Exam 1 Flashcards
relief sculpture
three-dimensional image whose flat background is carved away to a certain depth, setting off the image
abstract
of art that does not attempt to describe the appearance of visible forms but rather to transform them into stylized patters or to alter them in conformity to ideals
megalithic architecture
use of large stones in prehistoric architecture
post-and-lintel construction
construction in which two uprights-the posts-support a horizontal element-the lintel
henge
circle of stones or posts, often surrounded by a ditch with built-up embankments
stele
stone slab placed vertically and decorated with inscriptions or reliefs
hierarchical scale
use of different sizes to indicate relative importance
Naram-Sin
Akkadian ruler
Hammurabi
king of Amorites that made Babylon the capital of early mesopotamia
cuneiform
early form of writing with wedge-shaped marks impressed into wet clay with a stylus
stylus
instrument with a pointed end used for writing in early mesopotamia
votive figures
image created as a devotional offering to a deity
Gudea
ruler of Lagash
sarcophagus
stone coffin
representational conventions
Egyptians followed a set of fairly strict conventions based on conceptual principles rather than on observation of the natural world
sunken relief
three dimensional image whose image is carved below the original surface of the background
heb sed
festival that renewed and reaffirmed a king’s divine power
mastaba
flat-topped, one story structure with slanted walls built over an ancient egyptian underground tomb, most common tomb structures for upper class
necropolis
large cemetery of burial area, “city of the dead”
Imhotep
first architect in history to be identified, Djoser’s prime minister
Pyramid construction
workers transported stone blocks by muscle, using small logs as rollers, or pouring water on mud to create a slippery surface to drag the blocks on sleds
khafre
fourth dynasty king, best preserved funerary complex
King Menkaure
fourth dynasty king
Hatshepsut
one of few women that ruled Egypt, daughter of Thutmose I, married her half-brother, declared herself king once he died
colonnade
row of columns, supporting a straight lintel or a series of arches
Akhenaten
originally called Amenhotep IV, radically transformed the political, spiritual, and cultural life of Egypt
Amarna style
reign of Akhenaten led to radical style in royal artistic conventions, used stylizations and physical distortions
Nefertiti
wife of Akhenaten
buon fresco
water based pigments applied to wet plaster
Cyclades
Bronze Age cultures that flourished across the Aegean on a cluster of small islands
faience
type of ceramic with colorful, opaque glazes that form a smooth, impermeable surface, first developed in Ancient Egypt
rhytons
vessels in the shape of a figure or an animal, used for pouring or drinking liquids on special occasions
megaron
main hall of a Mycenaean palace or grand house
shaft graves
vertical pits 20-25 ft deep used for burial
tholos
small, round bulding, sometimes built underground
corbel-vaulted tomb
conical in shape like a beehive, covered in by earthen mound
ziggurat
in ancient Mesopotamia, a tall stepped tower of earthen materials, often supporting a shrine
memory image
mental image of something previously experienced
