Intro to Art History: Quiz Logistics, Ancient Near East, and Early Egypt

Quiz logistics and course setup

  • Open-notes quizzes on Voodle with a strict one-hour time limit per attempt:
    • When you log in, you have 1\ \text{hour} to complete.
    • If you start late, begin no later than 4\ \text{PM} to avoid being stopped mid-quiz.
    • If you finish after the hour, you can submit whatever you have completed; the system will accept that partial attempt.
  • If you encounter technical issues during the first quiz that affect your grade, email the instructor to arrange a retake; the instructor will coordinate with the back end (Lisa).
  • Quiz format:
    • 15 multiple-choice questions
    • 2 essay questions
    • All content pertains to the unit material covered in class and the PDFs provided.
    • The quiz review materials (study guides) are aligned with what has been taught; the dates on the review may reference last semester, but the content remains applicable.
    • The first three quizzes focus on unit material just learned; the next three quizzes are holistic and cover everything learned thus far.
  • Quiz accessibility:
    • Quizzes are open-notes; students have access to notes and readings from the class.
    • The instructor hides the actual quiz content for students until the class completes the Egypt unit; the quiz review remains open.
  • Question types and expectations:
    • A classical art-historical question format often involves comparing two images: discuss similarities and differences.
    • Two images will be provided for comparison in the quiz.
  • Grading:
    • The quiz is worth 10\% of the final grade.
  • Study guides:
    • Each study guide lists vocabulary and key concepts for the unit, along with a reminder of the six humanistic themes (one theme is less applicable to Egypt).
    • The study guide is a condensed version of the slides, including dates and major bullet points for each period (Paleolithic, Neolithic, etc.).
    • If a topic or object is not on the study guide, it will not appear on the quiz.
  • Accommodations and notes:
    • If accommodations are needed, provide them; readings are on Moodle and drawn from Smart History.
  • General reminders:
    • Keep up with readings; the course integrates broad historical themes with specific case studies.
    • The quiz review is “open” while the actual quiz remains closed until the Egypt unit is completed.

Ancient Near East: foundational concepts and key works (Warka Vase, Naram-Sin, Hammurabi)

  • Core ideas:
    • Religion and power are tightly linked in ancient Near Eastern polities.
    • Hierarchy of scale: larger or more important figures/items are depicted as bigger.
    • Development of monumental architectures correlates with the establishment of agriculture and large, stratified populations.
    • The Fertile Crescent’s geography (Mesopotamia) with the Tigris and Euphrates supports agriculture and urbanization; water is central for settlement and power.
  • Cultural geography and political structure:
    • The region comprises interrelated city-states that trade and frequently go to war with one another.
    • Modern country borders do not map directly onto ancient political realities; use the city-state framework.

The Warka Vase (Ishtar/Inanna offerings) and visual narrative devices

  • The Warka Vase features four main registers with pictorial scenes; total registers include water as a bottom band (represented by wavy lines).
  • Register concept:
    • Separate bands separated by lines create a narrative sequence; order typically moves from bottom to top or front to back depending on design.
    • Registers help organize the tableau and clarify the narrative hierarchy.
  • Subject matter:
    • Top register depicts offerings to the goddess Inanna/Ishtar (goddess of love, war, sex, fertility).
    • The goddess receives offerings from nude figures and individuals represented as enslaved or lower classes.
  • Iconography and relief type:
    • Relief described as low relief (sculptural relief close to the picture plane).
    • Distinction between conceptual and optical representation: twisted/composite perspective (head in profile, shoulders/hips turned toward the viewer) conveys the most information about figure form.
  • Contextual notes:
    • The piece demonstrates early monumental civic-ritual display and the importance of the divine in legitimating political power.
  • Terminology recap:
    • Register: a horizontal band in a relief or painting used to separate scenes.
    • Sculptural relief: a relief sculpture with different depths carved into a flat background.
    • Twisted/composite perspective: a method of depicting the figure so multiple viewpoints are combined to convey information.

