chapter 2 ancient near east honey

7/30/2019 Chapter 2 Ancient Near East Honey

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CHAPTER 2

THE ART OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

Reported by: Jehanne S. Sajorda


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1. THE FERTILE CRESCENT

Also called The Neolithic Revolution.Between 4000-3000 BCE, a

revolutionary change in daily life

occurred in Mesopotamia.

Complex societies with a hierarchy of

priests and kings arose.

Urban(city-states) arose leading to

specialty professions.

Polytheistic temple complexes were

built.

All of this growth was based on

control of water and agriculture on the fertile plains of the Tigris and

Euphrates rivers, thus, the Fertile Crescent.

2. EARLY NEOLITHIC CITIES

Wood and stone were scarce. So

people turned to the earth

beneath their feet for construction

materials. They molded bricks out

of clay then hardened them in the

sun. These mud bricks were

quite durable in the dry climate and

provided sturdy well-insulated shelter.

They built their houses close together

that they did not have any streets to

walk on. So they traveled from one

place to another through the roofs of

their houses. Due to the lack of space, they buried

their death beneath the floor of their

houses.

They also had shrine rooms to worship their gods, like in the discovered

ruined city, Chatal Huyuk. They also used Obsidian Volcanic Glass to make sharp weapons for their

defense.


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3. SUMER

3500 to 2800 BCE

Invented the wagon wheel, the plow, casting objects in cooper

and bronze

Their greatest contribution to civilization was Cuneiform, thebeginning of writing, taking the form of wedge-shaped signs,

simplified from pictograph signs (simplified pictures) impressed

into clay tablets with a stylus. Ziggurats were also built at their time.

They were stepped pyramidal structures with a temple or shrine on

top. They functioned symbolically as lofty bridges between earth

and the heavens. The temples were known as waiting rooms

where the priests and priestesses waited for the gods and

goddesses to reveal themselves.

They also have what they called LOW RELIEF or

BAS RELIEF. This is when figures are carved to

project only slightly from a flat background.

The low relief carving on the following vase tells a

story. The story is told in bands or REGISTERS. It

is the story of a religious festival in honor of the

goddess, Inanna.

They had Votive Figures, which are statues made as an act of

worship to the gods. They are statues of individual worshippers that were

set up before the statue of the god. The wide open eyes reveal the

importance of fixing on a god with an attentive gaze

All the features are reduced to simple geometric shapes.

They used CylinderSeals to identify

documents & protect storage jars. A cylindrical

piece of stone engraved to produce a raisedimpression when rolled over clay.


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4. AKKAD

Enheduanna, the daughter of Sargon 1, was a

major public figure who combined the roles of princess,

priestess, politician, poet and prophet. She is the very first

known writer. Enheduannas well documented career is an

exception to the otherwise sparse information available

about the Akkadians.

The concept of imperial authority was literally

carved in stone in an Akkadian work, The Stela of Naramsin.

It might also be a symbolism of storming the mountain &

scaling the heavens.

5. LAGASH

One large Sumerian city-state remained independentduring the period of the Guti control. This was Lagash,

under the ruler Gudea. Gudea built and restored many

temples in which he placed votive statues

representing both himself as governor and the ideal of

good rule that he embodied. The statues are made of

diorite, a very hard stone that was difficult to work.

Twenty of them survived, all looking much alike,

making Gudeas face a familiar one in Ancient Near

Eastern Art.6. BABYLON AND MARI

The Amorites, a Semitic-speaking people from the Arabian

Dessert to the west, moved into the region and eventually reunited Sumer

under Hammurabi. The capital city was Babylon.

Among Hammurabis achievements was a written legal code

that listed the laws of his realm and the penalties for breaking them. This

was known asHammurabis Code. Examples of the laws are:

i. If any man puts out the eye of another man, his eye shall

be put out.ii. If he kills a mans slave he shall pay one-third of a mina.

iii. If someone steals property from a temple, he will be put

to death, as will the recipient of the stolen goods.

iv. If a mans wife is caught in bed with another man, both

will be tied up and thrown in the water.


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King Zimiri-Lin controlled a Neo-Sumerian city-

state of Mari during reign of Hammurabi.

Painting framents represents the investiture of

Zimiri-Lin, his right to rule granted by Ishtar

[formerly Inanna]

Painting symbolizes the benevolence of the

gods.

The kings throne was also flanked by guardian

figures, which also flanked the gates of the

citadel. They are winged human-headed bulls.

They guard against evil influences.

Sargon II tried to make a Citadel, a new

Assyrian capital, but left it unfinished

after his death. It exhibited both

confidence & fear. Covered 25 acres.

Had over 200 courtyards & rooms.

Represented Sargons

grandeur: Merciless & Forgiving.

Included a ziggurat and sanctuaries for

6 deities.

7. NEO-BABYLONIA

The Ishtar Gate is one of the main

entrances of the city. The walls on both

sides were faced with turquoise bricks

that were glazed and topped with

notches, or crenelation, Among the

brilliant turquoise bricks, specially

molded, gold-colored bricks form

images of lions striding along in honor

of the goddess, Ishtar.


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8. ANATOLIA

The Lion Gate is an early example of

protecting cities through sculptures

of wild beasts at the gate. The Hittite

stronghold of Hattushash sculpted

guardian figures out of the

foundational rock itself. This Lion

Gate harmonized the colossal scale

of the construction.

9. PERSIA

518 BCE

King Darius utilized influences

and materials from all over his

empire, which included Babylon,Egypt, Mesopotamian and

Greece.

At the height of the Persian

Empire, Persepolis, the capital,

stretched from India to Africa.

The city included extensive use

of columns.

Persia today is known as Iran.

chapter 2 ancient near east honey

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