2a- Ancient Mediterraniean - Egypt and Mesopotamia

Key Locations:
  - Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Caspian Sea.
  - Major Regions: Egypt, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Assyria.
  - Notable Cities: Nineveh, Dur Sharrukin, Babylon, Lagash, Ur, Gizeh, Alexandria.
  - Rivers: Tigris, Euphrates, Jordan, and Nile.

Investigate how geography influences cultural viewpoints and values.
Analyze architectural plans to interpret cultural significance.
Study artistic materials, techniques, subjects, styles, and conventions in the Ancient Near East and Egypt.

Explain the reasons behind the reversion to earlier stylistic conventions in Egyptian art.
Identify the Amarna period and its stylistic features in comparison with earlier conventions.
Understand New Kingdom aspects as depicted in art, including the shift from pyramids to rock-cut tombs and mortuary temples.
Explore Old Kingdom sculpture and the principle that 'form follows function'.
Understand architectural evolution from mastaba to pyramid in the Old Kingdom.
Recognize stylistic conventions associated with Egyptian artwork.
Grasp the connection between Egyptian culture and the Nile River's influence.

Egyptians valued order and adherence to traditions, reflecting the regularity of the Nile River.
Rulers were expected to mirror the river’s calmness; stability was believed to maintain order in society.
Polytheistic beliefs centered around many gods, with Amen-Re as the supreme god.
Afterlife preparation was crucial, leading to a pursuit of permanence in art and artifacts, reflecting the divine nature of the pharaohs.
The world was created by Atum, highlighting the sacred view of creation in Egyptian belief.

Palette of King Narmer:
- Origin: Hierakonpolis, ca. 3000-2920 BCE.
- Material: Slate, 2’ 1" high, currently in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

Conventions include:
- Frontal view combined with twisted perspective.
- Stiff and rigid poses depicting power and authority (Hieratic scale).

Head of the Goddess Bat (Hathor): features Narmer's name in a palace setting. Various elements representing power, such as the bull tail and the Red Crown of Lower Egypt.
Mace Pose: A common representation in Egyptian art for over 3000 years, signifies authority and smiting action.
Representations of Narmer indicate warfare and dominance over foes, showcasing the king's role in unifying Egypt.

Predominance of tomb structures such as mastabas leading to step pyramids.
Key Figures in sculpture:
  - Seated Scribe from Saqqara, Fourth Dynasty, ca. 2500 BCE, painted limestone.
  - Khafre enthroned, Fourth Dynasty, ca. 2520-2494 BCE, diorite, indicating divine kingship.
  - Menkaure and Khamerernebty, ca. 2490–2472 BCE, showcasing the significance of familial ties.

Egyptians sought permanence in tombs, emphasizing an obsession with durability in art and structures conducive to immortality.
Architectural techniques evolved, exemplified by the transition from mastabas to pyramids, culminating in the construction of the Great Pyramids at Giza.

Discuss the artistic revolution during the Amarna Period, characterized by a shift in style showcasing naturalism and intimate family interactions in art.
The contrast between traditional Old Kingdom forms and the New Kingdom's diverse portrayal of the human figure, such as in the representation of Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and their children.

The Amarna period emphasized individualism, characterized by more fluid and naturalistic representation which diverged from rigid traditional forms.
Artistic characteristics included naturalistic movement, serpentine lines, and a more un-idealized portrayal of subjects, contrasting traditional representations.

Notable structures such as the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut exemplified sophisticated temple architecture of the New Kingdom.