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Art of the Ancient Near East

It is in the Ancient Near East, that writing first began. With the invention of writing came writtenrecords that replaced the reliance upon images and oral traditions as a means of keeping records.

Geographically, the Ancient Near East refers to area that includes present day Turkey,Iran and Iraq.

Populations first settled in the grassy areas surrounding the river valleys. The area wasideal for agriculture, with good soil, adequate rainfall and domesticated animals.

As the population increased, the people began to move into the river valleys and deltaregions.

CHRONOLOGY: divided into four general phases

# Early Neolithic Communities 8000-5500 BCE # Ancient Mesopotamian Cultures 3200-330 BCE # Sumerian Period 3200-2225 BCE (includes the Akkadian Period) # Assyrian Period 1000-612 BCE

Early Neolithic Communities

SCULPTURE-examples from Jericho mark the beginning of monumental sculpture and

individualized portraiture.

Human Skull, c7000-6000 BCE

Jericho-located on a plateau on the Jordan River.

represents the world's oldest fortified community fortifications make the beginning of monumental architecture

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Catal Huyuk-located in Anatolia, flourished 6500-5500 BCE. This area was the first to

experiment in city planning

SCULPTURE-most examples are small female figures

Seated Goddess, Catal Huyuk, c5900 BCE

Sumerian Art

Between 3500 and 2800 BCE city-states began to emerge along the rivers of Southern

Mesopotamia. The city-states of Sumer are considered to be one of the first great civilizations ofman and are credited with inventing the first written language, cuneiform.

ARCHITECTURE-ziggurat-a stepped pyramid structure, with a temple or shrine located on

top. Ziggurats were religious shrines, that symbolized a bridge between man on earth, and the

gods in heaven.

Nanna Ziggurat, Ur (modern Iraq) c2100-2050 BCE

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Nanna+Ziggurat,+Ur&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=351&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=1fTaVPX-pMRfmM:&imgrefurl=http://sportslife7.blogspot.com/2009/04/notable-ziggurats-of-ancient-and-modern.html&docid=H3x3m-E4Bs-OEM&w=400&h=300&ei=3E9kTtTsFM-RgQeC3eiHCg&zoom=1http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Nanna+Ziggurat,+Ur&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=351&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=1fTaVPX-pMRfmM:&imgrefurl=http://sportslife7.blogspot.com/2009/04/notable-ziggurats-of-ancient-and-modern.html&docid=H3x3m-E4Bs-OEM&w=400&h=300&ei=3E9kTtTsFM-RgQeC3eiHCg&zoom=1

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SCULPTURE-Sumerian sculpture was religious in nature, representing Sumerian dieties.

Face of Woman,from Urak c3500-3000 BCE Statuettes, from Temple of Abu, Tell Asmar c2900-2600BCE

Bull Lyre, from tomb of Queen Puabi of Ur c2685 Standard of Ur, c2700 BCE

Akkadian Art

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Bull+Lyre,+from+tomb+of+Queen+Puabi+of+Ur&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=351&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=x8h_uEvJCHH6yM:&imgrefurl=http://www.h-net.org/~fisher/hst205/readings/images/Mesopotamia/BullLyre.html&docid=iiUFcykJSs7tkM&w=283&h=500&ei=ilFkTpqxLpGtgQfR19m1Cg&zoom=1http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Face+of+Woman,from+Uruk&hl=en&sa=X&gbv=2&biw=1024&bih=351&tbm=isch&tbnid=uFsFr69R5F_3-M:&imgrefurl=http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/stokstad3/chapter2/custom4/deluxe-content.html&docid=JIFCDXblfTFsWM&w=303&h=410&ei=cFNkTsKLENScgQfI-eWjCg&zoom=1http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Bull+Lyre,+from+tomb+of+Queen+Puabi+of+Ur&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=351&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=x8h_uEvJCHH6yM:&imgrefurl=http://www.h-net.org/~fisher/hst205/readings/images/Mesopotamia/BullLyre.html&docid=iiUFcykJSs7tkM&w=283&h=500&ei=ilFkTpqxLpGtgQfR19m1Cg&zoom=1http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Face+of+Woman,from+Uruk&hl=en&sa=X&gbv=2&biw=1024&bih=351&tbm=isch&tbnid=uFsFr69R5F_3-M:&imgrefurl=http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/stokstad3/chapter2/custom4/deluxe-content.html&docid=JIFCDXblfTFsWM&w=303&h=410&ei=cFNkTsKLENScgQfI-eWjCg&zoom=1http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Bull+Lyre,+from+tomb+of+Queen+Puabi+of+Ur&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=351&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=x8h_uEvJCHH6yM:&imgrefurl=http://www.h-net.org/~fisher/hst205/readings/images/Mesopotamia/BullLyre.html&docid=iiUFcykJSs7tkM&w=283&h=500&ei=ilFkTpqxLpGtgQfR19m1Cg&zoom=1http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Face+of+Woman,from+Uruk&hl=en&sa=X&gbv=2&biw=1024&bih=351&tbm=isch&tbnid=uFsFr69R5F_3-M:&imgrefurl=http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/stokstad3/chapter2/custom4/deluxe-content.html&docid=JIFCDXblfTFsWM&w=303&h=410&ei=cFNkTsKLENScgQfI-eWjCg&zoom=1http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Bull+Lyre,+from+tomb+of+Queen+Puabi+of+Ur&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=351&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=x8h_uEvJCHH6yM:&imgrefurl=http://www.h-net.org/~fisher/hst205/readings/images/Mesopotamia/BullLyre.html&docid=iiUFcykJSs7tkM&w=283&h=500&ei=ilFkTpqxLpGtgQfR19m1Cg&zoom=1http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Face+of+Woman,from+Uruk&hl=en&sa=X&gbv=2&biw=1024&bih=351&tbm=isch&tbnid=uFsFr69R5F_3-M:&imgrefurl=http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/stokstad3/chapter2/custom4/deluxe-content.html&docid=JIFCDXblfTFsWM&w=303&h=410&ei=cFNkTsKLENScgQfI-eWjCg&zoom=1

