The Ancient Near East

1
The Ancient Near East

• From the Neolithic c. 9000 B.C. through the
  Scythians, ca. 400 B.C., including Mesopotamia,
  Anatolia, ancient Iran, and Ancient Russia and
  the Ukraine

2
Introduction to the Ancient Near East

• People first invented writing here (record
  keeping, literature, epic poetry (Gilgamesh),
  history, religious texts, economic records, law.

3
Map of the Ancient NE
4
Neolithic plastered skull from Jericho

• C. 7000 B.C.
• Neolithic cultures developed 4000 yrs. Earlier
  here than in Europe

5
Neolithic plastered skull from Jericho

• Jericho one of worlds oldest fortified sites, c.
  8-7,000 B.C. surrounded by a ditch and walls up
  to 12 thick and a tower 30 high
• Mud brick buildings on stone including houses and
  public buildings, some plastered and painted.
• Corpses buried under floors. Skulls detached and
  plastered over with features of the deceased.

6
Trephination of Skull from Jericho

• Just for fun, if you like
• http//www.uic.edu/classes/osci/osci590/6_2Trephin
  ation.htm

7
Çatal Hüyük, 6500-5500 B.C.

• In central Anatolia, now Turkey.
• One of best developed cultures. Agriculture and
  trade well established, stoneware and ceramics
  made.
• Town planned without streets, houses shared walls
  and had rooftop entrances for defense. Interiors
  had built-in benches of clay, skeletons buried
  under floors and benches. Some skeletons coated
  with red ochre, necks and heads of others
  decorated with blue and green pigments. Jewelry
  and weapons were buried with them.

8
Çatal Hüyük, Anatolia, Turkey

• Level VI reconstruction drawing

9
Çatal Hüyük, Anatolia, Turkey

• Level VI-Shrine reconstruction drawing

10
Çatal Hüyük, Anatolia, Turkey

• Level VI-Shrine reconstruction drawing
• Some rooms were thought to have been shrines.
• Decorated with gods and goddesses in human form
  standing with sacred animals. Goddess shown with
  leopards. Male deity associated with the bull.
• Painted murals also found depicting an erupting
  volcano, leopards, and other abstract figures.

11
Çatal Hüyük, Anatolia, Turkey

• Goddess giving birth
• Baked clay, 8 high
• (head and cat head at right are reconstructed)

12
Mesopotamia

• In modern Iraq. Mesopotamia from Greek mesos
  meaning middle and potamos meaning river.
  Mesopotamia is situated in the middle of the
  Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This constant
  source of water and fertile plain (after
  irrigation)ensured crops and fertility, however
  climate was harsh and southern area unprotected
  by geography so open to invasion, but also trade.
• Temples with four corners to cardinal compass
  points. Temples dedicated to patron deities
  (polytheistic religion). Some were decorated with
  cone mosaics.

13
Uruk, Cone Mosaics
14
Uruk, Cone Mosaics

• Composed of thousands of clay cones dipped in
  pigments. Added structural support to the mud
  walls as well as decoration

15
Uruk, Ziggurats

• The ziggurat is a uniquely Mesopotamian
  architectural form. The name is derived from an
  Assyrian word meaning raised up or high.
• People thought of the ziggurats as holy mountains
  to act as a transitional divine place linking
  heaven and earth, man to god.
• Ziggurats are load bearing constructions. Wide
  bases have to support all the weight of levels
  above. Massive walls with few or no openings in
  them. Solid, stepped structures tapering towards
  top.
• Earliest surviving ziggurat dates from 3500-3000
  B.C.

16
Uruk, Ziggurats

• The White Temple, solid clay reinforced with
  brick and asphalt. Pottery jars embedded into
  walls, rims creating a pattern of white circles.
• This ziggurat supported a shrine, the White
  Temple accessible by a stairway. Like the
  ziggurat the temple also was oriented toward the
  four cardinal compass points. Temple dedicated
  to sky god, Anu.
• It is believed only the god-ruler could climb all
  the way to the top of the ziggurat and that there
  he received divine inspiration for his ruler ship.

