Fluent Essays

I attached the quiz and the slides that you will answer from it if you have any questions let me know survey_1_quiz_2_2.docx _surveyi_mesopotamian_summer.pdf Unformatted Attachment Preview Survey 1 Quiz 2-2 Mesopotamian Art #1 (10 points) This work features the Code of Law. Here are some examples of specific laws: 22. If any one is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to death. 196. If a man puts out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out. 199. If he puts out the eye of a mans slave, or breaks the bone of a mans slave, he shall pay onehalf of its value. I would like you complete the academic laws bellow, following the logic of Hammurabi’s legal code 1. If a student commits as act of plagiarism, … 2. If a student misses a class without a legitimate excuse, … 3. If a student does not participate in class discussion, … #2 You are a new Mesopotamian ruler. What particular visual style (Sumerain, Akkadian, or Assyrian) would you select to glorify your regime? Explain your position, citing specific artworks. (10-12 sentences, 10 points) Ancient Mesopotamia and Persia • • • • Mesopotamia -- land between the rivers (Tigris and Euphrates)– longlasting and successful civilization The geography of Mesopotamia – few natural defenses. Different ethnic tribes constantly traversed the region. Growing and storing crops and raising animals for food – the signature accomplishments of Neolithic people – formation of permanent settlements. End of Neolithic era – the settlements grew beyond the bounds of the village into urban centers. Emergence of large scale (40,000 people) urban communities in Mesopotamia 1. Shift towards agrarian (farmer) society. Agricultural villages evolved into cities. Formation of large sustainable communities that required permanent housing and means of defense. The cities joined with their prosperous surrounding territories formed city-states, each with its own gods and government. 2. New technologies (irrigation, the wheel and the plow, the casting of tools in copper and bronze) increased food production and facilitated the trade. Specialization of labor and trade – need for the mechanisms for the resolution of disputes – invention of laws 3. Development of specialized skills other than those for agricultural work (for example, scribes and scholars) 4. The invention of writing Mesopotamian visual culture • • • The history of the Middle East is a multicultural one; city-states were constantly at war with one another and only sometimes were united under a single ruler Yet (!) Mesopotamian visual culture retains a surprisingly constant character Two dominant themes emerge: Art enabled and reflected political power; and Mesopotamians used visual narrative, exploring strategies for telling stories through art Discovery of Mesopotamian Civilization Sir Charles Leonard Woolley (17 April 1880-20 February 1960) 1922 – Archeological dig, the joint venture between the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania Development of Writing-- Cuneiform (Wedge-shaped) Script -- Cuneiforms were written on clay tablets, on which symbols were drawn with a stylus. The impressions left by the stylus were wedge shaped, thus giving rise to the name cuneiform (wedge shaped). Development of Writing-- Cuneiform (Wedge-shaped) Script -- Created ca. 3000 BC cuneiform writing began as a system of pictographs (simplified symbolic pictures). -- The pictorial representations became simplified and more abstract. Sumerian Art Ancient Sumer • • • • • • Sumerian civilization -- the citystates that developed along the rivers between about 3500 BC and 2340 BC Invented the wagon wheel and the plow; created a system of writing For Sumerians, life itself depended on appeasing the gods, who controlled natural forces and phenomena Each city has a patron deity, to whom residents owed both devotion and sustenance. The god’s earthly steward was the city’s ruler (in charge of administration based in the temple) The produce of the city’s land belonged to the god – temple administration supplied farmers with seeds, work animals, and tools, built irrigation systems and stored and distributed the harvest. White Temple and Ziggurat, Uruk (Warka), Iraq, ca. 3200-3000 BCE • • Temple complex – architectural focus of the city Housed city administration • • • • Little stone or wood available (hot, dry climate did not allow for the growth of the types of tall, straight pine and cedar trees used in construction). Wood logs had to be imported (thus, costly) Mostly used mud and clay Unlike wood, clay does not decompose. It is also not particularly recyclable and reusable New mud brick construction was often done by preserving older archeological layers. White Temple and Ziggurat, Uruk (Warka), Iraq, ca. 3200-3000 BCE • • • • • • Uruk – major city, population: around 40,000. White temple was dedicated to Anu, the sky god Ziggurat -- stepped structures (40 to 50 feet high) with temples or shrines on top Elevation also protected the shrines from flooding Towering presence -- proclaimed the wealth, prestige, and stability of city rulers and glorified the gods. Importance of visibility: on seeing an object and finding it pleasing, a god might act favorably to those who made it Symbolic function -- a meeting place for humans and their gods White Temple and Ziggurat, Uruk (Warka), Iraq, ca. 3200-3000 BCE • • • • A system of stairs and ramps led counter-clockwise around the mound, culminating at an entrance in the temple’s north side Indirect approach – the winding ascent – metaphorical ascent into the divine realm The central hall (cella) housed an altar and cult statue. Sumerian temples were not built to accommodate large crowds of worshippers. Only a select few were permitted to enter. Female Head (Inanna), Uruk, ca. 3200-3000 BCE. Marble, Iraq Museum, Baghdad • • • • • Scale: 8.3 inches (21.3 cm) A part of cult statue. Inanna (Ishtar) – a goddess of love and war Use of stone – indication of power and prestige Her hair, eyebrows, and eyes would have been inlaid with other materials (gold, lapis lazuli) The rest of the statue might have been made of gold or of gold-plated wood, and it would have been dressed in elaborate jewelry and robes. Female Head (Inanna), Uruk, ca. 3200-3000 BCE, reconstruction drawing Presentation of offerings to Inanna, Warka Vase, ca. 3200-3000 BCE, Alabaster; 3 feet, ¼ inches (1 m) tall. Presentation of offerings to Inanna, Warka Vase, ca. 3200-3000 BCE, Alabaster • • • • • • • Inanna -- goddess of love and war. The picture space is organized into registers – order (!) The lower register shows the natural world (water and plants) Above the plans domesticated animals stand on a solid groundline In the middle register nude men carry baskets with food – votive offering to be deposited in the temple In the top register, Inanna stands in front of her shrine accepting an offering from the priest-king Interpretation -- ritual marriage between the goddess and a human king during the New Year’s festival -- to ensure the fertility of crops, animals, and people Presentation of offerings to Inanna, Warka Vase, ca. 3200-3000 BCE, Alabaster • • • • Stylistic characteristics Strict organization of pictorial space (registers) Use of twisted perspective – combination of frontal and profile views -- conceptual rather than optical (based on observation) perception The goal is not to create a believable snap shot but rather to show the most characteristic parts of human body Hierarchy of scale – to communicate the importance of main characters Two Worshippers (Votive Statues) from the Square Temple at Eshnunna (Tell Asmar), Iraq, ca. 2700 BCE. Gypsum inlaid with shell and black limestone -- excavated in the 1930s -- they were purposely buried near the altar along with other objects, perhaps, when the temple was rebuilt or redecorated --Ranging in height from several inches to 2.5 feet (male figure approx. 2 6 (76.2 cm) high) -- Originally stood in the temple’s cella -- Votive figures – statues made as an act of worship to the gods – depict individual donors (mortals). -- People commissioned these statues, which were to be set up in a shrine before the larger, more elaborate image of a god. --Static poses, with hands clasped between chest and waist level. -- The wide-open eyes emphasize the importance of fixing on a god with an attentive gaze. -- The votive statues are in perpetual attention, making eye contact and chanting their donors’ prayers through eternity. -- Face, hair, body and clothing are reduced to simple geometric forms. The Royal Cemetery at UR • • • • • • Excavated by Wooley in the 1920s The cemetery contained 1840 burials (some humble, some contained expensive offerings – “royal graves”) Death pits accompanied the wealthiest burials. Royal tomb of Queen Puabi: Human sacrifice -6 men and 68 women were buried with their lady The Mesopotamians rarely wrote about the afterlife. Literary descriptions suggest that the netherworld was a gloomy place (dark, with bad food, and no way out). Nothing about it suggested either a reward or punishment: it simply existed. Since the kings (and commoners) took their worldly possessions with them, perhaps, they believed that they could improve their lot in the afterlife Objects found in “royal” graves: weapons, jewelry, and vessels The Standard of Ur, royal cemetery, ca. 2600 BCE. Wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone, (8.5 Inches (21.5 cm) high by 19.5 Inches (49.5 cm) long) -- Inlaid with lapis lazuli – extremely expensive stone in the ancient world: imported from Afghanistan -- Function – 1) a military standard (Wooley’s interpretation); 2) the sounding box for a stringed instrument The Standard of Ur, royal cemetery, ca. 2600 BCE. Wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone -- The two panels show a military victory and a celebration or ritual feast, each unfolding in three registers. --Together, the panels represent the dual aspects of kingship: the king as the warrior and the king as priest and mediator with the gods. “War” panel -- War panel: the bottom register shows charioteers advancing from the left, pulled by wild donkeys, and riding over enemy bodies -- War panel: the bottom register shows charioteers advancing from the left, pulled by wild donkeys, and riding over enemy bodies -- In the middle register, soldiers battle and escort prisoners of war, stripped of armor and clothing -- At the top, soldiers present the prisoners to the central figure (hierarchy of scale) “Banquet” panel --Figures, burdened with booty accompany animals for the feast. At the top register the banquet is underway. Seated figures raise their cups to the sound of music. The Standard of Ur Stylistic characteristics -- Use of resisters to tell a story -- Hierarchy of scale -- Despite the action in the scenes, the images have static quality (the isolation of the figures) -- Descriptive forms – twisted perspective -- Lack of overlapping and use of contrasting materials make the narrative legible even from a distance. Bull-headed lyre, King’s grave, ca. 2600 BCE. Gold leaf and lapis lazuli over a wooden core -- The lyre (musical instrument) was found in a grave and probably was used in funeral rites. Head dimensions: 15.7 inches (40 cm) long, 9.8 inches (25 cm) wide, 7.5 inches (19 cm) deep -- Panel: 4 horizontal registers each presenting a narrative scene. In the bottom register a man in scorpion dress holds what are probably ritual objects in his upraised hands. He is attended by a goat standing on its legs and holding two cups. Scorpion man is associated with the land of demons. The scene above depicts a pair of animal musicians. A seated donkey plays a bull lyre while a standing bear braces the instrument’s frame. The next register shows animal attendants, bringing food and drinks for a feast. In the top panel is an athletic man with long hair and full beard. He is clasping two rearing humanheaded bulls – example of heraldic (symmetrical) composition. Perhaps the scene depicts a funeral banquet Iraq Museum, April 2003 (during the US military operation in Iraq) -- Between April 8, 2003, when the museum was vacated, and April 12, when the first of the staff returned, thieves had plundered an estimated 15,000 items, many of them choice antiquities: ritual vessels, heads from sculptures, amulets, Assyrian ivories and more than 5,000 cylinder seals. -- About 50\% of looted items were returned/recovered • New danger: ISIS – systematic destruction of ancient art The Guennol Lioness -- Mesopotamian (Elimite –Pre-Iranian) -- circa 3000–2800 B.C -- Limestone -- 8.3 cm (3.25 in) --Sold for $57.2 million at Sotheby’s auction house on December 5, 2007 Akkadian Art Akkadian Art -- Around 2350 BCE, Sumerian city-states began to fight over access to water and fertile land. Transformation of social organization – “stewards of the gods” positioned themselves as ruling kings. Goal – to enlarge their domain through conquest. -- Akkadians, Semitic-speaking people, adopted Sumerian culture, but they were less bound to the tradition of the city state -- Under Sargon I (2332-2279 BC) they conquered most of Mesopotamia • • • • • • Sargon began life as a commoner, overthrew the king of Kish and became a ruler of Akkadian Empire. Reigned 56 years Conquered all important Sumerian cities (Ur, Uruk, Lagash) – these cities were to pay taxes and tribute to Sargon Demoted local rulers and placed Akkadianspeaking officials in charge, transforming the traditional city-state structure Created a class of elite military , supported from the wealth of the king’s estates (personal loyalty) Combined Sumerian and Akkadian deities in a new pantheon, hoping to break down the traditional link between city-states and their local gods. Goal: to unite the religion in loyalty to his absolute rule Use of religion to legitimize his reign: claimed that the gods gave him the empire; put his daughter in one of the highest religious positions (priestess of the moon god Nanna) Votive disk of Enheduanna, from Ur, Iraq, ca. 2300-2275 BCE. Alabaster, d. 10” (25.4 cm) • • • • • Enheduanna was appointed the priestess of the moon god Nanna – took control over immense estate associated with the temple (royal family’s control over Ur’s economy) Religious role – spiritual leadership Narrative of the disk: votive offering to Nanna Four figures approaching a ziggurat. The first figure (nude man) pours a libation. Enheduanna, accompanied by two female attendants, raises her hand in gesture of greeting and respect for the god. Head of an Akkadian Ruler (Sargon?), ca. 22502200 BCE. Copper, H: 12 in. (30.7 cm.) • • • • • • • • Akkadian rulers exploited the visual arts to establish