ANCIENT NEAR EAST

3,5oo B.C.E.-331 B.C.E.

(Turkey, Iran, Iraq)

Map of Ancient Near East

1st MONOTHEISM1st organized religion1st written language CUNEIFORM

1st epic poem, Gilgamesh1st codes of law: Hammurabi

1st use of Bronze1st Cities1st Wheel1st potter’s wheel

JERICHO (MODERN DAY ISRAEL)

one of the oldest fortified sites

Included a tower & walls

c. 8,000 B.C.E.

JERICHODwellings -shelter for

the living and housed

the dead.Corpses buried under the floors showed a concern for protecting ancestors.

“JERICHO SKULLS”

skull was used as

an armature on which to rebuild the

face with clay-

to preserve the memory of the

deceased?

c. 7,000 B.C.E.

Largest Neolithic settlement

CATAL HUYUKc. 6,000 B.C.E., Turkey

Agriculture & trade well established

•Mud brick houses connected by rooftops no streets•Ladders to ground level (for defense?)•Built in benches – seats or beds…

CATAL HUYUKc. 6,000 B.C.E., Turkey

CATAL HUYUKIt was the largest and oldest planned town

Skeletons buried under seats or floors. Dead were decorated with pigment and jewelry and weapons were placed with them (indication of a belief in afterlife?)

CATAL HUYUK

SABHAPAre the initials of

each (historic) civilization in

chronological order.

SABHAP

Sumerian c. 3500 B.C.E.

Akkadian c. 2100B.C.E.

Babylonian c.1792- 539 B.C.E.Hittite c. 1600-1200 B.C.E.

Assyrian c.1000-612 B.C.E.

Persian c. 559-331 B.C.E.

MESOPOTAMIA “between rivers” Fertile Crescent

Tigris and Euphratesfertile area, but not always Dependable, but needed

irrigation

Biblical Garden of Eden?

Large populations grewBiggest difference

between prehistoric

world and the Ancient Near East is the new

need to urbanize

buildings needed for

living, governing

& worship

Mesopotamia was great for farmingBut unlike Egypt which was

bordered by deserts and the Mediterranean- Mesopotamia had no such natural defenses to protect it.

MesopotamiaAs a result it was easy to conquer & hard to hold on to. It was an irresistible oasis for outsiders…

Egypt was stable and so was its art. It hardly changed in 3,000 years.

Mesopotamia’s art changed almost as much as its rulers-each conqueror

brought new influences.

Sumer3500 B.C.E.

Sumercluster of city-statesLinked by culture, religion, language: CUNEIFORM(1st written Language)

.

SumerCUNEIFORM

1st written Language.

Religion: human race created out of

clay for sole purpose of serving the gods.

Sumer

Death: spirits ferried across

river to a gloomy existence below the earth. Afterlife is no fun…

This explains the many inscriptions on tablets, in temples, and on sculptures asking gods for a long life.

Sumer

Mother Goddess was the most important deity

Sumerians were very devout

ZigguratsFor DEVOTION to the gods…

It housed a smaller temple at the top.

Mountain-like Ziggurats dominated the flat landscape.

Man made symbolic mountains

Sumerians and Babylonians built Ziggurats to put them in touch with the gods,

not to elevate their personal egos.

(…unlike Egypt and later Near East civilizations…)

ZigguratsOnly priests were allowed to use the steps to the temple

White Temple at Uruk

dedicated

to Anu, the sky god.

3,000 B.C.E.

White Temple at Uruk

white paint on its

outer walls

3,000 B.C.E.

Ziggurats Most Sumerian architecture has

disappeared No access to limestone and

wood was scarce, so ziggurats were made of mud brick.

It was a cheap material and had to be protected from erosion

Ziggurats Most mud brick was either painted or faced with tile

or stone Through the epic

Gilgamesh, we have a written description of the glittering beauty of a Sumerian temple.