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Uruk, Ziggurats, The White Temple, 3500-3000 B.C.
18
Uruk, Ziggurats, White Temple
19
Uruk, Ziggurats, White Temple plan
20
Uruk Period

• Rise of city-states, earliest known writing
  developed, epic poetry, I.e., the Epic of
  Gilgamesh

• "Why should I not flee through the land?
• Enkidu, my friend, my little brother,
• Who chased the panther of the desert,
• My friend who with me killed lions
• My friend who faced with me all difficulties
• His fate has overtaken him
• Six days and six nights I have wept over him
• Then was I afraid of death, and I fled through
  the land
• My friend whom I loved has become like unto mud
• And I...
• Must I too lay down like him and never rise
  again?"
• From the Library of Ashurbanipal of Nineveh

21

• Statue of Gilgamesh from Sumer

22
Uruk Period

• Stone vessel
• Depicts bulls and wheat, symbols of fertility
• Forms are stylized with naturalistic details as
  seen in the heads of the bulls

23
Uruk

• Snake Vessel
• Depicts a large coiled snake with stylized
  patterning, eating a frog. A lion stands below
  left.

24
Uruk

• A Mesopotamian Ruler
• Again, the form is highly stylized and the figure
  has Abu type eyes indicated the figure is in
  the presence of divinity
• Groups of such sculptures together show
  hierarchical proportions, the most important
  figures being larger than others

25
Sumer
26
Ur, Lyre Sound box from tomb of Queen Puabi

• Ur is a Sumerian site.
• This lyre comes from the Royal Cemetery. In
  mass graves were found chariots, harps,
  sculptures, headdresses, jewelry, and bodies of
  people ritually killed to accompany the royal
  family into the afterlife.

27
Ur, Lyre Sound box from tomb of Queen Puabi

• This lyre indicates presence of music and fine
  craftsmanship (note shell inlay, gold work, lapis
  lazuli on prev. slide bulls beard)
• To hear an example of what music from Mesopotamia
  may have sounded like
• http//www.upenn.edu/museum/Zine/ninkasisdanceloud
  .wav

28
Ur, Lyre Sound box from tomb of Queen Puabi

• Inlay from front of sound box
• Anthropomorphism is present-animals with human
  characteristics. Some of the animals stand
  upright, there are also human and animal combined
  forms (see fig. 3.15 in your textthe scorpion
  man)
• Artistic convention at this time places figures
  on a ground line in a flat space.

29
Akkad

• Akkadians lived north of Sumer and ruled all of
  Mesopotamia as an Empire with city-states.
• Akkadian language primarily spoken. Akkadian
  gods merge with Sumerian gods.
• Rulers attain a godlike status.

30
Akkad

• Sargon I bronze, 12 h.
• Sargon I was founder of Akkadian dynasty and
  ruled over 50 yrs from c.l 2332 to 2279 B.C.
• This sculpture created using lost-wax bronze
  casting method.
• Again, there is stylization in the beard and
  hair, yet naturalistic modeling of cheeks, nose,
  lips etc.

31
Neo-Sumerian, Lagash

• Akkadians conquered by the Gutti, a northern
  mountain people from the northeast. After about
  a 60 yr. Reign only one city state flourished.
  Lagash ruled by Gudea who built several temples.
• Gudea seen as divine, a link between the gods and
  man.

32
Neo-Sumerian, Ziggurat at Ur
gate
shrine
stairways
33
Ziggurat at Ur

• More complex than previous ziggurat.
• 3 stages constructed around mud brick core,
  exterior faced with baked brick placed in
  bitumen.
• Shrine on top level accessible by short stair on
  n.e. side. 3 long stairways provide access from
  ground to vertical gate, ea. 100 steps. Walls
  bulge slightly as they lean inwards at top to
  help reduce rigidity. Mesopotamian preference
  for rounded shapes carried into architecture.
• Process of construction recorded in the Stele of
  Ur-Nammu (see next slide)

34
Stele of Ur-Nammu (fragment)

• Ur-Nammu commissioned this commemorative stele
  for the construction of the Ziggurat at Ur.
• Stele carved in low relief (see fig. 3.21 for a
  more complete view)

35
Babylon

• Foreign invaders cause the return of independent
  city-states. Frequent rise and fall of different
  cultural groups. Amorites from Arabia
  established their capital at Babylon.
• Old Babylonian Period (c.1830-1550 B.C.)
• Hammurabi best known king for his Law Code
  depicted on next 2 slides.
• Old Babylonian period ends due to invasion of
  Hittites from Anatolia (Turkey).

36
Law Code of Hammurabi

• 300 statutes written in Akkadian in 51 cuneiform
  columns.
• Purpose was to protect the weak from the strong,
  yet it maintained class distinctions. Lower
  classes more severely punished for crimes.
• Basically the law supported an eye for an eye
  punishment for crime.

37
Law Code of Hammurabi

• Top of stele depicts Hammurabi receiving law from
  the sun god, Shamash who is enthroned on symbolic
  mountain.
• Shamash wears horned cap of divinity, holds ring
  and rod of divine power and justice. Rays
  emanate from shoulders.
• Typical composite view, frontal torso, profile
  head and legs. Hierarchical order evident in
  Shamashs larger size.

