II. mesopotamian civilization (4300-331 BC)

mesopotamian civilization

4300-331 bc. CRADLE OF CIVILIZATIONS. domestication of animals, trade and coinage, legal government, potter's wheel, wagon wheel. alphabet, architecture, mathematics and astronomy, monotheism and monogamy

land between two rivers

mesopotamia (iraq) in the middle of tigris and euphrates

sumerian

6k-4k bc. contributed the cuneiform and ziggurat architecture. they invented writing and produced the world's first literature.

epic of gilgamesh

world's FIRST LITERATURE; similarities with noah's ark

glyptic art

carvings or engravings (especially on precious stones)

city of uruk

given its name to a period known as proliterate (glyptic art) b/c of the earliest writing developed

akkadians

first mesopotamian rulers to call themselves kings. first to cast hollow life-size bronze sculptures (stele of naram-sin). empire where sargon 1st belonged

neo-sumerian

contributed the largest ziggurats in mesopotamia at ur

babylonian/ chaldean

4k-700 B.B. period of Hammurabi, nebuchadnezzar II, and the amorites

hammurabi

said to be the greatest king of babylon; king of amorites

code of hammurabi

well-preserved Babylonian law code of ancient Mesopotamia where the phrase "an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" came from. consist of 300 STATUES on 51 COLUMNS written in akkadian

nebuchadnezzar II

longest king of neo-babylonian who captured jerusalem and the one responsible for the architectural wonders of Babylon, the Ishtar gate

ishtar gate

included in the 7 wonders of the world. eighth gate to the inner city of Babylon in the northern part; entrance gate to the palace of sargon

the amorites

SEMITIC SPEAKING PEOPLE from arabia. ruled mesopotamia and established the capital at babylon

assyrian

700-500 BC. perid wherein palaces were FORTIFIED CITADELS with LAMASSU GUARDIANS

persian period

539-331 bc. period of cyrus the great aka CYRUS II. rose from DEFEAT OF BABYLONIANS w/c resulted to an ENORMOUS EMPIRE

persepolis

CITY OF PERSIANS built by darius I

xerxes

he built a huge palace complex with an audience hall that can accomodate 1000 guests

cuneiform

system of writing; use of characters formed by arrangements of SMALL WEDGE-SHAPED ELEMENTS

sculptures

their art form with LARGE CIRCULAR EYES and CURLY HAIR and BEARD

the lamassu

great stone statue of HUMAN-HEADED WINGED BULL located in the palace of ishtar (palace of sargon ii, khorsabad)

ziggurat

ARTIFICIAL MOUNTAINS made of TIERED RECTANGULAR LAYERS w/c rose from 1-7 in the course of mesopotamian history

palaces

were made of polychrome ornamental brickwork with high plinths and dadoes made of great stone slabs placed on edge and carved with low relief sculpture

ishtar gate

entrance gate to the palace of sargon named after goddess of love, fertility and war. structure is faced with glazed bricks with rows of bulls and dragons, flanked with great towers and lamassu figures, supported a semi-circular arch covered with colored tiles

tower of babel

seven-tiered ziggurat rising from a base of 297 sqft

hanging gardens of babylon

great palace built by nebuchadnezzar for HIS WIFE, AMYTIS

palace complex at persepolis

buil on stone platform, consisted of multi-columed buildings with long double stairway access to platform. it was began by darius and finished by xerxes, used mainly for great receptions by kings. it contained 72 columns and 3 monumental stairways

apadana

audience hall found in palace complex at persepolis

crenellation

the battlements of a castle or other building.

bull capital

their columns were adorned with?