mural
large painting/decoration created either directly on the wall, or separately then affixed to the wall
whole period of early human development?
Stone Age"
-Paleolithic (Old SA)
�Lower (earliest)
�Middle
�Upper (latest)
-Neolithic (New SA)
sculpture in the round
statues that are carved free of any background or block
Paleolithic Sculptures
Exhibit sense of formal complexity that results when human beings attempt to pose/solve problems of visual design
attributes
features that identify a particular figure's identity
Woman From Willendorf
From the Upper Paleolithic Period, found in Austria in 24000 BCE, limestone, red ocher, 4 inches. Figurine of a woman ("venus") with exaggerated attributes (breasts, bulging belly, deep navel, wide hips, dimpled knees/butt, solid thighs) to symbolize and
Chauvet Cave
Southeastern, France. Site of the earliest-known prehistoric cave paintings (discovered in 1994)
Lascaux Caves
Caves in southern France (15000 BCE) with the best-known cave paintings depicting bulls, horses, cows. (Bird-Headed Man with Bison)
Caves in Altamira
Southern Spain, Upper Paleolithic period (12500 BCE) Depicted hers of bison on ceiling of cave. Used rich reds/browns to paint bods and contoured with black and brown.
Relief Sculptures
A sculpted image or design whose flat background surface is carved away to a certain depth, setting off the figures.
�High relief, low relief, sunken/shallow relief etc
modeling
Process of molding a 3-dimensional form out of a malleable substance (Sculpture).
Process of creating illusion of 3D on a 2D surface by use of light/shade (Painting).
High Relief
Extending well forward from the background
Neolithic Period (6500 BCE)
Fundamental social/cultural changes occurred: development of organized agriculture, maintenance of herds (domesticated animals), foundation of year-round settlements
�atalh�y�k, Turkey
Houses included paintings that represents violence and emphasized maleness.
ceramics
wares made of baked clay
Neolithic ceramics
displayed a high degree of technical/aesthetic imagination (ranged from figurines of people to animals)
megalithic architecture
massive tombs/ceremonial structures (many of which are associated with death) built from huge stones in Neolithic period.
capstones
table-like rocks (topmost stone)
dolmen
tomb chamber formed of huge upright stones supporting one or more capstones in a post-and-lintel system
post-and-lintel construction
An architectural system of construction with two or more vertical elements (posts) supporting a horizontal element (lintel)
lintel
horizontal element see in post-and-lintel construction
cairn
artificial hill
passage graves
most elaborate burial sites that have corridors leading into a large burial chamber
corbel vault
arched structure that spans an interior space
henge
circle of stones or posts often surrounded by a ditch with built-up embankments
Stonehenge (world of the dead)
neolithic megalithic monument in England. Complex with 8 different phases of construction. Composed of a horse-shoe arrangement : 5 sarsen trilithons (pairs of upright stones topped by lintels) surrounded by a sarsen circle (ring of uprights that weighed
Durrington Walls (world of the living)
large settlement near Stonehenge (connected by Avon River) surrounded by a ditch and containing a number of wooden circles/circular houses.
LALALALA END OF STONE AGE
BEGINNING OF ANCIENT NEAR EAST LALALALA
SABHAP
Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Hittite, Assyrian, Persian
stele
upright stone slab
Mesopotamia "land between rivers
Located between Tigris and Euphrates River (Fertile Crescent) Had order and security in their society. Male potency/vigor were directly related to political power/dominance
hieratic scale
relative size indicates relative importance (aka if one person in the scene is significantly bigger than the others, he probably has a higher importance (king/god)).
Sumerians (3500-2340 BCE)
Invented wagon wheel, plow, copper, bronze casting. Known for creation of pictographs which led to phonograms which led to cuneiform. Established ziggurats. Created Cylinder Seals
pictographs (3100 BCE)
created by Sumerians. Form of writing (simple pictures) drawn in wet clay with a pointed tool, each representing a thing or concept. evolved into phonograms
phonograms (2900-2400 BCE)
representations of syllable sounds (evolved from pictographs to become a true writing system)
Scribes
professionals who wrote and maintained records. developed writing instrument called stylus
stylus
writing instrument created by scribes with a triangular wedge at one end and a point at the other
cuneiform
Mesopotamian writing (used stylus)
ziggurats
Sumerians' most imposing buildings: stepped pyramidal structures with a temple or shrine on top. Proclaimed wealth, prestige, and stability of a city's rules/glorified its gods. Function: lofty "bridges" between earth and heaven>meeting place for humans a
polytheistic (near east religion)
Near East civilizations worshiped many gods and goddesses and attributed to them power over human activities and the forces of nature.
