ARTH224920(2019B):ArtofMesopotamiaSummerSessionIISchedule:MWF12-2:30pmPlace:TBAInstructor:KatherineBurgeOffice:BabylonianSection,PennMuseumEmail:kburge@sas.upenn.eduOfficehours:TBACourseDescriptionThisisasurveycourseofthreethousandyearsoftheart,architectureandarchaeologyofancientMesopotamia,“thecradleofcivilization.”Afterabriefintroductiontotheenvironmentanditsprehistoricfoundations,thecoursefocusesontheurbanculturesinthevalleyoftheTigrisandEuphratesRiversfromthe“riseofcivilization”around3500BCEthroughtheendoftheAssyrianandBabylonianEmpiresofthemiddleofthefirstmillenniumBCE.Wewillstudythemajorvisualandarchitecturalmonumentsfromabroadculturalperspective,consideringhowandwhattheytellusaboutthislongdead,butmostimportantprecursorofWesternCivilization.ThiscoursemeetstheGeneralEducationCurriculum’sCrossCultureAnalysisrequirement.Requirements

1. Studentswillattendlecturesandcompleteassignedreadingsontime.Lecturesandreadingswilloverlap,butnotduplicateeachother,andtheexamswilldrawfromboth.

2. Studentswilltakeamid-termandfinalexam.

3. StudentswillresearchandwriteabiographyofanobjectondisplayinthePennMuseum’sMiddleEastGalleries.Thispapershouldincludeaformalanalysisoftheobjectandallrelevantinformationpertainingtoitscreation,circulation,use,excavationoracquisition,research,etc.Itshouldalsoposeandformulateapproachesandproblemsraisedbysomeaspectoftheobject.Thecompletedassignmentshouldbe7-10pages,andshouldincludecitationsusingaconsistentformat.

StudentswillhavetheoptionofpostingtheresultsoftheirresearchonthePennMuseum’sblog!

GradingGradeswillbebasedonparticipation(10%),objectbiographypaper(40%),mid-termexam(25%),andfinalexam(25%).CourseMaterialsThiscourseusesZainabBahrani’sMesopotamia:AncientArtandArchitecture,Thames&Hudson(2017)ItisavailableonAmazon.comatadiscountfrombookstoreprices;therearealsoseveralcopiesonreserveatthePennMuseumLibrary.Inadditionthereareoneortwoarticlesassignedforeachclass.ThesewillallbeavailableonCanvasandcanbefoundintheirappropriatefoldersarrangedbydate.Onaveragethereis20-30pagesofreadingperclass.ScheduleofClasses7/5:CourseintroductionLecture:Overviewofcourseaimsandrequirements;Background:geography,chronology,historyofthefield,natureoftheinquiryReadings:Bahrani,Introduction7/8:NeolithicthroughUbaidLecture:Theemergenceofart,symbolsasidentifiers;Natufian,Pre-PotteryNeolithic:GöbekliTepe,Jericho;EarlyChalcolithic:Çatalhüyük,Hassuna,Sammara,andHalafcultures,Ubaidperiod:Eridu,TellMadhhurReadings:Bahrani,Chapter1

FeaturepieceonGöbekliTepeinNationalGeographic(2011)SelectionTBA7/10:UrukandtheEmergingStateLecture:Cities,architecture,sculpture,seals,earlywritingandadministration,textandimage,performativenatureofart,TepeGawra,Arslantepe,Susa,UrukReadings:Bahrani,Chapter2Michalowski,Peter,"MesopotamianCommunicativeSystems:Art,LiteratureandWriting,"ined.AnnC.GunterInvestigatingArtisticEnvironments,pp.53-69.Suter,Claudia.“Human,DivineorBoth?TheUrukVaseandtheProblemofAmbiguityinEarlyMesopotamianVisualArts”inCriticalApproachestoAncientNearEasternArteds.MarianFeldmanandBrianBrown.2014.pp.545-568.7/12:EarlyDynasticSummerLecture:Sumeriancity-states,templesandritual,kingshipanddynasties,Lagashandtheevolutionofhistoricalnarrativeinimageandtexts,architecture,sculpture,seals,DiyalaReadings:Bahrani,Chapters3Winter,IreneJ."AftertheBattleisOver:TheSteleoftheVulturesandtheBeginningofHistoricalNarrativeintheArtoftheAncientNearEast,"inPictoricalNarrativeinAntiquityandtheMiddleAgesed.byHerbertL.KesslerandMariannaShreveSimpson.1985.pp.11-32.7/15:EarlyDynasticSummer(cont’d)Lecture:RoyalCemeteryofUr,MariTreasureReadings:Bahrani,Chapter4Mieroop,Marcvande“InSearchofPrestige:ForeignContactsandtheRiseofanEliteinEarlyDynasticMesopotamia.”inLeavingNoStonesUnturned,editedbyEricaEherneberg.2002.pp.125-137.Pollock,Susan.“TheRoyalCemeteryofUr:Ritual,TraditionandtheCreationofSubjects”inCriticalApproachestoAncientNearEasternArted.byBrianBrownandM.Feldman.2013.pp.89-1107/17:AkkadianDynastyLecture:Royalmonuments,imageofthecharismaticking,Sargon,Naram-Sin,royalwomen,architecture,seals

