Ancient Civilizations

The Bronze Age ( BC) and The Iron Age ( BC) The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use) consists of techniques for smelting copper and tin from naturally occurring outcroppings of ore, and then alloying those metals in order to cast bronzemetalworkingsmelting coppertinalloyingbronze

Hemingway, Colette, and Seán Hemingway. "Prehistoric Cypriot Art and Culture". In Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2004) Group of four vases, ca. 2300–2000 B.C.; Early Bronze Age The Beginnings of the Bronze Age “…people began making small tools and decorative ornaments from the native copper (chalkos); thus the phase is termed Chalcolithic, referring to the transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age.”

Bowl with handles terminating in lotuses, ca. 850–750 B.C

Standard with two long-horned bulls, 2400–2000 B.C.; Early Bronze Age This pair of long-horned bulls probably served as a finial for a religious or ceremonial standard. "Standard with two long-horned bulls [North central Anatolia] ( )". In Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2006)

Statuette of a female, Iron Age; 1st millennium B.C., early Iran, Caspian region

Sword, mid-1st century B.C.; Late Iron Age, Celtic Iron blade, L. 19 3/4 in.

Mesopotamian Art

Ziggurat of Ur-Nammu

The Sumerians The Sumerians were the first civilization to occupy the Tigris-Euphrates river valley called the Mesopotamia (literally meaning "the land between two rivers"). Each of their separate city-states had its own ziggurat, which contained governmental offices as well as a temple. The temple was located on the highest platform (now eroded in the above example). Since the Mesopotamia had no geographical barriers, it was open to attack from other developing civilizations. Thus, its history is one of continual invasions. With each successive ruler, new artistic influences were absorbed. The Akkadians The Akkadians were the first group of invaders to overthrow the Sumerians. These two portraits were probably of Akkadian rulers. They are cast in copper, demonstrating their advanced technology. Note the naturalism of their features, combined with the geometric stylization of their beards. Stele of HammurabiStele of Hammurabi The Babylonians Hammurabi reigned Mesopotamia between 1792 and 1750 B.C.E. His code of laws was probably the first written rule of conduct governing property rights, financial transactions, and domestic matters.At the top of the stele, Hammurabi is shown, receiving divine inspiration from the sun-god - who sits on his heavenly throne, with light rays radiating off of his shoulders. Below this is a complex inscription of laws. Its entire height is 7'4", though only the top portion is pictured here.The Babylonians Hammurabi reigned Mesopotamia between 1792 and 1750 B.C.E. His code of laws was probably the first written rule of conduct governing property rights, financial transactions, and domestic matters.At the top of the stele, Hammurabi is shown, receiving divine inspiration from the sun-god - who sits on his heavenly throne, with light rays radiating off of his shoulders. Below this is a complex inscription of laws. Its entire height is 7'4", though only the top portion is pictured here. The Assyrians Winged Deity Human-Headed Winged Lion When the Assyrians conquered the Babylonians in the 9th century B.C.E., they erected citadels to protect their temples and palaces from further invasions. On the huge stone walls were carvings depiting winged deities, which was emblematic of the power of their king. At the entrance to the citadel of Nimrud were a pair of winged bulls. The face is believed to be a portrait of the king, Ashurnasirpal II. His cap indicates his divine status. There is an interesting peculiarity about this statue: They felt it was necessary that both front legs were visible on approaching it, but also wanted it to appear as if it was walking when viewed from the side. This problem permitted them to make a compromise by giving the creature 5 legs. The Ishtar Gate, 575 B.C.E. The Neo-Babylonians Walking Lion, from the Ishtar Gate, glazed brick, 6th c. B.C.E Since the Babylonians had a second reign of power, the newer kingdom is known as the Neo-Babylonian. Like the Assyrians, the desire to to close out possible invaders prompted them to build their own citadel. The Ishtar gate was used to impress visitors as well as protect the city. The glazed ceramic animals are majestic, and were probably meant as spirit-guardians. The Sumerians The Sumerians were the first civilization to occupy the Tigris-Euphrates river valley called the Mesopotamia (literally meaning "the land between two rivers"). Each of their separate city-states had its own ziggurat, which contained governmental offices as well as a temple. The temple was located on the highest platform (now eroded in the above example). Since the Mesopotamia had no geographical barriers, it was open to attack from other developing civilizations. Thus, its history is one of continual invasions. With each successive ruler, new artistic influences were absorbed. The Akkadians The Akkadians were the first group of invaders to overthrow the Sumerians. These two portraits were probably of Akkadian rulers. They are cast in copper, demonstrating their advanced technology. Note the naturalism of their features, combined with the geometric stylization of their beards. Stele of HammurabiStele of Hammurabi The Babylonians Hammurabi reigned Mesopotamia between 1792 and 1750 B.C.E. His code of laws was probably the first written rule of conduct governing property rights, financial transactions, and domestic matters.At the top of the stele, Hammurabi is shown, receiving divine inspiration from the sun-god - who sits on his heavenly throne, with light rays radiating off of his shoulders. Below this is a complex inscription of laws. Its entire height is 7'4", though only the top portion is pictured here.The Babylonians Hammurabi reigned Mesopotamia between 1792 and 1750 B.C.E. His code of laws was probably the first written rule of conduct governing property rights, financial transactions, and domestic matters.At the top of the stele, Hammurabi is shown, receiving divine inspiration from the sun-god - who sits on his heavenly throne, with light rays radiating off of his shoulders. Below this is a complex inscription of laws. Its entire height is 7'4", though only the top portion is pictured here. The Assyrians Winged Deity Human-Headed Winged Lion When the Assyrians conquered the Babylonians in the 9th century B.C.E., they erected citadels to protect their temples and palaces from further invasions. On the huge stone walls were carvings depiting winged deities, which was emblematic of the power of their king. At the entrance to the citadel of Nimrud were a pair of winged bulls. The face is believed to be a portrait of the king, Ashurnasirpal II. His cap indicates his divine status. There is an interesting peculiarity about this statue: They felt it was necessary that both front legs were visible on approaching it, but also wanted it to appear as if it was walking when viewed from the side. This problem permitted them to make a compromise by giving the creature 5 legs. The Ishtar Gate, 575 B.C.E. The Neo-Babylonians Walking Lion, from the Ishtar Gate, glazed brick, 6th c. B.C.E Since the Babylonians had a second reign of power, the newer kingdom is known as the Neo-Babylonian. Like the Assyrians, the desire to to close out possible invaders prompted them to build their own citadel. The Ishtar gate was used to impress visitors as well as protect the city. The glazed ceramic animals are majestic, and were probably meant as spirit-guardians. The Peoples of Mesopotamia The Sumerians The Akkadians The Bayblonians The Assyrians The Neo- Babylonians See the site for detailed information: 21st - 17th c BCE Mesopotamian Babylonian Sculpture

