Mesopotamian 4

Question 1

Ur III Period

Answer 1

Neo-Sumerian revival lasting approximately 100 years - 2112-2004. Urnamma is the first ruler. Brings back Sumerian language, idea of king as builder; conquests were economic and less military. Fell to the Elamites.

Question 2

Darband I Gawr

Answer 2

2100, Kurdistan. Same iconographical features as Naram Sin, but instead of horned crown, woolen cap. Control over life and death - stepping on dead enemies. Claim onto the landscape. But why so isolated? Viewership questions.

Question 3

Urnamma Stele

Answer 3

2112-2095, Ur (?). Ur III. Limestone. Revival of old depiction of king as builder. Different from Akkadian dynasty. Laying down the bricks.

Question 4

Urnamma deposits

Answer 4

2112-2095, Nippur, Ur III. Figure of arsenical copper. Underneath the foundation, tablets, beads, figures, all with an apotropaic quality. Questions of viewership and performativity.

Question 5

Foundation Lions

Answer 5

2200-2100 (just copper alloy) and 2300 (copper and marble). Apotropaic foundation figure. Different animals too.

Question 6

Urnamma foundation figures

Answer 6

2112-2095, Nippur, Ur III. Some with lower body as peg. Made specifically to be buried. Viewership, performativity.

Question 7

Ziggurat (Urnamma)

Answer 7

2112-2095, Ur, Ur III. Stamps on bricks allow absolute chronology. Dedicated to Nannar. Built in a sacred area. Lower part, 50 ft, survives. 8 feet thick walls.

Question 8

Ur III Temenos

Answer 8

Lots of large structures. Monumental gates, storage area, open courtyard. A “Great Gate.” The temple of Giparu is also placed in the area. The tombs are at the lower right corner of the precinct.

Question 9

Looting

Answer 9

Statues were found in Susa as they were taken as war booty in the Elamite sack of 1158. Inscriptions were erased; new ones put in. Looting = abduction. Destruction of figure harms the memory of the individual

Question 10

Salmu

Answer 10

Uncanny double of figure created through ceremony - needed dress, food. Ceremony of the substitute king.

Question 11

Puzur-Ishtar, governor of Mari

Answer 11

2000, Babylon, Ur III, diorite. Taken by Hammurabi. Salmu statue. The inscription gives identity. Cross between Ur III and Hammurabi style. Emphatic carving of hands, collarbone, etc. Headdress has horns, suggesting that he is divine. Very decorative beard like Hammurabi. Very finely carved.

Question 12

Queen Napirasu

Answer 12

14th century B.C., Susa, Elamite, Bronze and copper. Two layers - solid so more difficult to remove (over 3000 pounds). Material apotropaic. Curse.

Question 13

Isin Larsa period

Answer 13

Period of about 200 years after the end of the Ur III period where cities battle for dominance. Hammurabi eventually unites everything together for the Old Babylonian period.

Question 14

Diorite head of a king (possibly Hammurabi)

Answer 14

1800-1700, Susa, Old Babylonian. Distinctive features of age such as heavy lids, sunken cheeks - the wise king. Was this the way of portraying the ideal wise king, or naturalism? Eyebrows in a chevron pattern, and neat knobby beard show that there are stylized elements as well.

Question 15

Codex Hammurabi

Answer 15

1760, Susa, Old Babylonian, Basalt. First publicly accessible monument of the law. 300 laws on the front and back. On the top we have Shamash enthroned wearing a multi-tiered gown. His throne is temple shaped, with his right shoulder exposed. Horned crown and weapons emerge from his shoulders. Hands the ring and rod, symbols of authority to Hammurabi, who is shown with a woolen cap; hands in gesture of prayer; does not look divine. Enters the space of the god. Hierarchical sizing differences betw the two. Shamash is the god of sun, justice, and law. Because he rises above everything, can see everything. At the front, a section was erased by Elamites. The inscription does not cover all aspects of law – non comprehensive codex with 300 specific cases covering legal decisions made by Ham, showing him as the king of justice. Written in archaizing script, giving him the authority of the anceints. Calligraphically well-planned. Designed as a whole. The text is part of the visual effect.

Question 16

Palace of Zimrilim

Answer 16

Mari, Uruk IV with construction til 2000. Large and luxurious. Palace had 300 or more rooms, walls at 30 ft, 14 feet thick walls, heavily buttressed pre-planned rectangle. Rooms surround two central courtyards. Conquered by Hammurabi in 1761

Question 17

Investiture of Zimrilim fresco

Answer 17

ca. 1800, Mari. Ishtar stepping on her lion, wearing battle gear. Out of her shoulders are weapons. She holds a sword, and rod and ring of authority, which she gives to the king. Zim with interceding gods. In the lower register, there is a god holding a jug of water that is flowing. These were painted in red, white, black. Skin color was reddish with brown wash. There’s some surrounding scenes of hybrid animals like griffins, as well as two trees. There are people fertilizing date palms. Composition is hierarchical. Mixed profile for Ishtar but the Lamma goddesses are in true profile.Outer border has a fringe which reminds of textile. Ishtar has lots of kuzbu but is also very powerful.

