Prehistoric to Medieval Art: Test 1: Term Definitions

Ziggurat

A towering pyramidal structure that brings temples up closer to the sky in honor of the local god(s) and protects temples from common flooding.

sarcophagus

A stone coffin often inscribed or decorated with sculptures

serdab

An ancient Egyptian tomb vessel that serves as a chamber for the ka/spirit statue of a deceased individual

necropolis

Also known as the Pyramids of Giza (Giza Necropolis), it includes three pyramid complexes.

1. Great Pyramid

2. the somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre

3. the relatively modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure

Megalith

A construction involving one or several roughly hewn stone slabs of great size

Votive Figure

A sculpture/object left in temples or other religious locations for a variety of spiritual purposes

Lamassu

A mythological guardian figure with large wings, the head of a human, and the body of a lion or bull.

Rhyton

A large golden and or silver ceremonial drinking cup fashioned in the shape of an animal’s head/torso

Mastaba

A rectangular structure with a flat top and slightly sloping sides that were built on top of tombs.

Composite pose

An Egyptian painting style where figures of animals or persons were shown in a profile and side view.

Stele

A large stone or wooden slab that poses as an upright monument containing information in the forms of texts and or images,

Megaron

A rectangular hall in a Mycenaean building supported with pillars, consisting of an open porch, a lobby/vestibule, and a large hall with a central hearth and a throne.

Sunken Relief

A technique of relief sculpture in which figures or images are carved in low relief, but set within a sunken area to create three-dimensionality.

Buon Fresco

A water-based painting technique where pigments are applied directly onto wet lime plaster, creating a durable bond between the paint and the wall. In the case where “Buon” means fresh or true in Italian.

Cuniform

A system of writing used in the ancient Middle East.