ARTH 103 Ancient Near Eastern Art and Architecture Life in the Fertile Crescent Modern Iraq o Humans develop push out of the Prehistoric Age o 2000 BCE approximately o Area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers known as Fertile crescent lands were fertile o Permanent settlements developed once again o Stratified society labor divisions emerge distinct jobs o Religion with rituals ceremonies specialized spaces progresses cosmology further develops to include deities assigned to specific aspects objects in life ex Sun god Civilizations and Empires o Sumerian 3500 2340 BCE o Akkadian 2340 2180 BCE o Babylonian 1400 1750 BCE o Assyrian 1400 620 BCE o Neo Babylonian 626 539 BCE o Persian 549 330 BCE Some of these civilizations became empires Empires strive to enlarge themselves Sumerian o one of the first western civilizations to create a form of writing o Cuneiform Wedge shaped Developed so that people could keep track of things such as inventory counting system Began as pictographs symbols to represent mundane daily objects Often the symbols were turned onto their sides when drawn to fit together better on the clay Items included clay tablets and a stylus to stamp images into the wet clay Stylus was wedge shaped hence the name for this writing style Is later used to write texts poetry religious texts etc but took a while to get to this point from the original use of accounting and record keeping By 500 BCE the symbols evolve into lines and images that no longer represent the object that it symbolizes Instead represent sounds syllables o Religious Structures Nanna Ziggurat Ur c 2100 2050 BCE big mud brick stepped platform purpose to get the religious structures up in the air towards heaven intended use probably for the priest class o Votive Figures Votive something dedicated to something else Varied in size the larger the figurine the more expensive it was to make Tell Asmar c 2900 2600 BCE limestone alabaster and gypsum figurines are both male and female Function votive proxic meaning objects figurines that stand in for actual people mini statues o Ex If you are asking or praying for a spouse s health you would make a figurine resembling that spouse and bring it to the temple hoping that the gods will answer your prayers o Figurine insured to an extent the speed of a god granting your wish figurine makes your situation more noticeable so to speak o Ritual Objects Lyre with a Bull s Head Ur c 2600 2500 BCE wood with gold lapis lazuli bitumen and shell instrument 14x55 5 inches Inlaid with images bull s head symbol of power Currently held at the University of Pennsylvania o Blue dye expensive and rare o Color blue a sign of royalty money power Also ceremonial Color blue is also an indication that this piece of artwork had significant purposes uses during the time that it was created Lyre expensive instrument that was only played by certain people on certain occasions o Sumerian End Akkadians slowly assimilate with the Sumerians adopt adapt to the Sumerian customs practices The Akkadians then revolt and take over the Sumerian civilization Akkadian o Stele of Naram Sin c 2254 2218 BCE limestone 6ft tall 6in Currently located in Louvre Paris Depicts how Naram sin overtook the Sumerian empire basically propaganda artwork a giant plaque that tells the story reasons behind why an empire in this case the Akkadian empire is in power Naram Sin is wearing a crown Crowns symbolic marker that tells people who is in power Bulls were usually placed on crowns to further emphasize the strength and power that the wearer has Convention of the imagery hierarctic scale the size of an object person represents its significance the larger someone something is depicted the more powerful wealthy significant and important that individual object is Babylonian o Stele of Hamurabi c 1792 1750 BCE basalt 7ft Currently located in Louvre Paris Format relief sculpture Stele that depicts Hamurabi s code code of law Hamurabi the only emperor of the Babylonian Empire short lived empire because it was too powerful imploded on itself ex an eye for an eye brutal but specific public ensured that a crime would not be committed twice again Images Hamurabi is standing up in front of Shamash god of justice who is sitting o To say that the laws are supported enforced by the gods not only Hamurabi makes the laws more powerful o Another way of saying that Hamurabi is awesome Assyrian o Highly militaristic empire o Lamassu 883 859 BCE Alabaster 10ft x 2in Currently located in the Metropolitan Museum Lamassu a creature with the body of a lion the wings of an eagle and the head of a man Man is wearing a bull s head crown symbolic of power Purpose to scare anyone who entered or neared the citadel a luxurious place that emperors lived in o Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions c 875 860 BCE alabaster 39in tall Currently located in the British Museum Depicts a traditional game that is similar to British fox hunting A staged event competition in which the Emperor would hunt and kill a lion that is being held by his servants Culturally acceptable encouraged Supposedly a true test of bravery power strength Neo Babylonian o Ishtar Gate c 575 BCE glazed brick 40ft tall Currently located in the Berlin Museum The Eastern Gate of Babylon Covered in blue tiles the color blue symbolic of power wealth Images on the gate beauty gardens lovely patterns Represent the goddess of love Purpose eastern entrance into Neo Babylonian city way to show visitors that you have a lot of money Sophisticated Persian o Apadana of Darius and Xerxes 518 460 BCE Apadana audience hall Darius and Xerxes father and son who are very powerful figures rulers Palace wasn t quite as fortified Contained specialized spaces and was very elaborate Purpose when neighboring dignitaries visited they were taken to meet Darius and Xerxes in this hall Relief sculptures can be found all over the buildings depicting people bearing gifts the visitors Ex Exotic animals o Daric Coin One of the smallest art forms money Stamped decorated with what s important to that society culture Signifies an extremely complex and stratified society cash economy means a large sophisticated and stratified society 552 486 BCE Gold The face of Darius stamped on the coin Every time you buy something you are reminded of Darius and his control power significance