Exam 1: Ancient Cultures Flashcards
Agency
Idea that by creating an image of something, you can gain some control over it. (Example: cave paintings of hunts)
Ritual
ceremony of possible religious importance (EX: in prehistoric culture, caves were sometimes viewed as passages into the underworld. These were the places of rituals connected to such a passage).
Archaeoastronomy
The study of how people in the past “have understood the phenomena in the sky, how they used these phenomena and what role the sky played in their cultures.” Ex. Stonehenge (giant calendar to predict solstices)
Ziggurat
Ziggurat: huge structure where gods were believed to dwell (shows a society where they control the people and do work—comes from Mesopotamian word for mountain) Ex. Ziggurat of Ur
Stele
a free standing stone, usually a monument Ex. Stele of Hammurabi (Babylon)
Relief
A three-dimensional work of art carved out of a flat background surface. Ex. Exile of the Israelites (from a palace in Assyria)
Epic
long narrative poem in elevated language, follows important characters in adventures which usually entail a visit to the world of the dead Ex. The Epic of Gilgamesh
Epithet
word or phrase that characterizes a person (Ex: Good King or Cunning Hero)
Hieratic Scale
More important individuals are portrayed as taller, larger than life. The tallest person in a work of art is the most important. Ex. The “Royal Standard of Ur” where king is larger than everyone else
Sphinx
Body of a lion, head of a man. Supposed to be a representation of the pharaoh Khafre. Largest statue made in the ancient world (defiled by a Muslim holy man… not Napoleon…) Ex. The Egyptian Sphinx
Polytheism
religious worship of more than one god Ex. the Greeks
Cult Statue
figure to be worshipped, big
Ex. Head of the goddess Inanna
Votive Statue
smaller statues of worshippers Ex. Eannatum
Pediment
the triangular structure under the roof Ex. on the Parthenon
Frieze
band of art (painted or sculpted) on wall or near ceiling
Naos
rare, classical temple. A central room in every temple, it is where the cult statue will be placed. (We do not need to know these)
Agora
central spot of action in Greek life and city states. A public meeting place, marketplace, and civic center
Acropolis
city center, hill for political discussion. Literally “Top of the City” the natural citadel of a Greek city that served as a fortification or religious center.
Symposium
gathering of men, initially for the purpose of sharing poetry, food, and wine
Invocation to the Muse
begins every epic, comparable to a prayer. The muses are goddesses of the arts. Help in telling the story and to tell it well. Ex: Odyssey- they invoke the muse, Memory, as they begin their story in medias res.
in medias res
a term meaning a story or epic starts in the middle of the story, not the beginning
Canon of Proportions
art with proportions based on a unit, such as a body part Ex. Mycerinus sculpture–one clenched fist is one “unit”
Protogeometric Pottery
Swirls, bands, simple designs and colors
Geometric Pottery
Lots of angled designs, busy with many registers, highly schematic human figures
Ex. Dipylon amphora → very large pot with open base. Painted with a depiction of a funeral of a woman.
Corinthian Pottery
Cream/buff background, black/red/purple and white colors, lots of animals and flowers, very busy patterns
Black Figure Pottery
Glossy black figures on red background, positive space painted, body type lean and long, minimal background in main registers.
Ex. Panathenaic games (The black dudes running), painter was Euphiletos
Red Figure Pottery
Negative space painted black, body type more naturally modeled
Key artists → Euxitheos and Euphronios
Megalth
“big stone” usually rough, used in monument or structure
Menhir
large, single upright stone, can be seen in groups or in isolation
Corbeling
creating walls/roofs by layering stones so they project inward over layer beneath
Post and Lintel
construction form of two upright members that support a horizontal member
Henge
Circular group of menhirs (Example: the famous Stonehenge)
Gods and Goddess - Ancient Mesopotamia
?
