Prehistory, Far East, and Egypt Flashcards
ID - Spotted Horses & Negative Hand Imprints
Paleolithic Period & Culture
ID - Rhino, Man, Bison
Paleolithic Period & Culture
ID - Stonehenge
Neolithic Period & Culture
ID - Votive Statuettes from Square Temple
Sumerian, 2700 BCE
ID - Venus of Willendorf
Paleolithic Period & Culture
ID - Ziggurat at Ur
Neo-Sumerian, 2100 BCE
ID - Victory Stele of Naram-Sin
Akkadian, 2254-2218 BCE
ID - Stele of Hammurabi
Babylonian, 1780 BCE
ID - Palette of King Narmer
Egyptian, Pre/Early Dynastic Period
ID - Step Pyramid of King Zoser
Imhotep, Pre/Early Dynastic Period
ID - The Great Pyramids at Gizeh
Egyptian, Old Kingdom
ID - The Sphinx
Egyptian, Old Kingdom
ID - Akhenaten (Akhenaton) Pillar Statue
Egyptian, Armana Period (New Kingdom)
ID - Queen Nefertiti (Beautiful One is Here)
Egyptian, Armana Period (New Kingdom)
ID - Akhenaton, Nefertiti & 3 Daughters
Egyptian, Armana Period (New Kingdom)
ID - Tutankhamen, Death Mask
Egyptian, Post-Armana Period (New Kingdom)
What does the Venus of Willendorf represent?
The idea of a female in Paleolithic culture.
What is a fetish statuette?
An inanimate object that is revered because it is believed to have magical powers.
What was the original theory of prehistoric stylistic development and how did the Chauvet cave paintings affect it?
Less naturalistic –> More naturalistic. The Chauvet paintings are the oldest known cave paintings but also the most naturalistic.
What is the function of “Rhino, Man, & Bison”? Symbolic or pictoral and why?
Symbolic function, because it is a narrative. Content over form.
What does abstraction of images correspond with?
Abstract ideas/concepts.
What was the Mesolithic Period?
A transitional period between the Paleolithic and Neolithics Periods.
What is Post & Lintel construction?
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Define megalith, monolith, and megalithic culture.
Megalith: Great stones, Monolith: One large stone, Megalithic Culture: Neolithic Culture (builds large, permanent works of architecture)
True/False: Prehistoric art was intentional.
True
Define representation.
The presenting again (in different and substitute form) of something observed.
What is the difference between culture and society?
Society has an infrastructure with a shared culture. Culture is values and ideas.
What were the three new inventions of the Sumerians?
City-states (specialization of labor; theocracy), Man-God relations (established direction of skyward worship), Cuneiform writing
What concepts were introduced in the “Victory Stele of Naram-Sin”?
Hierarchies & Royal Power (unswerving loyalty of citizens to the king).
What ‘firsts’ are present in the “Stele of Hammurabi”?
First unified code of laws and first representation of a god in human form.
What new element did the Assyrians bring to art?
Observation of movement in space.
What is the hollow cast method?
Core of clay –> wax layer with vents –> clay layer –> heated to remove wax –> filled with molten metal
Definite animism.
The belief that even “inanimate” objects have spirits.
Define pantheism.
The belief that nature and god are the same thing.
What is the purpose of votive statuettes?
Constant prayer on the behalf of their donors (large open eyes = windows to the soul).
What are pictographs?
Picture writing.
What were ziggurats for?
“Waiting rooms” for god to appear.
What is a theocracy?
Society ruled by gods/priests.
What is theocratic socialism?
Society controlled by gods/priests; no division between church and state whatsoever.
Where is Mesopotamia and what is it often called?
Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. Nicknamed the “cradle of civilization”.
What new concept was invented by the Akkadians?
Royal power.
What new concept was invented by the Babylonians?
A unified code of laws.
Where is the Near East?
Egypt –> Iraq. Commonly referred to as the “Middle East” in popular culture.
What are the two most important facts about the Palette of King Narmer?
It establishes a canon of proportions & is a historical record of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.
True/False: Upper Egypt is further north than Lower Egypt.
False.
What is a mastaba?
The first type of Egyptian tomb. Means “bench” in Arabic.
What is the Egyptian culture often called?
The Cult of the Dead.
Who was the first artist/architect of recorded history and what did they create?
Imhotep created the “Stepped Pyramid of King Zoser”.
Define necropolis.
City of the dead.
What concept did pyramids represent?
The sun. They pointed up towards the sun and were aligned towards Heliopolis (sun city).
What two functions did pyramids serve?
Protected tombs and signified god-like power through sheer size.
What does the Sphinx represent?
The Sphinx is a hieroglyph that means ‘the King has departed’.
What purpose does a sculpture in a tomb serve?
A back-up container for the Ka/spirit of the deceased.
What is a rock-cut tomb?
The final type of tomb in Egypt. Hollowed out of mountains.
What is significant about the architecture of the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut?
Terraced colonnades made up of pillars.
What happened to Queen Hatshepsut?
Condemnation of memory: a judgement that the person must not be remembered.
What are the two theories behind the depictions of Akhenaton?
Physical anomaly or androygnous imagery.
When was Tutankhamen’s tomb discovered and by whom?
1922 by Howard Carter.
When was King Tut born?
1341 BCE in Armana.
What is an ideogram?
A picture that represents an idea.
What is the order of development of Egyptian tombs?
Mastaba –> Step Pyramid –> Great Pyramid –> Rock-Cut Tomb
What is the difference between conceptual and perceptual art?
Perceptual focuses on the depiction while conceptual focuses on the thought.
What did the Egyptians believe was eternal & unchanging?
The gods and anything relating to the gods, therefore also the King and anything relating to the King.
