Embedded Files
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIAN ART
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIAN ART
Mesopotamia is Greek for "the country between the rivers," and Mesopotamia is the name given to the region between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. This area is also called the Fertile Crescent because alluvial deposits (deposits of sediment) created a fertile soil where humans could settle and farm for food. Out of these settlements, a group of people called the Sumerians evolved and established the world's first urban civilization.
In this lesson, you'll learn about the various peoples who lived in this area, the wars they waged, and the art they created. If you're familiar the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, then you already know something about this area, as much of the Old Testament takes place in this part of the world.
OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVES
Identify the four great civilizations of Ancient Mesopotamia.
Explain the role of religion in Ancient Mesopotamia.
Describe the purpose and structure of ziggurats.
Discuss the Babylonian legacy.
Explain the most important aspects of the Code of Hammurabi.
Discuss the unique features of Assyrian sculpture.
THE KINGDOMS OF UR, MESOPOTAMIA,
THE KINGDOMS OF UR, MESOPOTAMIA,
AND SUMER
AND SUMER
Of particular note among the very ancient civilizations are Ur, Mesopotamia, and Sumer.
Kingdom of Ur
The references to the kingdom of Ur in the Bible are actually referring to the Chaldeans, who settled in the area about 900 BC. The Book of Genesis describes Ur as the place from which Abraham's family migrated westward to Palestine (see Genesis 11:27-32). Settled around 4000 BC, Ur was one of the first village settlements founded in Sumer.
Mesopotamia
The region composed of modern Iraq and eastern Syria between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers was once called Mesopotamia. In prehistoric times, the rivers were filled with fish; wild birds nested in the southern marshes, and date palms also provided food, fiber, and wood. Although the soil was dry, it was fertile and the people who settled in the region built canals to irrigate the land. Irrigation enabled them to raise plentiful crops. It is easy to understand how this area became the birthplace of civilization.
Sumer
After 6000 BC, small settlements grew larger, and by 4000 BC, they became cities. The southern part of Mesopotamia was first called Sumer, and around 2000 BC, it became known as Babylonia. Around 3500 BC, the Sumerians developed the first form of writing called cuneiform script. Cuneiform writing allowed for complex organization to take place, for laws to be established and transmitted, and for accounts to be kept.
To learn more look up "cuneiform script" online.
With the rise of civilization, new forms of art were also being created. In the settlement of Uruk, mud-brick temples were decorated with fine metalwork and stonework. The city of Ur, which today is known as Tell al-Muqayyar in Iraq, was one of the most prosperous Sumerian city-states and also the center of worship of the Sumerian moon god Nanna and later of the Babylonian god Sin.
THE ZIGGURATS
THE ZIGGURATS
To worship their gods, the Sumerians built enormous pyramid-like temples called ziggurats. Ziggurats were built during the period from about 2000 BC to 600 BC. They were made of mud brick and often faced with glazed brick. The structure of a ziggurat was unusual, consisting of stepped stages that rise to a small sanctuary at the top. Inside were offices where the king and priests conducted business. The largest ziggurat ruins are the Elamite ziggurat at Choga Zambil.
Ca-ching!
From 2113 to 2095 BC, King Ur-Nammu's reign sparked a renaissance of Sumerian art and literature at Ur. Later his son built magnificent temples in many Mesopotamian cities.
A reconstruction of a Chaldean Ziggurat temple
Two Reconstructions of Ziggurats:
The Chaldeans, or Neo-Babylonians, who ruled until 539 BC, were the last of the Babylonian dynasties. They were called Neo-Babylonians because they tried to revive the cultural and religious practices of the ancient Sumerians. Temples such as this were built beginning around 2000 BC and were common to the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. They were constructed by stacking cubic blocks of sun-dried bricks on a great raised platform. A wide stairway ascends to this temple's second platform, which is the site of its most sacred building, a rectangular edifice called the Haram.
The ruins of Ur were discovered and first excavated in 1854–1855 by a British consul.
The British consul who discovered the ruins of Ur was able to uncover part of the ziggurat of Nanna. Fifty years later, the excavations were continued until, eventually, it was unearthed. In the Royal Cemetery, archaeologists found art treasures of gold, silver, bronze, and precious stones.
They discovered that when the king and queen of Ur died, their personal attendants, soldiers, and court musicians voluntarily joined them. So perhaps that wasn't the greatest job to have at the time.
Do you know the story of the Tower of Babel?
That famous temple was most likely the temple-tower of Etemenanki (É.TEMEN.AN.KI) at the temple of Marduk in Babylon, rebuilt by King Nabopolassar (Nabû-apal-usur) and his son Nebuchadnezzar II (Nab-kudurri-usur).