Re/ Rah
The creator, god of the sun (Re, a drop of golden sun)
Sobek
Crocodile God
Khnum
god of pottery
Osiris
god of the sun
Seth
god of storms/ confusion
Aten
provides for the people, creator of life
Isis
Goddess of magic, marriage, healing and protection
Gods and Goddesses - Greece
- Gaia: The earth (Mother of the Titans)
- Ouranos: The sky (Father of the Titans)
- Kronos: Titan, father of Zeus
- Zeus: Creator of mankind, lightning god
- Hera: Goddess of marriage, queen of heaven/gods, Zeus’ wife
- Muses: storytellers, goddesses of the arts, 9 daughters of Zeus invocation
Gaia
The earth (Mother of the Titans)
Ouranos
The sky (Father of the Titans)
Kronos
Titan, father of Zeus
Zeus
Creator of mankind, lightning god
Hera
Goddess of marriage, queen of heaven/gods, Zeus’ wife
Muses
storytellers, goddesses of the arts, 9 daughters of Zeus invocation
Muses
storytellers, goddesses of the arts, 9 daughters of Zeus invocation
Gods and Goddesses - Babylon/ Mesopotamia
- Marduk: Main god, convinced other gods to create Babylon
- Ea: God of wisdom and magic, created the human race
- Apsu: “Grandfather”, fresh water
- Tiamat: “the mother” of all the gods, salt water
- Qingu/Kingu: rebelled against Ea, was sacrificed and his blood was used to make mankind.
- Ishtar: Goddess of love and war, tried to seduce Gilgamesh, released the bull of heaven
Marduk
Main god, convinced other gods to create Babylon
Ea
God of wisdom and magic, created the human race
Apsu
“Grandfather”, fresh water
Tiamat
“the mother” of all the gods, salt water
Qingu/ Kingu
rebelled against Ea, was sacrificed and his blood was used to make mankind.
Ishtar
Goddess of love and war, tried to seduce Gilgamesh, released the bull of heaven
Mesopotamian Rulers
- Hammurabi
- Naram-Sin
Hammurabi
Babylonian king. Had a massive Stele. On this stele, there is a long list of rules, (known as the Code of Hammurabi) kind of similar to the ten commandments. These rules were pretty extreme in fashion. Rules dictated societal life and provided protections for both men and women. In “the stele of hammurabi” Shamash the sun god, gives hammurabi the code.
Naram-Sin
grandson of Sargon of Akkad, has a victory stele as he ruled at the empire’s height
Egyptian Rulers - Pharaohs
- Narmer
- Khafre
- Mycerinus
- Tutankhamen
- Akhenaten (Nefertiti)
Narmer
united upper and lower kingdom (palette of Narmer)
Khafre
has pyramid that is the second largest/tallest; he is the sphinx shown below with its nose blown off (also has a statue at valley temple of Giza - idealized anatomy0
Mycerinus
son of Khafre in famous sculpture
Tutankhamen
Akhenaten’s successor (King Tut)
Akhenaten (Nefertiti)
Tried to bring monotheistic Aten worship
Heinrich Schliemann
found Mycenae, discovered troy
Works - Prehistoric
- The Cave of the Bulls (Lascaux (France))
- Catal Huyuk (Turkey)
- Skara Brae (Scotland)
- Stonehenge (England)
Work - Mesopotamia
- Epic of Gilgamesh (Uruk)
- Standard of Ur
- Votice Statue of Eannatum
- Head of Akkadian Ruler: lost wax casting
- Victory Stele of Naram - Sin, Susa
- Ziggurat at Ur - Neo-Summerian
- Stele of Hammurabi, Susa : Babylon, God is passing the code to Hammurabi, one sitting down is more important (bc if he stands, he’ll be taller)
- Enuma Elish - Babylonian Creation Epic
The Steps of Lost Wax Casting (Mesopotamia)
- Make the wax figure
- Put clay around the figure
- Melt out the wax
- Heat up the bronze
- Pour in the bronze
- Break off the clay
Epic of Gilgamesh
- Uruk
Head of Akkadian Ruler
- Nineveh
- lost wax casting
Victory Stele of Naram-Sin
- Susa
Ziggurat at Ur
- Neo-Sumerian
Stele of Hammurabi
- Susa
- Babylon
- God is passing the code to Hammurabi, one sitting down is more important (b/c if he stands, he’ll be taller)
Enuma Elish
- Babylonian Creation Epic
Works - Egyptian
