Visual Culture Quiz 1

radiocarbon dating

method of dating objects made from organic materials based on the rate of degenerate of carbon isotopes

charcoal

burnt wood

ochre

a pigment of minerals from mud or clay

profile view

image is to the side/away from you

frontal view

image is facing you

composite perspective

combines frontal and profile views

additive sculpture

adding/layering on materials

subtractive sculpture

taking materials away/carving them

obsidian

volcanic glass, made spear points

narrative image

an image that tells a story

votive offering

a gift given in gratitude or in fulfillment of a vow

hierarchical scale

depicting people or things, bigger size means more money or more importance

cuneiform

the earliest known written language

ziggurat

a massive, pyramid type temple tower

temple

built on top of the ziggurat

stele

a stone slab with inscriptions or images that is often a grave marker or monument

register

a series of bands separating imagines or narratives from each other

idealization

representing something as perfect

relief sculpture

figures projecting a background in a sculpture

iconography

the study of visual language such as symbols, themes, and subject matter in art