ART 155 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Hieratic, Ziggurat, Centralized Government
Document Summary
Mesopotamia- between the tigris and euphrates rivers, first real existence of civilization. Cuneiform- earliest form of writing we know of, wedge type of writing. Hierarchical scaling (hieratic scale)- bigger = more important, smaller = less important. Painted glazed pottery from gawra (4200 bc) Art both enabled and reflected political power. Mesopotamian cultures usd visual narratives to record events and ideas. Sumerian- settle where the rivers meet at the beginning. Become very powerful because of where they are. Way to honor and focus on their gods. The city would pick and be specifically to one of their gods. The corners are all north, east, south west. Statuettes of worshipers from tell asmar (iraq) Gypsum inlaid with shell and black limestone. Alabaster eye idol from tell brak, north eastern syria (c. 3500 - Standard of ur, from tomb 779 royal cemetery, ur (iraq) Wood inlaid with shell, lapis, lazuli and red limestone. The life and death of the kings.