- Palette of Narmer
- Great Sphinx and pyramids, Giza
- Khafre: dude on the sphinx, and second largest pyramid
- Mycerinus and Khamerernebti
- Seated Scribe from Sakkara
- Tomb of Nebamun:fragments: composite views, see someone in profile, but torso is straight on, and the arms and heads profile-more lower class you are (look more normal)
- Nefertiti Bust
- Relief of Akhenaten and Nefertiti
- Akhenaten’s Hymn to the Aten
- Death Mask of Tutankhamen
Tomb of Nebamun
fragments: composite views, see someone in profile, but torso is straight on, and the arms and heads profile-more lower class you are (look more normal)
Works - Ancient Aegean
Cycladic figure- found in graves, just about featureless, longer faces and noses, mostly women
Works - Minoan (Crete)
- Palace of Minos at Knossos- myth: builds labyrinth in palace to hide minotaur, had plumbing, skylights (or light wells)
- Snake ‘goddess’- two snakes (sacred animals) and has a cat on her head
- Bull fresco- sacred animals, in fresco women are “white”, men are “dark reddish brown”
Palace of Minos at Knossos
myth: builds labyrinth in palace to hide minotaur, had plumbing, skylights (or light wells)
Snake ‘Goddess’
two snakes (sacred animals) and has a cat on her head
Bull Fresco
sacred animals, in fresco women are “white”, men are “dark reddish brown”
Works - Mycenean
- Funerary Mask- mask of “Atreus”, “Agamemnon” (we’re not exactly sure), treasure from “Treasury of Atreus”
- Citadel- fortified, stones cut to place together (like tetris)
- Beehive tomb (tholos) “Treasury of Atreus” tomb for royalty, corbeled vaults
Funerary Mask
mask of “Atreus”, “Agamemnon” (we’re not exactly sure), treasure from “Treasury of Atreus”
Citadel
fortified, stones cut to place together (like tetris)
Beehive Tomb (tholos)
“Treasury of Atreus” tomb for royalty, corbeled vaults
Works - Archaic Greek
- Homer, The Odyssey and The Iliad
- Hesiod, Theogony and Words and Days
- Thales
- Empedocles
- Anaxagoras
- Protogeometric neck Dipylon Vase (geometric)
- Euphiletos painter, Panathenaic games black figure ware amphora
- Priam painter, women at fountain house hydria
- Euxitheos and Euphronius, Sarpedon krater
- New York Kouros
- Anavysos Kouros
- Peplos Kore
- Acropolis Kore
Homer
The Odyssey and The Iliad
Hesoid
Theogony and Works and Days
Thales
1st Philosopher, Father of western philosophy - 1st to suggest that everything was made out of one common substance
Empedocles
Greek Philosopher; originated cosmogenic theory of the four classical elements and believed that the world works by combinations of love and strife that separate and combine these elements
Anaxagoras
Greek Philosopher; brought philosophy to Athens - suggested that one underlying intelligence controlled the universe, which is in a constant state of separation and mixture
Geometric neck Dipylon Vase
lots of angles now, people designed onto it, used to pour in sacrifices for the dead
Protogeometric
has swirls, zigzags, and bands on it. Plain and simple
Euphiletos painter, Panathenaic games black figure ware amphora
black figures on red background
Corinthian Ware
cream color, white, usually have animals or flower designs
Priam painter, women at fountain house hydria
look at picture
Euxitheos and Euphronius, Sarpedon krater, Red Figure Ware
- red figures on black background
- this vase depicts scene from the Illiad
New York Kouros
- Men
Anavysos Kouros
- Buffer Man
Peplos Kore
- Women
Acropolis Kore
- Fine Women
Zeus
God of the Sky
Poseidon
God of the Sea
Hades
God of the Dead
Hera
Goddess of Marriage
Athena
Goddess of Wisdom
Aphrodite
Goddess of Love
Apollo
God of music and healing (also known for archery skills)
Demeter
Goddess of the harvest
Hestia
Goddess of the hearth
Artemis
Goddess of the hunt, protector of women at childbirth
Ares
God of war
