Ancient Mesopotamia

Sumerian

Sumerian

Uruk Vase (Period)

Uruk Vase

Sumerian

Votive Statues (Period)

Votive Statues

Sumerian

Bull-Headed Lyre (Period)

Bull-Headed Lyre

Akkadian

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin (Period)

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

Babylonian

Stele of Hammurabi (Period)

Stele of Hammurabi

Neo-Assyrian

“Garden Party” Relief (Period)

“Garden Party” Relief

Fertile Crescent

Boomerang-shaped region in the Middle East that’s home to Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, and Babylonia.

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Vital source of water, food, and transportation for the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia.

Uruk Period

First-state societies emerged and urban life began to develop

Shamash

God of sun and justice

Cuneiform

Used for recording information such as business, trade, temple activities, stories, myths, and personal letters.

Register/Frieze

Decorative band or panel

Ziggurat

Temple tower consisting of a lofty pyramidal structure built in successive stages with it side staircases and a shrine at the top

Frontal Eye

Associated with both good and evil, divine and devilish, and protective and destructive.

Twisted Perspective

The figure is shown mostly in profile, but a part of the figure is drawn facing the viewer.

Polytheistic

Belief in many gods and goddesses

Pictorial Narrative

Visual language that told stories about gods, rulers, and cosmic order.

Votive

Objects given to a sacred place as a way to express gratitude or fulfill a vow

Stele

Monuments made of stone or wood were used in ancient cultures to convey information through images, text, or both.

Hierarchy of Scale

Artistic technique that uses scale and proportion to indicate the significance of figures or objects in a composition

Low Relief

Carving technique that depicts figures or scenes that project slightly from a background surface

Divine Kingship

Idea that a king was a sacred figure and a representative of the gods on earth

Aniconic

Absence of artistic representations of the natural and supernatural worlds, or certain figures in religions.

Apotropaic

Type of protective magic that was used to ward off evil or misfortune