruk

, the city of Gilgamesh 

   —Tablet XISlide3

Gardner’s 11

th

ed., p. 16

http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/waymac/History%20A/A%20Term%201/4.%20Sumerians/slides.htm

Chapter 2

ANCIENT NEAR EASTSlide4

The Ancient Near East

The Neolithic Revolution = the move from hunter and gathering to farmer and herder

Began in Mesopotamia -> the land between the Tigris and Euphrates

The Fertile Crescent

Birth place of

Judaism

Christianity

IslamSlide5

KEY PERIODS: “SANBAN-P”

Sumerian

Art: 35

00-2332 BCE

Akkadian Art:

 2332-2150 BCE

Neo-Sumerian Art: 

2150-1600 BCEBabylonian Art: 2150-1600 BCEAssyrian Art: 

1600-612 BCENeo-Babylonian Art: 604- 559 BCE

Persian Art: 

525-330

BCE -> Height

of Persia ends with destruction of

Persepolis by Alexander

the GreatSlide6

SUMER

3500-2332 BCE

Founded the world’s first city-states between the Tigris and Euphrates

Sumerian rulers – gods’ rep. on earth

Specialization of labor

Invented writing in the 4

th

millennium

PICTOGRAPHS

CUNEIFORM

Epic of GilgameshSlide7

(2-12/1) White Temple and its ziggurat

Uruk

(modern

Warka

, Iraq)Sumerian c. 3000-2920 B.C.EMud brick

3200-3000 BCE

Sumerian temple architecture -> mud brick building on a colossal scaleWhite

wash used to disguise the mud appearance -> tapers down so rainwater washes off

FlashcardSlide8

(

2-12/2)

White Temple and its ziggurat

Uruk

(modern

Warka, Iraq)Sumerian c. 3000-2920 B.C.EMud brickThe White Temple at

Uruk

Temple stands atop a ZIGGURAT

BENT-AXIS PLAN

Dedicated

to the sky god

Anu

CELLA

= central hall – stepped altar where priests await coming of the deity

FlashcardSlide9

White Temple and ziggurat,

Uruk

Reconstruction

drawing of the White Temple and ziggurat

Bent Axis

Temple (

cella

)

ZigguratSlide10

ZIGGURATThe ziggurat

is an ancient architectural form, unique to Mesopotamia. Predating the Egyptian pyramid by several centuries, it is a load-bearing structure in the shape of a stepped platform with inward-sloping walls that have few or no openings. At the summit sat a shrine, approached by stairs built along the outer walls of the ziggurat. In some cases, a steep ramp for hauling carts and sacrificial animals led straight up one of the ziggurat walls onto the open landing of the platform . Slide11

WARKA VASE

Warka

Vase from

Uruk

First great work of narrative relief sculpture

Religious festival in honor of goddess

Reliefs dived into bands = FRIEZES or REGISTERS

New type of composition

Votive offering = gift of gratitude to a deity

Twisted perspective

Hierarchy of scaleSlide12

Composite

Perspective

(AKA Twisted Perspective)

Hierarchy of Scale

Registers

Frontal

Side View

Votive Offering

Warka

VaseSlide13

(2-14) Statues of votive figures, from the Square Temple at

Eshnunna

(modern Tell

Asmar

, Iraq

)

Sumerian

c. 2700 B.C.E.Gypsum inlaid with shell and black limestone

Soft gypsum inlaid with shell and black limestone

Range

from under a foot to 30 inches

Mortals

– hands folded in front holding goblets

Name

of the donor, god, sometimes prayer

Form

– cone, cylinders

Oversized

eyes – eternal wakefulness – duty was to offer constant prayers to the gods

FlashcardSlide14

ESHNUNNA

STATUETTES

SUMERIAN VOTIVE OFFERINGSSlide15

Statuettes of Worshipers

Votive FiguresSlide16

STELE OF THE VULTURES

STELE = carved stone slab to commemorate and event or mark a grave

Cuneiform recording of military victorySlide17

(

2-16/1)

The Standard of Ur, Peace

Standard of Ur, peace side and war side

Sumerian

c. 2600-2400 B.C.E.Wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestonePeace side – food brought in a procession to banquet; musician plays a lyre; hierarchy of scale

Reflects extensive trading network -> lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, shells from Persian gulf, red limestone from India

Example of historical narrative

FlashcardSlide18

(

2-16/2)

The Standard of

Ur, War

Standard

of Ur, peace side and war sideSumerianc. 2600-2400 B.C.E.Wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone

Found at Royal Cemetery at Ur

Rectangular box decorated with shell, lapis lazuli, red limestoneWoolley – said it was a war standard/sign carried into battle

War side – Sumerian king who is taller descends from his chariot to inspect captives; chariots advance over the dead in lowest register

FlashcardSlide19

Standard of Ur

Narrative

RegistersSlide20

Registers

Heraldic

Composition

(symmetrical)

Composite

View

Animals are

in profile

Bull-Headed Lyre

and

SoundboxSlide21

BULL-HEADED LYRESlide22

CYLINDER SEALS

Cylinder seal found at Ur

Inch or so in ht.

Pierced for attachment to a cord

Made of various stone

Prized objects/wornINTAGLIO = incised

Raised pattern used to roll in soft claySlide23

AKKAD AND THE THIRD DYNASTY OF UR

Akkadian Empire takes control of region 2300

Sargon of Akkad -> great king and conqueror

Semitic peoples -> but adopted Sumerian culture

New concept of royal power ->

all obedience to the king not to the city stateSlide24

HEAD OF AN AKKADIAN KING

Political work of art – 2200 BCE

Found at Nineveh

Damaged -> eye gouged out, beard broken off

Balance between naturalism and stylization

First great work of bronze cast sculptureSlide25

Head of an Akkadian RulerSlide26

(2-additional) Stele of

Naram

sin

Susa

, Iran

Akkadian

2254-2218 B.C.E.

Pink sandstone

Commemorates an Akkadian victory

Depicts grandson of Sargon leading his troops up wooded slope

Hierarchy of scale

Twisted perspective

First landscape

Figures shown in successive tiers within the landscape -> not horizontal registers

FlashcardSlide27

Victory Stele of

Naram

-SinSlide28

ZIGGURAT, UR

2000 BCE

Neo-Sumerian

architecture

Akkadians are replaced by a resurgent

Sumeria under the kings of UrSlide29

Ziggurat of UrReconstruction drawing of the Ziggurat of Ur

Bent AxisSlide30

Seated Statue of

Gudea

Holding Temple PlanSlide31

GUDEA OF LAGASHNeo-

sumerian

art

Seated sculpture of

Gudea

-> governor of LagashVotive statuesLess regal than the Sargon statues -> plain, simple dress2100 BCE

Carved of diorite17 ¼ “ high