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Approximately 2300 BCE, the city-states of Sumer came under the domination of a powerful

ruler, Sargon I of Akkad. The Akkadians adopted Sumerian culture with one exception. It wasunder the leadership of Sargon, that devotion to the leader rather than the city-state became the

political norm. The Akkadians ruled until 2180 BCE, when they were attacked and conquered by

the Guti (only Lagash remained independent).

SCULPTURE-first examples of political works of art

Head of Akkadian Ruler from Nineveh c2200BCE Stela of Naramsin c2254-2218 BCE

Babylonian Art

Sumer was once again fully united under the Babylonian ruler, Hammurabi in 1792 BCE.

Hammurabi was most famous for his code of laws

Stela of Hammurabi, from Susa c1792-1750 BCE

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Stela+of+Hammurabi,&hl=en&sa=G&gbv=2&biw=1024&bih=351&tbm=isch&tbnid=WzE7b0UQJOQAqM:&imgrefurl=http://culturedart.blogspot.com/2010/12/stela-of-hammurabi.html&docid=LnBP1nQYC5wfIM&w=418&h=632&ei=YFRkTuWHJIfdgQezva2sCg&zoom=1http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Stela+of+Hammurabi,&hl=en&sa=G&gbv=2&biw=1024&bih=351&tbm=isch&tbnid=WzE7b0UQJOQAqM:&imgrefurl=http://culturedart.blogspot.com/2010/12/stela-of-hammurabi.html&docid=LnBP1nQYC5wfIM&w=418&h=632&ei=YFRkTuWHJIfdgQezva2sCg&zoom=1http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Stela+of+Hammurabi,&hl=en&sa=G&gbv=2&biw=1024&bih=351&tbm=isch&tbnid=WzE7b0UQJOQAqM:&imgrefurl=http://culturedart.blogspot.com/2010/12/stela-of-hammurabi.html&docid=LnBP1nQYC5wfIM&w=418&h=632&ei=YFRkTuWHJIfdgQezva2sCg&zoom=1

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Assyrian Art

Guardian Figure, from throne room of Sargon II Citadel and Palace Complex of Sargon II

c720 BCE c721-706 BCE

Neo-Babylonian Art

Ishtar Gate c575 BCE

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Citadel+and+Palace+Complex+of+Sargon+II&hl=en&sa=G&gbv=2&biw=1024&bih=351&tbm=isch&tbnid=y7l75wdcVdnj2M:&imgrefurl=http://all-art.org/Architecture/3-2.htm&docid=CHu63TTi9JZz0M&w=500&h=353&ei=FFZkTueXEsHDgQfzlZibCg&zoom=1http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Citadel+and+Palace+Complex+of+Sargon+II&hl=en&sa=G&gbv=2&biw=1024&bih=351&tbm=isch&tbnid=y7l75wdcVdnj2M:&imgrefurl=http://all-art.org/Architecture/3-2.htm&docid=CHu63TTi9JZz0M&w=500&h=353&ei=FFZkTueXEsHDgQfzlZibCg&zoom=1http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Citadel+and+Palace+Complex+of+Sargon+II&hl=en&sa=G&gbv=2&biw=1024&bih=351&tbm=isch&tbnid=y7l75wdcVdnj2M:&imgrefurl=http://all-art.org/Architecture/3-2.htm&docid=CHu63TTi9JZz0M&w=500&h=353&ei=FFZkTueXEsHDgQfzlZibCg&zoom=1

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Persian Art

Apadana (audience hall) of Darius and Xerxes 518-c460 BCE