The cuneiform script underwent considerable changes over a period of more than two millennia. The image below shows the development of the sign SAG "head" (Borger nr. 184, U+12295) Stage 1 shows the pictogram as it was drawn around 3000 BC. Stage 2 shows the rotated pictogram as written around 2800 BC. Stage 3 shows the abstracted glyph in archaic monumental inscriptions, from ca BC, and stage 4 is the sign as written in clay, contemporary to stage 3. Stage 5 represents the late 3rd millennium, and stage 6 represents Old Assyrian ductus of the early 2nd millennium, as adopted into Hittite. Stage 7 is the simplified sign as written by Assyrian scribes in the early 1st millennium, and until the script's extinction.

The Epic of Gilgamesh The Epic of Gilgamesh is, perhaps, the oldest written story on Earth. It comes to us from Ancient Sumeria, and was originally written on 12 clay tablets in cunieform script. It is about the adventures of the historical King of Uruk (somewhere between 2750 and 2500 BCE).

Faces are dominated by very large eyes; but, for reasons we might take for granted, artists of many cultures have placed emphasis on eyes.dominatedemphasis The statues found at the Abu Temple in Tell Asmar from c BCEstatues found at the Abu Temple in Tell Asmar

Helmet of King MeskalamdugHelmet of King Meskalamdug, c BCE

Sumerian Votive Figures

Akkadian (2300–2150 BC) The Akkadian invaders quickly assimilated Sumerian styles. The stele (decorated upright slab) Victory of Naram-Sin (2200 BC; Louvre, Paris), carved in relief, depicts a military campaign of the warlike Akkadians. The technical and artistic sophistication of bronze sculpture is illustrated by the Head of an Akkadian King (2200 BC; Iraq Museum, Baghdad). Assyrian (1400–600 BC) The characteristic Assyrian art form was narrative relief sculpture. Unlike the other southern Mesopotamian peoples, the Assyrians had access to large quantities of stone, and their many carved reliefs have consequently survived well. These shallow carvings were used to decorate palaces, for example, the Palace of Ashurbanipal (7th century BC). Its finely carved reliefs include dramatic scenes of a lion hunt, now in the British Museum, London. Winged bulls with human faces, carved partially in the round, stood as sentinels at the royal gateways (Louvre, Paris).