38
Anatolia The Hittites

• Capital city was Boghazköy in central Turkey.
• Also kept cuneiform records stored on shelves,
  systematically catalogued and labeled like a
  library. Cultural and artistic achievements
  fairly well documented.
• No tomb art as bodies were cremated. Many
  temples, monumental palaces, cities, and massive
  fortified walls decorated with reliefs were
  found. There is a predominance of fortifications
  in citadels and palaces.l

39
Citadel at Hattusas, Lion Gate
40
Hittite Rock cut tomb(?) at Yazilikaya

• Although this image was labeled a tomb on the
  internet, scholars I know working in Turkey
  assume this was an outdoor sanctuary. The low
  relief sculptural frieze runs in-between the
  walls as well and the gods and armies are
  frequent images.

41
Assyria

• Northern Assyrian city-state, Ashur, next
  unifying force in Mesopotamia. A prominent,
  fortified city.
• Communicated with Egypt, borrowed much from
  Babylon in terms of culture.
• King Assurnasirpal II (reigned 883-859 B.C.)led a
  great military force and was known for his
  cruelty. Decapitated heads of enemies were made
  into a pillar, he covered city walls with their
  skins. He also maintained a great library which
  included Mesopotamian epics of creation and flood.

42
Detail from King Assurnasirpal II Hunting Lions,
c. 883-859 B.C.
43
Detail from King Assurnasirpal II Hunting Lions,
c. 883-859 B.C.

• Scene is fraught with dynamism and force.
• Opposing diagonals in the composition create
  tension and movement.
• Assurnasirpal stands at back of chariot aiming
  bow and arrow at a rearing lion. Kings
  dominance over lion is symbolic to his dominance
  over all his enemies.
• Low relief sculpture includes incised line and
  accentuation of muscular tension.

44
Sargon IIs Palace Complex

• Murals, reliefs, etc. decorated the palace
  chambers. Great Lamassu (bull and human-like a
  minotaur) guarded the entrance to the throne
  room.
• Greatly fortified with thick walls.
• Ziggurat differed from others in Mesopotamia in
  having elaborate surface movement created by
  repeated recesses in the walls and crenellations
  at the top.
• With the importance of the palace structure
  rising, the importance of the ziggurats declined.

45
Sargon IIs Palace complex
46
Entrance to the Throne Room with Lamassu
47
Close-up of Lamassu

• 14 high, carved limestone in high relief.
• 5 legs to complete front and profile views.
  Confronts approaching visitors and simultaneously
  seems to stride by them.
• Combination of naturalism in musculature and
  surface stylization of texture and pattern
• Wears crown of divinity, suggesting this figure
  is a spiritual entity.

48
Det. Head of Lamassu
49
Neo-Babylonian Empire (612-539 B.C.)

• Nebuchadnezzar restored some of Babylons former
  splendor.
• He commissioned architectural monuments including
  a ziggurat to the god Marduk, thought to be the
  Tower of Babel mentioned in the Bible.
• He also built the Ishtar
• Gate (next slides) one of
• 8 gateways on processional
• route through the city

50
Ishtar Gate reconstruction drwg.

• Round arches used (stronger as weight is carried
  to vertical supports)
• Dedicated to goddess of fertility, love, and war.
• Bricks glazed and placed in repeating patterns of
  dragons and bulls, molded in relief.

51
Ishtar Gate reconstructed, Staatlich Museum,
Berlin
52
Ishtar Gate reconstructed, Staatlich Museum,
Berlin
53
Achaemenid Persia (539-331 B.C.)

• King Cyrus the Great founder of this largest
  empire in the world. Zoroastrian religion based
  on two forces light and dark. Rituals held
  outdoors so no temples exist. Most elaborate
  structures were palaces.

54
Palace of Persepolis

• City of Persians. Begun by Darius I in 520
  B.C. and completed by his two later successors.
• Palace built on stone platform 40 high and
  consisted of multi-columned buildings. Access to
  the platform was long a double stairway leading
  to the main gate which was known as All Lands.
• Most important structure was the Apadana or
  Audience Hall. This and Throne Room were huge
  squares giving out onto open verandas. 100 Tall
  columns of wood covered with painted plaster 40
  high were used and they show influence of Egypt
  and Greece.
• Painted reliefs were of solemn tribute bearers,
  not war.

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Palace of Persepolis
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Palace of Persepolis, Apadana
57
Palace of Persepolis, Apadana central stair
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Palace of Persepolis, Apadana columns