ancient world

Prehistoric History of Art 40, BCE Over 100,000 years ago, Neanderthals buried their dead with artifacts. This is the earliest evidence that they had some religious belief system. However, our branch of Homo sapien ancestors started creating art approximately 40,000 years ago.

Civilization goes back approx. to BCE (New Stone Age) Factors contributing to civilization: Urbanization Government Social class based upon money and profession Specialization of the work force Written communication Religious beliefs

Cave Art Lascaux, France Altamira, Spain

The Venus of Willendorf

9000 Fertile Crescent – Jericho oldest city 7000BC and had 2k inhabitants (tels) 8,000 BC domesticated animals and cultivated their food. They also started to live in villages. Storage of production or animal and the resulting wealth created wars.

Mesopotamia Unlike the Egyptians, ancient Mesopotamia very varied. Sumerians BC lived in Fertile Crescent and created cuneiform writing system. Gilgamesh Epic ca BC that is the basis for some OT stories: creation, fall, flood, etc. It asks the question: is life worth it considering death awaits us all. Akkadian (named for the capital city of Akkad) and Babylonian Culture— BC Sardon and his successors ruled Mesopotamia. Hammurabi ca and the Babylonians. Assyrians— BC last great Mesopotamian culture…. Palaces at Nimrud and Nineveh were built. The Medes and the Persians took over with Cyrus the Great ( ) They in turn were defeated by Alexander the Great ca. 330 BC.

EGYPTIAN ART “Egypt is the gift of the Nile.” - Herodotus

Old Kingdom BCE Confident period until 2200 conflicts Middle Kingdom Ever-growing uncertainty about future New Kingdom Akhenaton ( ) Late Period Persians in charge EGYPTIAN DYNASTIES

Egyptian Society and Art Parallels between culture and artistic expression: 1.Pyramidal 2.Static 3.Traditional 4.Other worldly 5.Autocratic 6.Unity and continuity (Compare these characteristics with the Greeks) N.B. Exception: Akhenaton and the El Amarna experiment

Ca BCE

Ca BCE

Seated Scribe ca BCE

Pepy II and His Mother ca BCE

Akhenaten and His Family ca BCE

Akhenaten and duck sacrifice

Abu Simbel