IV. Ancient Mesopotamia The Cradle of Civilization Periods of Art History I: from Prehistory to Trajan Plan of the Lesson 1. Introduction: the politics and culture of Mesopotamia 2. The earliest art in Uruk: ziggurats, sculpture 3. Votive sculptures of Eshnunna, Nippur and Mari 4. The Royal Tombs of Ur and its treasures Essential principles of cohesion 1. Strict social hierarchy 2. Religion 3. Written culture and trade Deed of sale of a slave and a house at Shuruppak, c. 2,500 BCE Musée du Louvre, Paris Proto-cuneiform tablet recording the allocation of beer, c. 3100-3000 BC, British Museum Part of a clay tablet, neo-Assyrian, ca. 600 BCE, Epic of Gilgamesh, tablet 11, story of the Flood, British Museum, London Epos of Gilgamesh In Akkadian language, Oldest existing version c. 2000 BCE King Gilgamesh lived c. 2700 BCE Possible representation of Gilgamesh as Master of Animals, in an Assyrian palace relief (713–706 BC), from DurSharrukin, Musée du Louvre "Master of the Animals" stamp seals, Tepe Giyan, Iran, 5000-4000 BCE Master of animals, Susa I (4200-3800 BC), Louvre Master of the Animals Hero (Gilgamesh?) master of animals, from the Shara temple, Tell Agrab, Iraq, early Dynastic period, ca. 2,600–2,370 BCE National Museum of Iraq, Baghdad Gebel el-Arak knife, hippopotamus ivory, silex, Egypt, Naqada II d period, ca. 3,300–3,200 BCE Musée du Louvre, Paris Seal carved in raw steatite and then burned to harden the mineral from 2,500 to 1,900 BCE Mohenjo-daro Indus valley Master of the Animals: civilisation vs. the untamed world URUK Anu Ziggurat and White Temple at Uruk Ziggurat of Uruk, 3d reconstruction, c. 4000 BCE Wall cone mosaic of the White Temple in Uruk, c. 3500-2800 BCE, Mesopotamia, Iraq. Great Ziggurat of Ur Mask of Warka, or “Lady of Uruk”, 3200–3000 BC, National Museum of Iraq Warka Vase, c. 3200– 3000 BC. National Museum of Iraq Standing male worshiper, Mesopotamia, Eshnunna (Tell Asmar), gypsum alabaster, shell, black limestone, bitumen, 29.5 x 12.9 x 10 cm, ca. 2,900–2,600 BCE Standing worshipers, Mesopotamia, Eshnunna (Tell Asmar), gypsum alabaster, shell, black limestone, bitumen, 29.5 x 12.9 x 10 cm, ca. 2,900–2,600 BCE, National Iraq Museum, Baghdad Silver and copper feet vase of Enmetena, Iraq, ca. 2400 BCE Standing worshiper, Mesopotamia, Nippur, limestone, inlaid with shell and lapis lazuli 25.2 x 8.5 x 5.2 cm, ca. 2,600–2,500 BCE, Metropolitan Museum, New York “dul, Ebih-il, nu-banda, Ištar Nita, sarig” “This statue, Ebih-il, the overseer, to Ishtar (?), he dedicated.” Seated worshipper from Mari, temple of Ishtar (Syria), alabaster, lapis lazuli, shells, bitumen, proto cuneiform inscriptions, 52,5 x 20,6 x 30 cm ca. 2,450 BCE, Musée du Louvre, Paris Seated worshipper from Mari, temple of Ishtar (Syria), alabaster, lapis lazuli, shells, bitumen, proto cuneiform inscriptions, 52,5 x 20,6 x 30 cm ca. 2,450 BCE, Musée du Louvre, Paris Lapis Lazuli Main source for over 6000 years: Sar-e Sang mines in North-eastern Afghanistan Royal Tombs of Ur, c. 2600-2500 BCE Queen Puabi’s funerary ensemble, found at Ur. Gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian, silver, and agate, Sumerian, Early Dynastic period, c.2500 BC. Statue of a Ram in a Thicket, from Ur (Iraq), gold, silver, lapis lazuli, shells, 42,5 x 18 x 27 cm Standard of Ur, Royal Cemetery, Ur, ca. 2,600 BCE, shell, limestone, lapis lazuli, bitumen, 21,7 x 50,4 x 11,6 (base) – 5,6 (top) cm British Museum, London Inlay, shells, black bitumen paste, from the Royal Cemetery, Ur (Iraq), 4,4 x 4,4 cm, c. 2,600 BCE / British Museum, London Lyre fragments with bull head and shell inlay plaques, Ur (Iraq), Royal Cemetery, gold, shell, lapis lazuli, bitumen, ca. 2,450 BCE, Penn Museum, Philadelphia Death in Ancient Mesopotamia •Netherworld: shadowy counterpart of life •No punishment or reward afterlife •Immortality: fame through earthly deeds •Death: transformation into a spirit Boundary stone (called Kudurru), limestone, detail of scorpion-man next to the goddess Guda, from Sippar (Abu Habba, Iraq), 64 x 21 x 18 cm, 1,125–1,104 BCE British Museum, London