Head of an Akkadian ruler (Nineveh, Iraq) and related details

  • Metal sculpture rarity:
    • Very few metal sculptures survive from this early period because metals were recycled or melted down for weapons.
    • The preserved head likely derives from a larger full-body sculpture; the head alone survives.
  • Visual cues about leadership and power:
    • The eyes are gouged and ears slashed in some later pieces; eye details may include inlaid gems when available.
  • Facial features and stylistic blend:
    • The beard is highly stylized (corkscrew beard) while the face shows naturalistic traits (Roman-nose, full lips).
  • Symbolic association:
    • The piece reflects a ruler’s divinity and the political authority of the time.
  • Broader connection:
    • The piece sits within a broader tradition of Mesopotamian sculpture that blends naturalism with stylization.

Naram-Sin Stele (Victory Stele of Narām-Sîn)

  • Identity and context:
    • Narām-Sîn is the grandson of Sargon the Great; a Sumerian king who asserted centralized power and treated city governors as subordinates.
  • Concept of rulership:
    • Narām-Sîn proclaims himself as godlike and king of the “four quarters of the earth,” signaling an elevated, quasi-divine status.
  • Material and travel:
    • The stele was found in Susa, Iran, and dates to the Akkadian period; it was taken by an Elamite king (Shoshuq Nahunte) after Babylonian campaigns.
    • The epigraphic record on the stele (Akkadian) confirms its original Mesopotamian context, despite its later relocation.
  • Visual hierarchy:
    • The stele uses fewer registers than the Warka Vase; no multiple strip clarity but still communicates victory and cosmic kingship.
  • Conceptual takeaway:
    • The phrase “to the victor go the spoils” appears in the broader dynamics of conquest and artifact relocation in the ancient world.

The Stele of Hammurabi (Babylon, Mesopotamia)

  • Material and date:
    • Made of diorite, ca. ext{circa} 1780\text{ BCE}, standing at about 7\text{ ft 4 in} tall.
    • Diorite is a very hard stone, making the stele durable but limiting the amount of detail that can be carved.
  • Significance:
    • The Hammurabi code is among the earliest codified legal systems; a written code provides a structured legal framework.
  • Iconography and inscription:
    • Hammurabi stands before Shamash (sun god, patron of law and order) who is seated; Hammurabi is receiving the rod and ring of kingship, symbols of authority and justice.
    • A subtle hierarchy of scale places Shamash as larger or more dominant than Hammurabi.
    • The relief uses twisted perspective to present Shamash in a combined front/side view.
  • Content of the code:
    • Approximately 280 laws inscribed in Akkadian; around 3{,}500 lines of cuneiform.
    • Topics include property, theft, manslaughter, assault, adoption, divorce, land and labor contracts, irrigation rights, and interest rates.
    • Three social classes: upper class, commoners, enslaved people; punishments varied by class.
    • Known phrase about “eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” is associated with the code; the code prescribes penalties for various offenses.
  • Purpose and significance:
    • Demonstrates a ruler’s attempt to establish justice and governance under divine sanction; portrays the king as a bringer of order and stability.
  • Additional details:
    • The scene depicts Hammurabi receiving guidance from Shamash; contemporary dress and styling reflect Mesopotamian fashion suitable for hot climates.

Ashurbanipal hunting lions (Nineveh, North Palace reliefs)

  • Medium and technique:
    • Reliefs carved in gypsum; higher relief with more pronounced shadows to create depth.
    • The shift to gypsum marks the iron age in sculpture, allowing greater detail than harder stones like diorite.
  • Subject and symbolism:
    • Lion hunting scenes symbolize the king’s duty to protect and govern his people; hunting is a royal sport and a demonstration of power.
  • Historical context:
    • Ashurbanipal was a neo-Assyrian king; the reliefs capture action, realism, and athletic prowess; these works are among the finest examples of Assyrian art.
  • Material considerations and display:
    • Gypsum is more delicate and would have been placed indoors to avoid erosion; not as durable as diorite.
  • Cultural notes:
    • Facial hair fashion of the period is highlighted; Assyrian beards and beaded adornments are discussed.

