Mesopotamian Arts

& Sciences

Sculpture

Sculptures were erect, stylised figures characterised by clasped hands and huge eyes. It was the Sumerians who produced many small, finely carved cylindrical seals made of marble, alabaster, carnelian , lapis lazuli , and stone. A Sumerian container inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli and limestone depicts war and peace.Sumerian sculptures of men usually had long beards and wide open eyes. These monumental statues were called aladlammû or lamassu which meant "protective spirit". In Hittite, the Sumerian form dlamma is used both as a name for the so-called " tutelary deity ", identified in certain later texts with Inara, and a title given to similar protective gods. (VS)

Pottery

In Mesopotamia stone and wood were not available for making bowls and other stuff so they could ether get scarce imported material or materials like terra cotta. Good quality stone was plentiful but the cost of quarrying and transporting it made it a luxury material. (DG)

Jewelry

Mesopotamia, so called "birthplace of human civilization", was one of the first places on earth where the rise of technology, religion, science and knowledge enabled our race to exit prehistoric times and enter into the modern era. With the spread of technology and rise of nobility and royalty, human need to express themselves and showcase status, power and religious bonding gave birth to the unfolding and advancing tradition of jewel making. Jewelry was made and sold in Assyria to the Babylonian cities of Nineveh, Ur and Sumer. Lots of people bought jewelry here because of what it was made from. Jewelry was made from copper, gold, silver, and electrum, along with the unique gemstones like agate, carnelian, chalcedony, crystal, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx, and sardonyx. Other materials they also used were shells and pearls. Most notably they used leaves, branches, twigs, grapes, cones, spiral objects that were imprinted into the jewelry. (VS)

Cylinder seals

Cylinder seals were a way of signing a document.A cylinder seal is a small pierced object like a long round bead carved in reverse. When a signature was required the seal was taken out and rolled on the clay document. some seals were valued for the magic they were thought to possess or for their beauty.The first use of cylinder seals in the Ancient Near East dates to earlier than the invention of cuneiform.The stones from which the cylinder seals were carved include agate, chalcedony, lapis lazuli, steatite, limestone, marble, quartz, serpentine, hematite and jasper.for the most distinguished there were seals of gold and silver. (DG)

Cylinder seals (article) | Sumerian | Khan Academy

Math

The early Mesopotamians had a base system of the number 60. The number 60 is a very structured number with over 12 factors. This number base probably started the usage today of 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, and 360 degrees.

Mesopotamia people had a basic understanding of geometry. They figured out the circumference of a circle and measured perimeter and area. Another thing that the Mesopotamians created in math was the “Babylonian mile” the mile was equivalent to 11.3 kilometers. They had a way of measurement by using the sun.

The Mesopotamians had to use large numbers to graph the route of the night sky. Henceforth creating the lunar calendar. The lunar calendar was the a system of 12 months in a year, the calendar also states of 12 rotations around the moon.

Mesopotamia math was the very start to the world that we live in today. (GM)

Astronomy

The start of astronomy may have started in western Mesopotamia. We understand this by finding clay tablets from 3500 BC and 3000 BC. These tablets are one of the reasons we know so much about ancient Astronomy.

“Many cities learned ancient astronomy. Ancient astronomy helped culture and society more than the present world.” People who practiced astronomy could make accurate measurements and visions. Astronomy tied with the plants, the gods, Sumerians and Mesopotamians beliefs had somewhat to do with planets. So we can infer that priests practiced astronomy in the ancient world.

Astronomy is one of the bases to the ancient world of Mesopotamia. (GM)

Writing

Among other things, the ancient Mesopotamians invented the wheel, the sailboat, frying pans, razors, cosmetic sets, shepherd’s pipes, harps, kilns to cook bricks and pottery, bronze hand tools like hammers and axes, the plow, the plow seeder, a working pump and, believe it or not, the first battery. But one of the most important inventions they made was the first written language! The ancient Sumerians' written language of wedge-shaped symbols is called cuneiform.Cuneiform is one of the reasons we know so much about the ancient Mesopotamians! One of the best stories the Sumerians wrote down was “The Epic Of Gilgamesh” one of the oldest written stories in the world! The ancient Sumerians' written language of wedge-shaped symbols is called cuneiform. (VS)

Boats

Mesopotamia gave the world incredible contributions like wheels, cuneiform, sailboats, glass making, textile weaving and a lot more, truly making them one of the greatest civilizations ever to walk on this planet. The first means of transportation, like the chariot and the sailboat, were invented in Mesopotamia. The sailboats of Mesopotamia were simple in design; the sails were square in shape and made out of cloth. The actual base of the boat was made from river weed. Until the fall of Mesopotamian civilization, not many changes were made to the basic design of the sailboat. They were ancient in design, but the sailboats helped the Mesopotamians in trade, buying, and selling. From the first remains of a Mesopotamian sailboat found in modern-day Kuwait (1998 archeological dig led by Harriet Crawford) to the plundering and trading of the Vikings and Arabs, the sailing ship was central to the growth of societies around the world. (VS)

Page updated

Report abuse