Human-headed winged lion (lamassu), Assyrian 883–859 B.C

Mesopotamia, Nimrud, Head of a Woman, late 8th century BCE, ivory plaque, originally part of furniture. This piece is listed on the Oriental Institute's database of treasures that have been lost or stolen from Iraq.Head of a Womanivoryplaque furnituredatabase of treasures that have been lost or stolen from Iraq

A Babylonian relief sculpture of a bull made of brightly glazed tiles on the restored Ishtar Gate. The original sculpture dates from around 575 BC and stood on the gate of the Temple of Bel, the biblical Tower of Babel in Babylon.

Persia, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, sixth century BCE. Accounts indicate that the garden was built by King Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled the city for 43 years starting in 605 BCE, and that he built them to cheer up his homesick wife, Amyitis. Medes, the land she came from was green, rugged and mountainous, and she found the flat, sun-baked terrain of Mesopotamia depressing, so the king decided to recreate her homeland by building an artificial mountain with rooftop gardens. The Hanging Gardens weren't actually "hanging", but instead were "overhanging" as in the case of a terrace or balcony.The Hanging Gardens of Babylonbalcony

Persia, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, sixth century BCE. Accounts indicate that the garden was built by King Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled the city for 43 years starting in 605 BCE, and that he built them to cheer up his homesick wife, Amyitis. Medes, the land she came from was green, rugged and mountainous, and she found the flat, sun-baked terrain of Mesopotamia depressing, so the king decided to recreate her homeland by building an artificial mountain with rooftop gardens. The Hanging Gardens weren't actually "hanging", but instead were "overhanging" as in the case of a terrace or balcony.The Hanging Gardens of Babylonbalcony

Egyptian Art

Bowl with Human Feet, ca. 3750–3550 B.C.E.; possibly late Naqada I–early Naqada II; Predynastic period

Statue of Demedji and Hennutsen, ca. 2465–26 B.C.E.; early Dynasty 5; Old Kingdom Egyptian

Relief of Nebhepetre Mentuhotep, ca. 2040–2010 B.C.E.; reign of Nebhepetre Mentuhotep; Middle Kingdom Egyptian; Upper Egypt, Western Thebes

Scarab of Wah, ca. 1990–1985 B.C.E.; early Dynasty 12; Middle Kingdom Egyptian; Western Thebes

Statue of an Offering Bearer, ca B.C.E.; Dynasty 12, early reign of Amenemhat I; Middle Kingdom Egyptian; Western Thebes

Coffin of Khnum- nakht, ca. 1900–1800 B.C.E.; Dynasty 12; Middle Kingdom Egyptian; Possibly from Asyut

Pectoral with the Name of Senwosret II, ca. 1897–1878 B.C.E.; Dynasty 12, reigns of Senwosret II– Amenemhat III; Middle Kingdom Egyptian; Lahun

Statuette of a Hippopotamus, ca B.C.E.; Dynasty 12; Middle Kingdom Egyptian; Middle Egypt, Meir

Outer Coffin of Henettawy, ca. 1040– 991 B.C.E.; Dynasty 21; Third Intermediate period Egyptian; Thebes

Cat, 330–30 B.C.E.; Ptolemaic period Egyptian

The Temple of Dendur, ca. 15 B.C.E.; Roman period Egyptian; Nubia, Dendur

Kinds of Pyramids Pyramid: a special type of polyhedron (a polyhedron is a solid figure with flat faces that are polygons)in which all of the faces, except possibly the base, are triangles that meet in a common point called the vertex. The base is always a polygon (a polygon is a closed figure with 3 or more sides) but not always a triangle. There are three main kinds of pyramids: the Step Pyramid, which has six steps; the Bent Pyramid (only one was made, and that was for Pharaoh Sneferu), and the Straight-sided Pyramid (also known as the True Pyramid, which is also the most common).

The Great Sphinx of Giza with Khafre's pyramid in the background. Fourth dynasty, Old Kingdom