Ancient Mesopotamia & Persia Flashcards
Glossary of Terms
hierarchic scale
The use of differences in size to indicate relative importance.
pictograph
A highly stylized and simplified depiction serving as a symbol for a person or object.
cuneiform writing
An early form of writing with wedge-shaped marks impressed into wet clay with a stylus; used primarily by ancient Mesopotamians.
stylus
A special writing tool for cuneiform writing with one pointed end and one triangular wedge end.
ziggurat
In Mesopotamia, a tall stepped pyramidal structure of earthen materials, often supporting a shrine.
alabaster
A soft, fine, translucent, white stone.
registers
A device used in systems of spatial definition. In sculpture, the placement of self-contained bands of reliefs in a vertical arrangement. In painting, a register indicates the use of differing ground lines to differentiate layers of space within an image.
votive figure
An image created as a devotional offering to a god or other deity.
convention
A traditional way of representing forms.
cylinder seal
A small cylindrical stone decorated with incised patterns. When rolled across soft clay or wax, the resulting raised pattern or design (relief) served as an identifying signature.
veneer
In decorative arts, a thin exterior layer of finer material (such as rare wood, ivory, metal, and semiprecious stones) laid over less valuable material. In architecture, the exterior facing of a building, often in decorative patterns of fine stone or brick.
rosette
A round or oval ornament resembling a rose.
palmette
A fan-shaped petal design used as decoration on the surface of an object or wall.