Readings:Bahrani,Chapter5Winter,I.J.“TouchedbytheGods:VisualEvidencefortheDivineStatusofRulersintheAncientNearEast,”inReligionandPower:DivineKingshipintheAncientWorldandBeyonded.byN.Brisch.2008.pp.75-101. 7/19:Neo-SumerianPeriodLecture:Gudea;Formsofrepresentation:portraiture,statues;TheUrIIIDynasty,sculpture,regionalart,sealsReadings:Bahrani,Chapters6and7Suter,Claudia.“UrIIIKingsinImages:AReappraisal”inYourPraiseisSweetMemorialVolumeforJeremyBlack.2010.pp.319-349.7/22:Mid-TermExam7/24:MuseumDay!ClasswillmeetinthePennMuseumforatouroftheMiddleEastGalleriesReadings:BrowsethroughMiddleEastGalleriesissueofExpeditionMagazine7/26:OldBabylonianPeriodLecture:Isin-Larsa,OldAssyrian,Amorites,CodexHammurabi,thePalaceatMari,terracottaplaquesandpublicartReadings:Bahrani,Chapter8Feldman,Marian.“ObjectAgency?SpatialPerspectiveSocialRelations,andtheSteleofHammurabi”inAgencyandIdentityintheAncientNearEast:NewPathsForwarded.byS.SteadmanandJ.Ross.2010.pp.149-165.7/29:LateBronze“International”PeriodLecture:Kassite,Mitanni,MiddleAssyrian,architecture,seals,AmarnaArchive,Kuduru,theWhiteObeliskReadings:Bahrani,Chapter9Evans,Jean.“TheMitannianState”inBeyondBabylon:Art,Trade,andDiplomacyintheSecondMillenniumB.C.ed.byJoanAruz,etal.2006.pp.194-199.

Evans,Jean.“TheMiddleAssyrianPeriod”inBeyondBabylon:Art,Trade,andDiplomacyintheSecondMillenniumB.C.ed.byJoanAruz,etal.2006.pp.206-213.Pittman,Holly."TheWhiteObeliskandtheproblemofhistoricalnarrativeintheartofAssyria."TheArtBulletin78.2.1996.pp.334-355.7/31:Neo-AssyrianPeriodLecture:PerformingEmpire,palacereliefs,Nimrud,Nineveh,DurSharrukin,Readings:Bahrani,Chapter10Winter,IreneJ."RoyalrhetoricandthedevelopmentofhistoricalnarrativeinNeo-Assyrianreliefs."Studiesinvisualcommunication7.2(1981):2-38.SelectionTBA8/2:Neo-AssyrianPeriod(cont’d)Lecture:Rockreliefsandthepoliticallandscape,monuments,ivories,sealsReadings:Bahrani,Chapter11Shafer,Ann.“Assyrianroyalmonumentsontheperiphery:ritualandmakingofimperialspace”inAncientNearEasternArtinContext:StudiesinHonorofIreneJ.Wintered.byJackChengandM.Feldman.2007.pp.133-1608/5:Neo-BabylonianandAchaemenidPeriodsLecture:Lookingtothepast:sculpturalandarchitecturalappropriation,thePalaceatBabylon,seals;Pasargadae,rockreliefs,BisotunRelief,Persepolis,metalwork,sealsReadings:Bahrani,Chapters12and13SelectionTBA8/7:HellenisticandParthianPeriodsLecture:HellenisminMesopotamia,Seleucia,continuityandchangeunderParthian-Arsacids,HatraReadings:Bahrani,Chapter14SelectionsTBA8/9:FinalExam