and reflect their power The intended view of the portrait was from the front: the frontality makes it appear unchanging and eternal The abstract treatment of beard and hair contrasts with smooth flesh Simplicity and strong symmetry – denote control and order The original had inlaid eyes Generalized male ideal rather than the appearance of a specific individual. Deliberate damage (probably happened during the Medes’ invasion of Nineveh in 612 BCE) -symbolic mutilation The enemy gouged out its eyes and Victory Stele of NaramSin, 2254-2218 BCE, Pink sandstone Height: 79 in (200 cm) Width 59 in (150 cm) • • • • • Main theme – imperial authority Stele (upright stone slab) commemorates a military victory of Naram-Sin (over the Lullubi, people of the Zagros mountains in eastern Mesopotamia). Celebrates the achievements of an individual ruler. The horizontal registers are replaced with wavy ground lines. Watched over by three solar deities (3 suns), Naram-sin ascends a mountain wearing a horned crown used to identify gods. Naram-Sin was the first Mesopotamian ruler to deify himself The king is immediately recognizable. He stands at the dramatic center of the scene, closest to mountaintop (a symbol for a ziggurat). His greater size in relationship to his soldiers is an indication of his greater importance -- hierarchy of scale • • Commemoration of a military victory The enemies are vanquished: dying, demoralized Neo-Sumerian Revival (The Third Dynasty of Ur) • • The rule of Akkadian kings came to an end when mountain people (Guti) gained control over Mesopotamia in 2230 BCE The cities of Sumer rose up in retaliation and drove them out in 2112 BCE under the leadership of the king of UR, who united Sumer (lasted 100 years) Ziggurat, Ur, Iraq, ca. 2100 BCE • • • • • • One of the largest ziggurats Dedicated to the moon god Nanna Stepped pyramidal structure (50 feet high) with a temple on top. (Elevation provided protection from flooding). Mud-brick structure. Proclaimed the wealth, prestige, stability of rulers and glorified its protective gods. Also functioned symbolically: as bridges between the earth and the heavens – a meeting place for humans and their gods. Its base is a rectangle with 3 sets of stairs converging at an imposing entrance gate Ziggurat, Ur, Iraq, ca. 2100 BCE Seated statue of Gudea, holding temple plan, 2100. Diorite; 36.6 in (93 cm) x 16.1 in (41 cm) x 24 in (61 cm) • • • • • • Gudea – ruler of Lagash, independent city-state His statues served as a mark of his piety. Does not position himself as gad, but rather as an agent of the gods Carved in diorite (rare and expensive, hard to work) – shows Gudea’s wealth Wears a long garment, clasps his hands Highly polished surface, rounded forms Holds the ground plan (revealed to him by god Ningirsu) of the temple: by obeying the god he would bring fortune to the city Votive Statue of Gudea, ca. 2100 BCE Votive Statue of Gudea, ca. 2100 BCE, Calcite; H.: 29 in (73 cm) • • • Different material: not the diorite Also holds the jar with flowing water – symbol of the prosperity, usually associated with gods. The authenticity of this portrait is questioned. Babylonian Art Babylonian Art • • After an extended period of turmoil and warfare, Mesopotamia was unified for over 300 years under a Babylonian dynasty During the reign of Hammurabi, the city of Babylon assumed to dominant role. Out of respect for Sumerian tradition, Hammurabi called himself “the favorite shepherd” of the sun-god Shamash. Stele with law code of Hammurabi, ca. 1780, Basalt; H: 7’4” (223 cm) • The Code consists of 282 laws, with scaled punishments, adjusting an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” • 22. If any one is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to death. 196. If a man puts out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out. 199. If he puts out the eye of a mans slave, or breaks the bone of a mans slave, he shall pay one-half of its value. • • Stetson Ruled by Hammurabi Let’s write new laws!!! • • • • • If a student commits as act of plagiarism, … If a student misses a class without a legitimate excuse, … If a student does not participate in class discussion, … If a professor cancels the class without any notice, … If a professor fails to grade exams in two weeks as indicated in the syllabus, … • • • • A written legal code occupies most of the work The high relief sculpture at the top shows the king standing before the sun god Shamash. Shamash wears the horned headdress (8 horns, only 4 horns are visible) that marks him as a god and a robe that bares one shoulder and ends in a stiff flounced skirt. In his right hand he holds a measuring rod and a rope ring, symbols of justice and power. Hammurabi has his hand raised in a gesture of greeting as he faces Shamash. The smaller king remains standing in the presence of the much larger ... Purchase answer to see full attachment