Ziggurat, c. 2100 B.C.E. Ur, Iraq

3 stairways- each 100 steps

Sumerian many gods Each city had a local god who acted as a spokesman in the assembly of gods (like a U.S. senator)

Sumerian sculpture Gods lived in the heavens, but

also in their sculptures. Part of a person also lived in

their self sculptures. Therefore, putting these sculptures together- you could commune with the gods personally.

Votive statues Abu Temple statuettes (tallest

is 30”) are examples Notice the dressand STYLIZED hair and beards

Abu Temple StatuettesSumerian, c.2500 B.C.E.

large eyes because their

eyes popped when they saw a god.

Being “bug-eyed” meant you were devout.

awestruck in the presence of god, can’t take your eyes of him.

Sumerian

Abu Temple Statuettes

•beard indicates wisdom

•Symmetry

•Hands in prayer

Figures are either hunting, praying, or performing a ritual.

upturned face

Sumerian

Rippled beard usually painted black (stylized)

Female clothing drapes 1 shoulder

Hierarchial ProportionImportant figures are larger and most centrally placed

Sumerian Art Lyre, c. 2600 B.C.E.Worldly goods

found at Burial sitesbodies of those ritualistically killed to provide companions for the royal family in the afterlife.

Sumerian ArtLyre, c. 2600 B.C.E.

Stylized human beard of lapis lazuli- a semi-precious blue stone

starts ancient tradition of combining animals with human characteristics and emotions.

Lyre

Twisted proportion…

(Neo)Sumerian

Gudea, c.

2100 B.C.E.

Stylized calm, peacefulDIORITE, expensive stone- shows off wealth of the owner & importance of the subject

Sumerian

GudeaIn prayer with an architectural drawing for a temple on his lap.He thought of himself as a

patron of temples.

Standard of Urc. 2600 B.C.E.

historical narrative.frontal /profile.Emphasized eyes, eyebrows, and ears.

AKKADIAN2100 B.C.E.

AKKADIAN Akkadians take over andassimilated much of Sumerian culture. Akkadian & Sumerian gods

merged

Akkadian rulers elevated themselves to divine status.

AKKADIAN Sargon I

regal determination.

Most metal sculpture is lost after defeat it is melted down to be used for other purposes.

AKKADIAN Big change from Sumerian art is the

deification of the king

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin c.2230 B.C.E.

AKKADIANA stele is a

commemorative stone marker

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

AKKADIANNaram-Sin

grandson of Sargon

6’6” tall

very masculine

culture

AKKADIANNaram -Sin 1st ruler to make himself a god

He’s climbing toward heaven (stars above).

Victory blessed by godsWears horned crown of divinity

AKKADIANDefeated soldiers beg for mercyHierarchy of scaleDepicts a victory over Lullibi- to be seen forever.

AKKADIANIt is “carved in

stone”He has “made a

mark”

Babylonian 1790-540 B.C.E.

Babylonian The capital city beautifully

decorated- “hanging gardens” and walls of glazed tile.

Babylonian Stele of Hammurabi c.

1780 B.C.E.

well ordered state with strict set of laws handed down from the

sun god Shamash.

Babylonian Stele of Hammurabi C.

1780 B.C.E.

7’The relief section at the top is 28”

Babylonian Stele of Hammurabi •1st code of law ever written•300 laws•They stare at one another directly even though their shoulders are frontal

Babylonian “an eye for an eye”-

death for a builder who builds a house that collapses and kills the owner.

If a surgical patient dies, the hand of the doctor is cut off.The guilt or innocence of an adulteress is determined on whether she sank or floated when thrown in the water.

Neo-Babylonian Ishtar Gate C.575

B.C.E.

Ishtar Gate C.575 B.C.E.

named in honor of the Akkadian goddess of love, fertility, and war

Ishtar Gate C.575 B.C.E.

Glazed brick covers mud walls

Animals guard entrance to the city

Lions sacred to the goddess Ishtar

Crenellations give warlike appearance

Hittite1600-1200B.C.E.

Turkey

Hittite Art kept records in cuneiform on

clay tablets stored in an orderly way.

cremated their dead (not much tomb art)

They had monumental palaces, temples, and cities- and massive fortified walls decorated with relief sculpture.

