Ancient Near Eastern Art - Sumer & Akkad

Sumerian and Akkadian Periods in the Ancient Near East

Organized into city-states: led to vulnerability for conquest due to fragmentation.
Each city-state had patron gods/goddesses, signified by ziggurats with temples at their centers.
Temples are crucial to city life, receiving contributions from citizens.

Ancient Uruk (modern Warka): One of the earliest cities, established around 3500 BCE.
Surviving ziggurat dedicated to the sky god Anu, though in poor condition.
Artifacts from Uruk, including sculptures and vessels, some of which were taken from the Baghdad Museum but have since been returned.

Alabaster vase featuring registers depicting:
- Stylized plants, animals, and nude figures bringing offerings to the temple.
- Figures are in composite view: faces in profile, shoulders slightly forward.
- Visualizes the types of offerings made to the temple complex.
Unfortunately, many artifacts, including this vase, were stolen in 2003 but have been returned.

Details of the Warka Vase:
- Figures are dressed and holding vessels.
- Top register likely depicts a priestess or goddess receiving offerings from community members.
- Ruler of Warka (Uruk) is significant for his stature and attire, suggesting high status and involvement in rituals.

Commemorates a victory of Eannatum, ruler of Lagash.
Iconography includes a divine connection, evidenced by writing on the stele fragments and visual depictions.
Eannatum's Representation:
- Distinguished by attire; slightly elevated and distinguishable from troops in military engagement.
- Troops depicted closely, with Eannatum featured in a chariot, indicating his significance.
Known as "The Stele of the Vultures" due to imagery of vultures with defeated enemies, including a divine figure assisting Eannatum in battle.

Discovered in the Royal Cemeteries of Ur, showcasing both battle and peace scenes.
Peace Side:
- Depicts a seated leader in a banquet, featuring musical instruments (e.g., a bull-headed lyre) and people in high status positions.
War Side:
- Illustrates captives presented to a ruler, signifying dominance and the societal role of the military.
- Chariots shown with solid wheels; reflects technological aspects of ancient warfare and emphasizes power.

The Akkadian dynasty emerged as a dominant presence in the ancient Near East, with Sargon as a notable ruler for over 50 years.
The capital's exact location is unknown, but Akkadian language differed from Sumerian, despite the use of similar cuneiform writing.
Kingship in Akkadian culture is closely tied to divine rights, enhancing their status compared to earlier Sumerian rulers.

Depicts Naram-Sin as a prominent, dominating figure, no longer constrained to divided registers seen in prior art.
- He stands over a scene of conflict, overcoming enemies in mountainous terrain, indicative of a triumph.
- Heightened representation of Naram-Sin, visualized with horns on his helmet, symbolizing divinity and strength.
- Mountains, defeated enemies, and a focus on celestial approval (three stars) illustrate the banner of a victorious king.
Stele served as both a record of military success and a monument to Naram-Sin's enduring legacy in the Akkadian era.