Seated statue of Gudea, 2150 to 2100 BC; from Telloh (ancient Girsu), southern Mesopotamia. Diorite; The Louvre, Paris
Seated statue of Gudea, 2150 to 2100 BC; from Telloh (ancient Girsu), southern Mesopotamia. Diorite; The Louvre, Paris
Notes
The ziggurats are large examples of Sumerian and Babylonian architecture, but these cultures also produced many smaller works of art. In order to view them, complete a quick search on the Internet of the following examples.
Sumerian 2920 to 2300 BC
The Warka vase shows the presentation of offerings to Inanna, from Uruk, Mesopotamia, circa 3200 to 3000 BC. Alabaster, Iraq Museum, Baghdad.
Standing male worshipper 2750 to 2600 BC. from Mesopotamia, Eshnunna (modern Tell Asmar, Iraq). Gypsum inlaid with shell, black limestone, bitumen, Iraq Museum, Baghdad.
Neo-Sumerian 2150 BC to 2040 BC
BABYLONIA
BABYLONIA
Sumer eventually became Babylonia, a civilization that thrived for 1,200 years — which is a lot of time when you think about it. (The United States has only been a country for less than 250 years, after all.)
The history of Babylonia began with King Hammurabi. He was a capable ruler, a brilliant military leader, and an outstanding lawmaker, and he is credited with creating the Code of Hammurabi, one of the most important legal documents ever uncovered. Under Hammurabi's rule and that of his son Samsu-iluna, Babylonian civilization, with its skilled artisans, reached the peak of its artistic and cultural development. Babylonian artisans were skilled in metallurgy, in the processes of bleaching and dyeing fabrics, and in making paints, pigments, cosmetics, and perfumes. Because the Babylonians thought that the souls of the dead would live on in the afterlife in the same manner as they did when they were alive, artifacts were buried with the dead.
These artifacts, discovered during excavations, have been helpful to archaeologists trying to recreate their world.
The Stele of Hammurabi (1800 BC-1600 BC) contained the code of Hammurabi and was placed in a public place so all could see it
The Stele of Hammurabi
The Stele of Hammurabi (1800 BC-1600 BC) contained the code of Hammurabi and was placed in a public place so all could see it. At the top you will see a depiction of Hammurabi receiving the laws from the sun-god Shamash. Examine the top of the monument and look closely at the style.
A modern artist's conception of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon at Nebuchadnezzar's palace.
HAMMURABI, KING OF BABYLON
HAMMURABI, KING OF BABYLON
Unifier of Mesopotamia in the 18th century BC, Hammurabi was an activist ruler, setting up maximum and minimum wages and instituting language reforms. He is known best for his legal reorganization, which systematically compiled older traditions into a set of laws called The Code of Hammurabi. The code recognized the principle that the state must protect the rights of the weak from the strong.
The gardens may have been built by King Nebuchadnezzar for his wife, perhaps to remind her of the trees and flowers of her native land. These terraced gardens along the Euphrates River were planted with trees, shrubs, and flowers, and were watered by means of pipes connected to cisterns on the top terrace. The Hanging Gardens were considered an ancient wonder.
The Babylonian Legacy
About 1,200 years after reign of Hammurabi, the Persians conquered Babylonia and established their own civilization. During those twelve centuries, the Babylonian culture, which was based on the earlier Sumerian culture, remained stable. Although there were some minor changes over time, essentially they were the same institutions. Cultural achievements left their influence on the ancient societies of the Middle East and Near East. They influenced the cultures of the Hebrews and the Greeks — and those cultures have gone on to influence others, including our own.
Winged bull Lamassu
ASSYRIA
ASSYRIA
To the north of Babylonia lay the kingdom of Assyria. Assyrian art predominantly dates from the Neo-Assyrian period — about 900 BC to 600 BC. Assyrian artists primarily depicted battle or hunting scenes in stone reliefs. These stone reliefs lined the walls in the royal palaces and displayed the power of the king and his people to visitors.
To the north of Babylonia lay the kingdom of Assyria. Assyrian art predominantly dates from the Neo-Assyrian period — about 900 BC to 600 BC. Assyrian artists primarily depicted battle or hunting scenes in stone reliefs. These stone reliefs lined the walls in the royal palaces and displayed the power of the king and his people to visitors.
Assyrian sculpture was highly developed. One prominent example of this sophistication is the winged bull Lamassu that guarded the entrances to the king's court. They were intended to ward off evil. Notice that the creature is sculpted with five legs so that four legs were always visible, whether the image was viewed in profile or from the front.
LET'S REVIEW!
LET'S REVIEW!
In this lesson, you have covered the following concepts:
Mesopotamia, the area between the Tigris and the Euphrates, was home to the first civilizations.
Writing and numerous art forms developed in that region.
The Sumerians and the Babylonians left enormous temples called ziggurats in addition to relief carvings, statues and metalwork.
The Assyrians created stunning statues, such as the five-legged winged bull.
Take this test before moving on!
Google Sites
Report abuse