AP Art History Ancient Mediterranean Vocabulary

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions relevant to Ancient Mediterranean Art History, focusing on Ancient Egypt and its cultural significance.

Polytheism

Belief in many gods, each controlling different aspects of life and nature.

Monotheism

Belief in one god; briefly seen in Egypt under Akhenaten (worship of Aten).

Hieroglyphics

Egypt’s pictorial writing system, used on tombs, temples, and papyrus scrolls.

Palette

A stone slab used for grinding makeup or pigments (e.g., the Palette of King Narmer).

Canon of Proportions

A standardized grid system used to depict the human body with idealized, consistent proportions.

Ka

The life force or spiritual double of a person; Egyptians built tombs to protect the ka after death.

Necropolis

Literally “city of the dead”; a large cemetery or burial site (e.g., Saqqara).

Mastaba

An early Egyptian tomb structure with a flat roof and sloping sides; precursor to pyramids.

Canopic Jars

Containers used to store the internal organs of the deceased during mummification.

Mortuary Temple

A temple built near tombs where priests performed rituals for the dead pharaoh.

Pylon

A massive gateway with sloping walls leading into an Egyptian temple.

Pharaoh

The king of ancient Egypt, seen as both a political leader and a divine figure.

Horus

Falcon-headed sky god, protector of the pharaoh.

Osiris

God of the underworld, resurrection, and fertility.

Anubis

Jackal-headed god of mummification and the afterlife.

Thoth

Ibis-headed god of writing and knowledge; often records the weighing of the heart.

Amit (Ammit)

A monster goddess who devoured unworthy souls during the judgment of the dead.

Hunefer

The scribe featured in the Last Judgment of Hunefer scene from the Book of the Dead.

Papyrus

A plant-based material used for writing; also represented in Egyptian art as a symbol of Lower Egypt.

Ankh

The Egyptian symbol of life, shaped like a cross with a loop at the top.

Pyramid

Monumental royal tombs with triangular sides; symbolize the sun’s rays and the pharaoh’s journey to the afterlife.

Hypostyle Hall

A hall with a roof supported by columns, as in the Temple of Amun-Re at Karnak.

Clerestory

A raised section of roof with windows that let light into the hypostyle hall.

Axial (Plan)

A long, straight layout where rooms are aligned along a single axis (typical in Egyptian temples).

Colonnade

A row of columns supporting a roof or entablature.

Sarcophagus

A stone coffin, often decorated with carvings or inscriptions.

Amarna Style

A revolutionary Egyptian art style under Akhenaten featuring more naturalistic, elongated forms and intimate royal family scenes.

Encaustic

A painting technique using hot wax and pigments, seen in Fayum mummy portraits.

Howard Carter

The archaeologist who discovered King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.

Rosetta Stone

A stone inscribed in Greek, Demotic, and Hieroglyphics that enabled scholars to decode Egyptian writing.

Apadana

A large audience hall in Persian palaces, like at Persepolis.

Ziggurat

A stepped temple platform with a shrine at the top; symbolized a link between heaven and earth.

Bent-Axis Approach

A zigzag path to a temple, requiring a turn before reaching the sanctuary (typical in Sumerian architecture).

Registers

Horizontal bands or levels used to organize scenes in relief sculpture or painting.

Votive

Objects offered to gods as acts of devotion, often small statues of worshippers.

Cuneiform

Wedge-shaped writing system of Mesopotamia, made by pressing a stylus into clay.

Stele

An upright stone slab carved with reliefs or inscriptions, often commemorating rulers or laws.

Cylinder Seal

A small carved stone cylinder rolled onto clay to create an identifying impression.

Hieratic Scale

Artistic convention where size indicates importance (e.g., kings are largest).

Lamassu

Winged, human-headed bulls that guarded Assyrian palace gates as protective spirits.

Capital (of a column)

The decorative top of a column, often carved in ornate styles.

Cella

The innermost chamber of a temple where the deity’s statue was kept.

Citadel

A fortified area of a city, often containing palaces or temples.

Crenellated

Having notched battlements at the top of a wall for defense.

Gold Leaf

Thin sheets of gold applied to surfaces for decoration or to show wealth and divinity.