Midterm vocab

radio carbon dating

a scientific method of determining the age of objects through the presence of carbon-14 material

figurative

art that portrays human or animal forms - steppe bison

incise

to cut or engrave - lion human figurine

ocher

a naturally occurring clay pigment that ranges in color from yellow to red, brown, or white - gwion gwion figures

ice age

a period of colder global temperatures, when much of the earth’s surface is covered by glaciers

henge

an ancient monument with an outer circle ditch and inner bank stonehenge

megalith

a large stone used as, or part of, a prehistoric monument - stonehenge

low relief/bas relief

raised forms that protrude only slightly from a flat background - T-shaped pillar with a roaring lion

material culture

the materials, objects, and technologies that accompany everyday life

courseware

thick, gritty pottery used for everyday purposes - beaker with decoration of animals

tournette

a pivoted work surface that makes the shaping and decorating of pots easier and quicker

ziggurat

a stepped pyramid or tower-like structure in a Mesopotamian temple complex - temple of anu

course

a layer of bricks or other building units arranged horizontally along a wall - temple of anu

facade

any exterior vertical face of a building, usually the front - temple of anu

terra-cotta

baked clay; aka earthenware - terra-cotta army

mosaic

a picture or pattern made from the arrangement of small colored pieces of hard materials, such as stone, tile, or glass - cone mosaics at uruk

pictorial narrative

storytelling in pictures that presents a connected sequence of events - uruk vase

register

a horizontal section of a work, usually a clearly defined band or line - uruk vase

stele

a carved stone slab that is placed upright and often includes commemorative imagery and/or inscriptions - lion-hunt stele from uruk

iconography

images or symbols used to convey specific meanings in an artwork

votive

an image or object created as a devotional offering to a deity - votive figures from the temple of abu

inlay

decoration embedded into the surface of a base material - votive figures from the temple of abu

libation

the ritual pouring of a liquid, often alcohol or oil, to a spirit or deity as an offering while prayers are said

hierarchical scale

the use of size to denote the relative importance of subjects in an artwork - royal standard of ur

lost wax casting

a method of creating metal sculpture in which a clay mold surrounds a wax model and is then fired. when the wax melts away, molten metal is poured in to fill the space - head of an akkadian ruler

palette

a thin board or slab used to mix colors or pigments - the narmer palette

hieroglyph

a type of written script that uses conventionalized signs to represent concepts, sounds, or words - the narmer palette

faience

a glassy substance that is formed and fired like ceramic - standing hippopotamus

obelisk

a tapering, four-sided, stone pillar, usually with a small pyramid at the capstone - obelisk taken from the complex at thebes

bust

a sculpture of a person’s head, shoulders, and chest - bust of nefertiti

sunken relief

relief that is carved into a sunken area and does not project above the surface - stele of akhenaten

sarcophagus

a container for human remains - inner coffin of tutankhamun

griffin

a mythological creature with the body of a lion and the head of a bird; often winged

high relief

raised forms that project far from a flat background - the burney relief

orthostat

an upright, standing stone slab, often protecting the lower part of a wall - orthostat from throne room B of ashurnasirpal ii

pictorial program

the complete set of imagery in a monument or on a building that is designed in a holistic and calculated manner

chevron

pattern in the shape of a “V” or an upside-down “V” - comb-pattern jeulmun vessel

zoomorphic

having a animal-like form - guan (jar)

representational

art that depicts a recognizable subject, such as a person, place, or object - dogu

jade

a general term for hard, typically green materials, including nephrite and jadeite - bi (disk)

nephrite

a hard, fibrous mineral for making ritual objects, often called jade - cong

bi

flat, perforated disks made of nephrite created by the Liangzhu culture

cong

hollow, squared tubes made of nephrite found in the Liangzhu region

diadem

a crown or ornamented headband worn as a sign of status

repousse

a relief design created by hammering malleable metal from the reverse side - mask of agamemnon

ashlar

a stone wall masonry technique using finely cut square blocks laid in precise rows - light well in the palace at knossos

lintel

a horizontal support above a door or other opening - stonehenge

colonnade

a long series of columns at regular intervals that support a roof or other structure

fresco

wall or ceiling painting on wet plaster - flotilla fresco

chryselephantine

made of gold and ivory - statue of a male figure

continuous narrative

multiple events combined within a single pictorial frame - flotilla fresco

tumulus

a mound of earth raised over a burial or grave - treasury of atreus tholos tomb

tholos

a round, vaulted building, often a tomb - treasury of atreus tholos tomb

corbeled roof

a roof made of stone slabs that progressively overlap to create a dome, topped with a capstone - treasury of atreus tholos tomb

lintel

a horizontal support above a door or other opening

polis

a greek city-state

peristyle

a line of columns enclosing a space - temple of hera I

entasis

the bulging center of a column, constructed to correct the optical illusion that may otherwise make the shaft appear to curve inward - temple of hera I

cella

the inner chamber of a temple; usually houses a cult statue - temple of hera I

adyton

a rear room behind the cella of a temple, presumably used for rituals - temple of hera I

pronaos

the porch or vestibule at the front of a temple - temple of hera I

capital

the distinct top section of a column or pillar, usually decorative - temple of hera I

sanctuary

in ancient Greece, a sacred space reserved for the worship of a deity - sancturay of apollo

treasury

in ancient Greece, buildings paid for by individual Greek city-states to house their offerings at the sanctuaries to the gods - treasury of the siphnians

pediment

in architecture, the triangular component that sits atop a columned porch, doorway, or window - the treasury of the siphnians east pediment and frieze

frieze

any sculpture or painting in a long, horizontal format - the treasury of the siphnians east pediment and friezr

foreshortening

in two-dimensional artwork, the illusion of a form receding into space: the parts of an object or figure closest to the viewer are depicted as largest, those furthest are smallest - the treasury of the siphnians east pediment and frieze

akroteria

scultpures that adorn the roof of a temple - treasury of the siphnians

karyatid

stone statue of a young woman, can be used like a column to support the entablature of a temple - treasury of the siphnians

kuoros

a freestanding archaic Greek statue of a naked young man - kouros from anavysos

kore

a freestanding archaic greek statue of a clothed young woman - peplos kore

archaic smile

the upturned lips of Greek archaic sculpture - pelos kore

contrapposto

a posture of the human body that shifts most weight onto one leg, suggesting ease and potential for movement - kritios boy