1. MESOPOTAMIA “Land between the Rivers” ”

2. The Ancient Fertile Crescent “The Cradle of Civilization”

3. Ziggurat at Ur  c. 2000-2100 BCE  Temple  “Mountain of the Gods”  c. 2000-2100 BCE  Temple  “Mountain of the Gods”

4. Ziggurat at Ur (modern day Iraq), c.2100-2000 BCE

7. SOUNDBOX OF A SUMERIAN LYRE (UR, IRAQ), C. 2600 BCE FROM SUMERIAN ROYAL CEMETERY

8. Standard of Ur Standard of Ur (Ur), c. 2685-2645 BCE Contrast between war and peace/ use of registers to depict a narrative/ discoveries from royal Sumerian graves/ depiction of human figures/ lapis lazuli (Blue Stone)

9. “WAR SIDE” OF THE STANDARD OF UR

10. “PEACE SIDE” OF THE STANDARD OF UR”

11. WAR SIDE OF THE STANDARD OF UR, FROM TOMB 779, ROYAL CEMETERY, UR (MODERN TELL MUQAYYAR), IRAQ, CA. 2600 BCE. WOOD INLAID WITH SHELL, LAPIS LAZULI, AND RED LIMESTONE, 8” X 1’ 7”.

13. PEACE SIDE OF THE STANDARD OF UR

16. Votive Figures (Ur,Iraq), c.2600-2100 BCE Gypsym, Lapis Lazuli

17. Dying LionessDying Lioness, Assyrian relief from the Palace of Ashurbanipal (Ninevah, Iraq) c. 650 BCE

18. Stele with law code of Hammurabi Stele with law code of Hammurabi (Susa, Iran), c. 1760 BCE, basalt

19. USE OF LAW TO ESTABLISH A CENTRAL GOVERNMENT (TALION LAW)/ GOD (SHAMASH) AND RULER LINKED

20. Royal Audience Hall (apadana) at Persepolis of Darius I (Iran), c. 500 BCE Darius III and Alexander the Great/ elevation of platform/ apadana with bull capitals/ loose groupings of buildings/ satrapies

21. Left: Layout of Persepolis Below: Bull Capital from the royal audience hall of the palace of Artaxerxes II (Susa) c. 375 BCEBull Capital from the royal audience hall of the palace of Artaxerxes

22. PERSEPOLIS (APADANA IN THE BACKGROUND), IRAN, CA. 521–465 BCE.

23. Art of the Ancient Near East