ARH- Mesopitamia

Exam 2

Bull-headed lyre

2600 BCE, Royal Cemetary, Ur, Iraq

• made of gold leaf, wood, and lapis lazuli

  • sound box on the inside was made using a shell

• on depictions on the side- depicts animals

Anu ziggurat/White Temple 

located in Uruk (modern Warka), Iraq c. 3300 BCE

• Very large, elevated on artificial mountain 

• The temple was a waiting room for the god/goddess to come down

Warka Vase

located in Temple of Inanna, Uruk (modern Warka), Iraq c. 3000 BCE

• In their worldview water is at the foundation of life, so it’s at the bottom.

• Next level depicts plants. Above that is a row of animals- very important for meat, resources, labor, and sacrifice.

• In the middle are humans, walking the opposite ways of animals, they are all carrying baskets and laboring for the gods, they are naked and all male which is surprising because bellow they depicted male and female animals.

  • In this society, nudity means lower status or enslavement. Since they are in the middle of the jar that means they view humans as not the top of the chain, gods are above

• At the top of the jar is a goddess standing outside of her temple

12 Statuettes of Worshippers

located in Square Temple, Eshnunna, Iraq; 2700 BCE,

• The eyes are huge and bright blue: Lapis Lazuh (exotic stone from modern day Afghanistan)

• The depict worshipers not a deity

• They weren’t mass produced, commissioned by individual

• Each one is depiction of person

• Men, women and children depicted surprisingly

• The statues offered prayer to the god 24/7 and that helped get good favor

Royal Cemetery of Ur

2600 BCE, Ur, Iraq

• Kind Meskalamdug

• Queen Puabi

• Ram in the thicket

• Mass human sacrifice, to have servants in afterlife, show of power

Victory Steele of Naram-Sin

located in Susa Iran, 2200 BCE, made out of pink sandstrone

• landscape scene- gives an overview of the battle

• cuneiform writing at the top explains victory

• depicted as wearing a helmet with bull horns = divine

• hierarghical scale: size tells us the hierarchy of importance

• depicted as stepping on enemies—sign of power

• displays strength physically and turned to the right (shows holiness)- reinforces divinity

Nanna Ziggurat

located in Ur, Iraq in 2100 BCE;

• large structure with lots of levels devoted to the moon goddess Nanna

• likely a religous, political, and economic center

• link to the past—Abraham from the Bible lived in this area at this time, may have walked right past this

• Tower of Bable could have been Ziggurat temples because they wanted to build up to the Gods

Seated statue of Gudea

foud in Girsu, Iraq, c. 2100 BCE

• Restoration of Sumerian religious system

• Hands together, praying to gods = pious

• Written on clothing is lists of all his works

• On his lap is architectural blueprint— shows his accomplishments and lasting impact on the city

• Shepard of people

• Rules because gods favor them

Stele of Hammurabi

found in Susa Iran, 1700 BCE; made of Basalt Stone (beautiful and expensive stone)

• laws are on display

  • prologue- lists the good thing Ham. has done for the city (building temples)

  • list of laws- extremely harsh (literally “eye for an eye”)

  • epilogue: Ham. is a peacemaker

• image at the top- Hammurabi speaking to the Sun god Shamash— sign of divinity and power

  • shows that the laws are divine and should be respected

  • confronts god on the mountain and brings it back to the people