Cross Cultural Connections Midterm

·        Olmec

o   People of rubber

·        Rammed Earth

o   Building technique damp earth that is compressed, usually within a mold, to build a solid structure

·        Relief

o   Raised forms that project from a flat background

·        High Relief

o   Raised forms that project far from a flat background

·        Low Relief

o   Bas-relief

o   Raised forms that only project slightly from a flat background

·        Jade

o   General terms for green minerals including nephrite and jadeite

·        Incised

o   Cut or engraved

·        Celt

o   An ax head this is typically only used ceremonially

·        Tableau

o   Stationary scene of people or objects, arranged for artistic impact

·        Sarcophagus

o   A container for human remains

·        Terra Cotta

o   Baked clay or ceramic, aka earthenware

·        Slip

o   A layer of fine clay or glaze applied to ceramics before firing

·         Lost-wax casting

o   A method of creating metal sculpture in which a clay mold surrounds a wax model and then is fired. When the wax melts away, molten metal is poured in to fill the space.

·        Radiocarbon dating

o   A scientific method of determining the age of an object, based on the presence of carbon-14 in organic material

·        Scarification

o   Permanent marks created by incising or irritating the skin; used to enhance beauty or establish status

·        Libation

o   Ritual pouring of a liquid, often alcohol, to a spirit or a deity as an offering while prayers are said

·        Sanctuary

o   In ancient Greece, a sacred space reserved for the worship of a deity(s); often enclosed by a wall and could include open-air altars, temples, and other structures and monuments

·        Megaron

o   Architectural form used in Mycenaean palatial complexes; it includes a porch and a main hall

·        Peristyle

o   A line of columns enclosing a space

·        Cella (naos)

o   Inner chamber of a temple; usually houses a cult statue

·        Post-and-lintel

o   A form of construction in which two upright posts support a horizontal beam (lintel)

·        Entasis

o   The bulging center of a column, constructed to correct the optical illusion that may otherwise make the shaft appear to curve inward

·        Stylobate

o   The uppermost step leading into a temple, which creates a platform on which the platforms sit

·        Anta (ante)

o   Slightly projecting piers on either side of the entrance to a Greek or Roman temple that terminate the cella and porch wall.

·        In-antis

o   Arranging columns so that the end piers project further than those in the middle

·        Pronaos

o   The porch or vestibule at the front of a temple

·        Adyton

o   A rear room behind the cella of a temple, presumably used for rituals; often called an opisthodomos when used as storage

·        Kouros

o   Toung nude male figure. Could represent a dead warrior. Looks somewhat Egyptian due to Greek-Egyptian trading.

·        Kore

o   Young female (maiden) sculpture. First shown clothed females in Greece. Not depicted as nude until the classical period

·        Contrapposto

o   Italian for “counterpoise,” a posture of the human body that shifts most weight onto one leg, suggesting ease and a potential for movement

·        Greek Vase Technique

o   Black figure or red figure?

·        Rhythm

o   The repetition of form to create movement

·        Chryselephantine

o   Made of gold and ivory; from the Greek words for “gold” and “elephant”

·        Iconography

o   Images or symbols used to convey specific meanings in an artwork

·        Volute

o   Decorative element in the form of a coiled scroll

·        Karyatid

o   Stone statue of a young woman, or kore, used like a column to support the entablature of a Greek or Greek-style building

·        Contrapposto

o   Italian for “counterpoise,” a posture of the human body that shifts most on its weight onto one leg, suggesting ease and potential for movement

·        Cyclopean Masonry

o   A stone building technique in which large boulders are roughly shaped and fitted together to create well-knit, structurally sound walls

·        Akroteria

o   Sculptures that adorn the roof of the temple