Lammasu guardians (winged human-headed bulls)

  • Function:
    • Guardian figures placed at entrances to ward off evil and protect gateways; akin to monumental protective beings in other cultures (e.g., sphinx in Egypt).
  • Form and interpretation:
    • Human head combined with a bull body; wings evoke power and watchfulness.
    • The lammasu tradition appears in Mesopotamian art and was used to protect palaces and sanctuaries.
  • Material and preservation:
    • Large lammasu figures were originally painted, with differentiated armor, hair, and facial features; the paint has largely worn away over centuries.
  • Notable details:
    • Five legs illusion: seen from the front and side simultaneously (two legs visible from the front, four from the side, totaling five legs) to convey a correct reading from multiple viewpoints.
  • Modern history:
    • Several lammasu statues in the British Museum; many others were destroyed by ISIS in the 2010s.

Persepolis (Parsa) and the Achaemenid Empire

  • Location and purpose:
    • Persepolis is located in modern-day Iran and served as the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire.
    • The site functioned as a ceremonial complex with palaces, a citadel, gates, council halls, and tombs; it is unclear whether it was used year-round.
  • Scale and administration:
    • The empire was vast, ruling about 44\% of the world’s population at the height of its power.
    • The empire employed regional administrators who reported to the Persian kings.
  • Architectural features:
    • Iconic reliefs and monumental architecture; lammasu guardian figures recur in Persepolis decoration.
    • The column architecture and relief program emphasize order and imperial power.
  • Visual and historical notes:
    • The site underscores the grandeur of imperial administration and ceremonial display across a vast territory.
  • Cultural context:
    • Persepolis imagery combines lion motifs and protective figures, continuing long-standing Near Eastern themes in royal iconography.

Egypt: geography, canon of proportions, dynasties, and early state formation

  • Geographic and strategic context:

    • The Nile River dominates Egypt; its annual floodplain creates rich soil for agriculture, enabling long-term stability and growth.
    • Egypt’s geography (desert around a narrow river valley) provides natural defense from invasion except via the sea; this contributes to political continuity.

  • The Nile and its flows:

    • The Nile flows from south to north; upper Egypt is in the south, lower Egypt in the north (counterintuitive naming).

  • Social and religious integration:

    • In Egyptian art, religion and kingship are tightly intertwined; myth and politics reinforce one another.
    • Death and the afterlife are central to Egyptian culture; mummification and tomb offerings reflect beliefs about continued life after death.

  • Canon of proportions:

    • Egyptian art uses a canon of proportions to depict idealized human figures; ratios are culturally defined and repeatable across works.
    • A common guideline is that figures are built using a standardized proportion system (e.g., specific body parts measured in “heads” or units) to ensure consistency.
    • The canon is culturally specific and differs from later Greek, Renaissance, or modern systems of proportion.

  • Dynastic framework:

    • Periods include: Predynastic (before 3100 BCE); Early Dynastic (3100–2686 BCE); Old Kingdom (2686–2181 BCE); Middle Kingdom (2181–1550 BCE); New Kingdom (1550–1070 BCE).
    • Each kingdom contains multiple dynasties as reassessed by scholars; the quiz emphasizes kingdoms rather than exact dynastic numeration.

  • Narmer Palette as a foundational artifact:

    • Approximate height: 2\ \text{ft} tall.
    • Demonstrates canon proportion and ancient Egyptian visual language.
    • Back side: eye makeup palette and eye cosmetic holes for makeup; used to protect eyes from sun glare in the bright Egyptian light.
    • The front depicts unification of Upper and Lower Egypt: Narmer wearing the crown of Upper Egypt, and on the back, the crown of Lower Egypt; this conveys political unification.
    • Imagery includes the defeated enemy and Narmer’s authority; twisted perspective used for narrative clarity.
    • Hieroglyphic writing appears, marking one of the early uses of hieroglyphic script; registers show the defeated people and the central figure.

