Near East art History

Agrarian Civilization: c. 3200 BCE – c. 1750 CE

An agrarian society means this society’s

economy is based on producing and

maintaining crops and farmland.

Mesopotamia: (means between rivers)

located on the plain between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers,

now Iraq. Civilization developed in the Fertile Crescent,

benefiting from this agriculturally rich area.

Sumer

Considered the first civilization, c. 4,000 to 2350 BCE

Cuneiform

First known language developed by seminarians

Ziggurat at Ur

eveloped in the Neo-Sumerian period (ca. 2150 – 2000 BCE).

• Materials:

Sun-dried bricks bonded with bitumen, reed matting, or rope,

finished with a weather-resistant exterior layer of kiln-fired bricks.

• Design:

1. Elevate the temples to the gods in the heavens;

2. Represent the mountains, where Sumerians and their

successors originally came from;

3. Protect the temples from flood waters;

4. Visually prominent in the city.

Votive figure

A statue of a man or

woman that is offered

to a god or goddess at a

sacred place, such as a

temple, to gain favor

with (or give thanks to)

the god or goddess.

Standard of Ur from the Royal

Tombs at Ur

Rectangular

box-like object

• Wooden panels

decorated with

mosaic scenes

Cylinder seals

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

2254-2218 B.C.E., Akkadian

A stele is a vertical stone monument or

marker often inscribed with text or relief

carving.

Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi

Gate of Ishtar

The Processional Way:

Lamassu, the citadel of Sargon II,

Khorsabad, Iraq

Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions,

North Palace, Ninevah

Palace in Persepolis

The Apādana / Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes,

c. 520-465 B.C.E

Hypostyle

Literally means

“under pillars,” it is

a structure whose

roof is supported by

rows of pillars or

columns. This

design allows for

the construction of

large spaces without

the need for arches