Question 18

Water Goddess from Mari

Answer 18

1900-1800, Palace of Zimrilim, marble, Syria. Similar to frescoed goddess with the jug of water. Predates the rule of Zimrilin by generation or two but he kept it in the palace. Made of limestone. 3d in frontal. Feels like a slab. Rectangular skirt with horizontal indentations. Chest has a crisscrossed band and the skirt is striated and wavy, indicating streams of water. There are also fish at the front of the skirt. Feet are peeping out and placed on base. She wears a thick beaded choker and a pair of horns. Inlaid eyes. Jar is opened and was a fountain – water came from it. As can see in back, there are pipes; took water from tank and spread to jar. Remarkable technical feat.

Question 19

Inscribed liver model

Answer 19

1800, Terracotta, Mari. Practiced divination based on liver and entrail readings – sacrificed animals. Seen as signs from Shamash the son god. The baru priests would interpret this from scholarly system of omen interpretation. Made clay models of animals’ livers and subdivided them into and subdivided them into these grids and that would help them kow what a liver looks like and what it means, etc. The omens were present and future omens, which means that you have an omen that can be interpreted for present and future situations

Question 20

Ishtup Ilum

Answer 20

2100-2000, Mari. Ishtup is earlier than Puzur-Ishtar with blocky massive muscles, heavy hands, inscription on arm . Found at platform in palace - ancestor worship?

Question 21

Stele of Dadusha of Eshnunna

Answer 21

1790-80, Granite, Tell Asmar. Images and text; text is on the side and back. Top register is a male trampling the body of a defeated warrior. Somebody standing by this person with a gesture of prayer. Gods overlooking the scene. Underneath, there is a groundplan of a citadel where the battle takes place. Below, warriors with captured enemies. The text is an ekphrasis of the scene on front, which is a first – no ekphrasis before. Above the wall Bunu-Ishtar (combo god). Text says that the monument is awesome and superior and worthy of praise.

Question 22

Old Babylonian ruler statue

Answer 22

1900-1800, Susa, diorite. Taken to Susa in 1158. They erased old inscription and made new one. Head missing but braids remain. Very massive statue reminiscent of Ur III style. Large, wears a necklace and has one arm covered. However the beard’s design is different from Ur III stuff.

Question 23

Old Assyrian king (Shamshi Adad?)

Answer 23

1800, Ashur. Body and head found separately, he doesn’t wear a horned crown or a wooly cap but actually a diadem, he has some distinctive features of Assyrian kings and he is comparable to the statue of Idi-Ilum of Mari because they were contemporaries but the statues are stylistically different.

Question 24

Mountain God Relief

Answer 24

1900-1800, Ashur well, limestone. At some point this was broken and thrown into a well. It is an early example of architectural sculpture, waist down he has a scaly mountain panel. He is feeding goats, source of life. Little water goddesses at side, one interpretation is that they are tigris and euphrates.

Question 25

Burney Relief

Answer 25

2000-1800, unprovenanced.Symmetrical and well balanced composition. Frontal nude female with a winged of a predator bird. Traces of paint and inlaid eyes. Black, red and white patterns, she stands on two lions with her talons for feet. Arms are upraised and holding emblems of power.

Question 26

Early second millennium terra cotta plaques

Answer 26

Southern Meso. Mass produced art for the people exists by 2nd mil. Left plaque shows Goddess, mold made plaque. Image on right show couple in embrace. Offering for marriage? Woman drinks beer in straw during sex. Couple on bed in birds eye view. Two musicians publically entertaining. Also humbaba a monster whose face looks like the entrails of sheep.

Question 27

Terracotta Woman

Answer 27

1900-1800. Example of generic type. Woman not a Goddess, just a votive statue of rich motherfucker. Originally painted, modest dress, jewelry, band at forehead. Large eyes and nose and small mouth, salmu, would have been donated to temple.

Question 28

Enannatumma

Answer 28

1950-35, Ur, Isin-Larsa Period. Entu priestess, princess, daughter of Ishme Dagan of Isin during the Isin-Larsa period. Given to Ningal. Archaizing style, fit into Ur III period. Compact form, lower body and feet carved into a platform. Gudea like/old fashioned.

Question 29

Bronze and gold votive of Lu-Nanna

Answer 29

1792-1750. Old Babylonian. Right hand is at mouth in gesture of respect. Eyes are inlaid, face and hands were overlaid with gold. Inscription on base. Dedication to God for giving him life and the life of Hamu. Inscription tells us how it was made and what it is made out of. Provides a description of the work. Technique of ekphrasis begins around this time. The relief shows him kneeling in front of enthroned figure with fleeced garment and turban. Self referential image, meta picture. The opposite side of the base has a sacrificial lamb reminding us of the act of votive sacrifice. The dude was a courtier of Hamu. Materials had significant powers.

Question 30

Lama goddess

Answer 30

1900-1700, Bronze, Ur. Interceding goddess as depicted in Zinrilim reliefs.

Question 31

Agate Eye bead of Hammurabi

Answer 31

1792-1750. Agate is layered with colors. Utilizing banding to rep specific things like eyes. Had it just by itself – didn’t put in anything. Could be used as votive object.

Question 32

Mastiff votive of Sumu-ilum

Answer 32

1894-66, Larsa, stone. Hunting dog that holds a votive libation based offering on his back. Dogs are common votive objects. Sumu-ilum – the 7th king of Larsa

Question 33

Rimsin of Larsa

Answer 33

1822-1763, bronze, from Uruk. Last examples of foundational pegs imitated builder king images. However, it looks like a feminized deity. Archaic form. Rimsin and Hammurabi contemporaries