  • Hieroglyphic writing:

    • Picture-based writing system; not an alphabet but a symbolic representation of words or objects.
    • Hieroglyphs helped illuminate ancient Egyptian social structure, religion, and governance.

  • Hathor and Horus motifs:

    • Hathor (cow-headed goddess) appears with a woman's face; Horus (falcon god) appears as protector of kings; both reinforce kingship and divine protection.

  • Tutankhamun and late-19th/early-20th-century Egyptomania:

    • Napoleon’s 1798 expedition into Egypt helped spark Western fascination with ancient Egypt.
    • Rosetta Stone discovery and subsequent looting created long-lasting interest; the Rosetta Stone ended up in the British Museum.
    • Wyatt’s involvement with the Rosetta Stone is referenced in the transcript.
    • Howard Carter’s 1922–1923 discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb fueled Egyptomania in the 1920s, influencing fashion, marketing, and architecture (e.g., Yale gate inspired by Egyptian motifs).
    • The 1920s Egyptomania extended into popular culture (mummies in movies and Halloween, fashion campaigns, advertising, etc.).

  • Cultural and ceremonial implications:

    • The Egyptian state maintained continuity and stability through religious and memorial practices; the emphasis on the afterlife influenced material culture (tombs, pyramids, and temple complexes).
    • The canon of proportions and consistent stylistic choices contributed to the durable and distinctive Egyptian artistic language across millennia.

Quick cross-cut: connections and broader implications

  • Interconnected themes across the ancient world:
    • State power often rests on religious legitimization and monumental architecture.
    • The use of registers, relief depth variation (low vs. high relief), and twisted perspective appears repeatedly as a narrative device to convey information and status.
  • Historical methodology notes:
    • Translation of cuneiform (e.g., Akkadian inscriptions on the Narām-Sîn stele and Hammurabi stele) is crucial for situating artifacts geographically and chronologically.
    • The movement of artifacts (e.g., stele found in Iran, then relocated to Iran’s site) influences our understanding of ancient political geography and the spoils of victory.
  • Implications for interpretation:
    • Monuments serve as propaganda and record-keeping tools; their inscriptions and iconography tell us about governance, law, and divinity.
    • The physical material (diorite vs. gypsum) reflects intended permanence and context of display, shaping interpretation of a piece’s significance and lifespan.

Note on imagery and study prompts for the quiz

  • Potential quiz prompts include:
    • Compare/contrast two images (e.g., Narmer Palette vs. Hammurabi Stele) highlighting similarities and differences in purpose, style, and symbolism.
    • Explain the concept of registers in the Warka Vase and how they guide narrative reading.
    • Describe the role of the king in Hammurabi’s code and Shamash’s relationship to Hammurabi as depicted on the stele.
    • Discuss how Egyptian canonical proportions shape the portrayal of royal figures and the rationale behind their uniform appearance across works.
  • Keep in mind:
    • The quiz review lists the unit vocabulary, key concepts, and major periods; focus on Paleolithic and Neolithic prehistory, Mesopotamian developments, Persepolis, and early Egyptian art as covered in class.
    • The quizzes will emphasize unit-specific content for the first three assessments and a cumulative scope for the following quizzes.
    • Open-note policy means you should rely on your notes, study guides, and the provided PDFs to prepare for both MCQ and essay prompts.

Final reminders

  • Open-notes policy means you should not rely on memorization alone; use the study guides to structure your understanding of major concepts and how they connect across periods.
  • If you have accommodations or need more flexible scheduling around holidays, plan with the instructor; quizzes may be rescheduled as needed.
  • For any content gaps, revisit the Egypt unit materials and the images provided in the course page to ensure you’re familiar with the key works discussed (Narmer Palette, Warka Vase, Ashurbanipal reliefs, Lammasu, Persepolis, Hammurabi Stele).