Each city had 1 special protective deity (god) in which people believed the fate of the city depended on their power.
temple complexes
clusters of religious, administrative, and service buildings that stood in each city's center
Uruk
first independent Sumerian city state with temple complexes dedicated to sky god Anu and Inanna the goddess of love and war
alabaster
soft white stone (usually carved into tall vessels (such that found in Inanna's temple) show how Mesopotamian sculptors told stories in stone)
Registers
horizontal bands that organized visual narratives and condensed the story to its essential elements
(ex: lower register, middle register, top register)
votive figures/statues
images dedicated to the gods
(EX: limestone votive statues ("one who offers prayers") in square temple of Eshnunna (2900-2600 BCE) were set in a shrine before a larger more elaborate image of a god by wealthy worshippers to hold their place during devotio
conventions (pg37)
traditional ways of representing forms
Cylinder seals
developed by sumerians to secure/identify documents/signify property ownership. less than 2 inches high and made of hard and semiprecious stones with designs incised into the surface (rolled across a damp clay surface to leave impression of design)
Akkadians
spoke semitic language (arabic and hebrew) and conquered most of Mesopotamia under Sargon I (c. 2232-2279). Sargon's grandson/successor was Naram Sin (recall stele of NS pg32). Akkadian empire fell around 2180 BCE to Guti (mountain people)
King Urnammu (sumerian)
regained control of Mesopotamian plain from Akkadians in 2112 BCE. Established capital at Ur. Built mud brick ziggurat dedicated to moon god Nanna
Gudea
ruled independent Sumerian city-state of Lagash from Girsu on the Tigris. Built/restored temples and placed votive statues made of diorite (very hard/sturdy/durable stone that lasts for forever) of himself as embodiment of just rule. (cuneiform inscriptio
Babylonian
Amorites (semitic speaking people of arabian desert) moved to mesopotamia and reunited Sumer under King Hammurabi (ruled 1792-1750 BCE) who created code
Hammurabi's Code of Law
inscribed in cuneiform on the front of the Stele of Hammurabi under a portrait of the ruler standing before the enthroned supreme judge and sun god Shamash (patron of law and justice). Recorded laws and penalties for breaking them. Most of the 300 entries
Assyrians
rose to dominance in Northern Mesopotamia in 1400 BCE. Strongly influenced by Sumerian culture: Assyrians adopted ziggurat form and Sumerian text. Built fortified capital cities with huge palaces. building of fortified capital (Kalhu) and mud brick walls
veneer
Exterior facing of a building consisting of decorative patterns of fine stone/brick (architecture)
Thin exterior layer of finer material (rare wood, ivory, metal, semiprecious stones) laid over less valuable material (decorative arts)
made of limestone/al
Lamassu(s)
Colossal guardian figure(s)
EX: Human-Headed Winged Lion (pg42)
King Assurbanipal
king of assyrians two centuries after Assurnasirpal, held capital at Nineveh with the palaces decorated with panels of alabaster, carved with pictorial narratives in low relief.
Neo-Babylonia
Came about when Medes (people from Iran) allied with the Babylonians and Scythians (nomadic people from Asia) to invade Assyria, taking the capital Nineveh in 612 BCE.
Nebuchadnezzar II (ruled 605-562 BCE)
Most famous Neo-Babylonian ruler who is known for suppressing the Jews. He built temples throughout his realm, transforming Babylon. (processional way)
Processional Way
(route taken by religious processions honoring the city's patron god, Marduk) A broad avenue in neo-babylonia that crossed the eastern sector of the city ending at the Ishtar Gate.
crenellated
notched
Ishtar Gate
Main entrance to the city of Babylon decorated with colorful glazed brick. Symbolized Babylonian power (with 4 crenellated towers/elaborate design)
Persians
Gained independence from Medes in 549 BCE under Cyrus II "The Great" (ruled 559-530 BCE) (persia vanquished babylonia in 539 bce but included them in empire). Once controlling from Iran to Anatolia and Egypt and Cyprus, Darius I (ruled 521-486 bce) took t
Darius I
Organized Persian lands into 20-tribute paying areas under Persian governors. Left lesser local rulers in place. Tolerated diverse native customs and religions. Developed system of fair taxation, issued standardized current, improved communication. Create
Persepolis
New Persian capital under Darius I that combined the traditions of the persians, medians, mesopotamians, egyptians, and greeks). Assyrian like: set on raised platform. Egyptian/Greek like: laid out on rectangular grid. included Apadana (treasury)
Apadana (treasury of Persepolis)
An audience hall that could hold several thousand people. set above rest of complex covered with sculpture in low relief. walls: warriors defend palace. staircase: lions attack bulls at side of persian generals. (Animal combats emphasized ferocity of lead