Turkey

Hittite Art CITADEL were elevated fortified

cities. This shows their power and their

need for protection. Lions are guardians of the

entrance because of the ancient belief that lions never sleep.

Turkey

Hittite Art

used stone rather than mud brick

Large uncut boulders-

impressive fortifications.

Turkey

Hittite ArtLion Gatec. 1400 B.C.E.Turkey

Gates to the cityGuardian lionsHuge boulders used in the construction of the cityGives a massive impression

Hittite Art6’6” Hittite war god

ASSYRIAN 1000-612 B.C.E.

ASSYRIAN Rulers intended to

conquer the world.

But they established libraries, -thousands of tablets recording scientific, historical, literary, and religious, and commercial achievements

ASSYRIAN Art A masculine society-

Figures are stoic Animals showed emotion Man’s domination over the wild

beast= symbolic of king’s authority over his people and nature.

Assurnasirpal 11 Assyria=formidable

military force . He made boastful

claims detailing his

cruelty. He intended to

conquer the world.

ASSYRIAN Assurnasirpal’s cruelty- “…

he dyed the mountains red like wool cloth, with the blood of his slaughtered enemies”, “from the heads of his decapitated enemies he erected a pillar, and he covered the city walls with their skins”.

ASSYRIAN Art

Lions popular- king’s dominance over lions= metaphor for the subjugation of his enemies

Architecture was designed to intimidate visitors

ASSYRIAN Art Extreme detail and musculature

ASSYRIAN Lamassu =bull or lion with

wings and a human head

a guardian designed to intimidate.

720 B.C.E.

ASSYRIAN Art

He has 5 legs to give the illusion of movement

ASSYRIAN

Lion Hunt C. 640 B.C.E.

One of the oldest surviving narrativesEmotions in animals, not in humans.

ASSYRIAN Palace of Sargon C. 710 B.C.E.

City 50 feet high

Mud brick

Contains ziggurat

Huge complex, 200 rooms

Assyrian

WARLIKE

PERSIAN 560-530 B.C.E.

PERSIAN Cyrus the Great founded

the Persian Achaemenid dynasty.

mostly influenced by Assyrians

PERSIAN Art There were no Persian

temples since religious ceremonies were held outside.

motif of lion attacking

bull =characteristic of Persian art

PERSIAN Persia was the largest empire so far.

first great empire in history.

PERSIAN Art Monumental architecture-

audience halls, huge buildings for grand ceremonies that glorified the empire and the rulers.

PERSIAN Columns

topped with 2 bull shaped capitals holding up a wooden roof

PERSIAN ArtPalace at

Persepolis Built for spectacular receptions and festivals.Mud brick with stone facingGiant Lamassu gates

PERSIA Palace at

Persepolisc. 500 B.C.E.

IranBuilt by Darius I & Xerxes I

destroyed by Alexander the Great.

PERSIAN ArtPalace at

Persepolis

Audience Hall=

Apadana had 36 columns covered by a wooden roof. It held thousands of people. It was used for the king’s receptions.

PERSIAPalace at

Persepolis

Reliefs lining the walls and staircases were originally painted.

PERSIAPalace at

Persepolis

In contrast to the aggressive military scenes of Assyrian reliefs, Persian reliefs are more solemn.Politically Persia was less cruel and more tolerant.

PERSIAN Art

Figures were shown in full profile and not twisted like previous cultures

Provenience Is a work of art’s place of

origin.Pieces are plundered from archeological

sites and appear on the market without any record of where they came from. This creates a problem for art historians. They want to know if it was found in a home, a palace, or a temple and what its purpose was…

Ancient Near East Summary

birth of world civilizations.

Art serves religion and state

Ruler’s image could be permanently emblazoned on a stele to celebrated their achievements for posterity.

Writing combined with image =historical and artistic record of human achievement.

Summary

Common characteristics of Near East art:Union of human and animal elements Hierarchical scaleDeification of rulers (ruler is divine)Mud Brick faced with stone or tile or

painted.Entrance ways to cities or palaces were

important-Guardian figures to protect or ward off evil