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Effects of cities
• Cities bring massive changes to human life• Alter physical environment (agricultures, slash and burn, ziggurats) • New means of transport (wheel, sailboat) need generated by lack
of natural resources• Metallurgy new use for metals (tools, weapons): the beginning of
Bronze Age• Human organization and structure changes (governments)• Division into social classes (royal, religious, landholding)• Specialization (scribes, artisans, traders, warriors, farmers)• Record keeping needed lead to development of language and writing
Mesopotamian Civilizations
• Sumerian*– 5000 - 3000 B.C.E.– Gilgamesh, Ur, Uruk [Southern Iraq]
• Akkadian– 2400-2100 B.C.E.– Sargon I aka Nimrod, Babylon, Ninevah [central]
• Assyrian– 2000-1500 B.C.E. / 1500-1000 B.C.E. [Northern]
• Babylonian*– 1800-1300 B.C.E. / 700-500 B.C.E.– Hammurabi to Nebuchadnezzer [Central Iraq]
Santa Anna Never Baked A Nutty Pancake
• Sumerian • Akkadian• Neo-Sumerian• Babylonians• Assyrian• Neo-Babylonians• Persians
Rise of Sumer
• Migration of Sumerians to Mesopotamia (4000 B.C.E.)• Opportunity and need combine to create city• Challenges of river valley (floods and farming create need for
irrigation)• Lack of natural resources encourages long distance trade• Need for protection and aggression results in disputes over
resources• Age of warring cities (Ur, Uruk, Lagash, Nippur) 3300 - 2350
B.C.E.• Creation of the first empires (control of other lands and people) • Eventual creation of city-states and unified empires
Statuettes from the Temple of Abu at Eshnunna (Tell Asmar), c. 2700-2600 BCE, gypsum
stylization of physical types/ hypnotic gaze
Above: Impression from a Sumerian cylinder seal,
c.2500 BCELeft:Seated Statuette of Urnanshe, from the Ishtar
temple at Mari (modern Tell Hariri, Syria), c. 2600-2500 BCE, gypsum
Left: Soundbox of a Sumerian lyre (Ur, Iraq), c. 2600 BCE
Below: Lyre from Sumerian Royal Cemetery (Ur, Iraq), c. 2600 BCE
Standard of Ur (Ur), c. 2700 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)
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”.
Sumerian Innovations
• Wheel [from pottery wheel]• Cuneiform• Astronomers• Arithmetic base of 10 and 6• Clock of 60 seconds, minutes, 12 hours, 12 months• Military formations• Codified law /administration [govt]• Agriculture and irrigation• Wheat, barley, sheep, cattle
Head of an Akkadian ruler, from Nineveh
(modern Kuyunjik), Iraq, ca. 2250–
2200 BCE. Copper, 1’ 2 3/8” high.
use of a stele to commemorate a victory/ Sargon of Akkad and Naram Sin/ hierarchical proportion/ organization of
figures/ incorporating landscape
Head of an Akkadian ruler (Ninevah, Iraq), c. 2250-2200
BCE, copper
balance of naturalism and stylization/ introduction of cast sculpture/ Akkadian concept of
imperial power
Akkadian Innovations
• Given credit for the world’s first empire• Sargon of Akkad aka Nimrod• Multiethnic centrally ruled empire• Euphrates River to Mediterranean with
parts of modern-day Iran,Syria, Anatolia, and Arabian Peninsulas
• Continuation of Sumerian civilization and innovations
Right: Votive statue of Gudea, c.2120 BCE, diorite
The ensi Gudea/ image of piety for the god Ningirsu/ use of diorite
Top: Relief of Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions (Nimrud, Iraq)
c. 850 BCEBelow: Drawing of the citadel
and palace complex of Sargon II
(Khorsabad, Iraq)
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Assyrian Lamassu from the Citadel of Sargon II (Khorsabad, Iraq) c. 720
BCE
Reputation of the Assyrians/ royal citadel of Sargon II/ lamassu/
sculptor’s viewpoints
Lamassu (winged, human-headed bull)
R: from the citadel of Sargon II, Dur Sharrukin (modern
Khorsabad), Iraq, ca. 720–705 BCE. Limestone, 13’ 10” high.
L: from the palace of
Assurnasirpal II, modern Nimrud, Iraq,
883–859 BCE. Alabaster,
10’ 3 ½" high.
Assyrian archers pursuing enemies, relief from the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II, Kalhu (modern Nimrud), Iraq, ca. 875–860 BCE. Gypsum, 2’ 10 5/8”
high.
Assurbanipal and His Queen in the Garden, The Palace of Assurbanipal,
Nineveh (modern Kuyunjik), Iraq, ca. 647 BCE. Gypsum, 21” high.
Ashurbanipal hunting lions, relief from the North Palace of Ashurbanipal,
Nineveh (modern Kuyunjik), Iraq, ca. 645–640 BCE. Gypsum, 5’ 4” high.
Neo-Babylonian Period/ King Nebuchadnezzar/ Ishtar and Tammuz/ bulls, lions, and the mususu/
the “hanging gardens”
Ishtar Gate and throne room, Babylon, Iraq, ca. 575 BCE.
Reconstruction drawing of Babylon in the 6th century BCE.
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
Left: Layout of Persepolis Below: Bull Capital from the royal audience hall of the
palace of Artaxerxes II (Susa) c. 375 BCE
Processional frieze (detail) on the terrace of the apadana, Persepolis, Iran, ca. 521–465 BCE. Limestone, 8’ 4” high.
Darius and Xerxes Receiving Tribute, relief on the
stairway, Persepolis, Iran, ca. 521–465 BCE. Limestone, 8’
4” high.