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AP Art History > Unit 2: Ancient Mediterranean: 3,500 BCE - 300CE > Flashcards

Unit 2: Ancient Mediterranean: 3,500 BCE - 300CE Flashcards

1
Q

cuneiform

A

wedge-shaped characters used in ancient writing systems of Mesopotamia, Persia, and Ugarit, surviving on clay tablets

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2
Q

ziggurat (ancient Mesopotamia)

A

rectangular shaped tower, often mounted by a temple

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3
Q

cella

A

inner area of an ancient temple

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4
Q

Anu

A

a supreme deity of Mesopotamia, god of the sky

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5
Q

Inanna

A

Sumerian goddess of love, beauty, sex, desire, fertility, war, combat, political power

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6
Q

city-state

A

city with surrounding territory forming an independent state

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7
Q

votive offering

A

objects displayed in a sacred place for religious purposes without intention of recovery or use

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8
Q

citadel

A

fortress on high ground, protecting/dominating a city

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9
Q

pharaoh

A

ancient Egyptian kings

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10
Q

palatte

A

thin board or slab in which colours or cosmetics are mixed

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11
Q

pharaonic mortuary temples

A

temples adjacent to royal Egyptian tombs, designed to commemorate the pharaoh and for use of the pharaoh’s cult

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12
Q

papyrus scroll

A

material made from papyrus reed used by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans for writing/painting

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13
Q

papyrus reed motifs

A

common in Egyptian art, seen in tombs and temples

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14
Q

colonnade

A

row of columns supporting a roof, an entablature, or arcade

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15
Q

Lamassu

A

Assyrian protective deity, depicted as having human head, ox/lion body, bird’s wings

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16
Q

sunken reliefs

A

sculptural relief in which outlines are incised in a plane surface

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17
Q

acropolis (art)

A

fortified hilltop in an ancient Greek city

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18
Q

agora (art)

A

public open space in ancient Greece used for assemblies and markets

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19
Q

Amarna Style

A

art from the reign of Akhenaton with a more relaxed style

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20
Q

Ankh

A

Egyptian symbol of good luck and eternal life

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21
Q

amphora

A

ancient Greek two-handled jar used for storage purposes, usually wine or oil

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22
Q

apadana (art)

A

great audience hall in ancient Persian palaces

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23
Q

architrave

A

main beam resting on tops of columns

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24
Q

atrium

A

formal entrance of ancient Roman house, open to the sky at the centre and featuring a pool for collection of rain water

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25
axial plane
plan in which parts of building are organized against an axis
26
base
lower part of column or pier
27
barrel vault
simplest form of vault, unbroken series of arches forming a tunnel-like shape
28
basilica
semicircular secular buildings used as law courts and markets, for public assemblies
29
bust
sculpture depicting person's head, neck, and part of the chest
30
bent-axis approach
processional pathway up a temple, shape of an angular spiral, needs to turn to see the temple reliefs
31
coffer
sunken panel in ceilings, often square/rectangular and ornamental
32
capital
top part of a column
33
caryatid
sculpted female figure serving as building column
34
atlantid
building column shaped like a male figure
35
clerestory
row of windows in the upper part of a wall
36
composite figure
twist of body in representation, profile with feet, legs, hips and head turning to the side but torso forward
37
continuous narrative
work of art that contains several scenes of the same story painted/sculpted in single frame
38
contrapposto
asymmetrical arrangement of human figure where weight rests on one leg
39
Corinthian Order
base, fluted column, elaborate and decorated capital
40
cubiculum
private room in ancient Roman, high-status house
41
Doric Order
simplest order, unadorned columns with no base
42
encaustic
painting technique where pigment is mixed with was and applied to hot surface
43
entablature
continuous lintel on a classical building supported by columns or wall, holds the architrave, frieze, cornice
44
facade
front of building
45
foreshortening
visual effect where an objected is shortened and turned deeper to give the effect of receding
46
forum
public meeting place in Rome
47
fresco
painting done on fresh, wet plaster with water-based paints
48
funerary
embellishments added to resting place of the dead, meant to be seen after funeral ceremonies
49
groin vault
vault formed when two barrel vaults meet at right angles
50
ground line
painted or carved baseline in which figures seem to stand
51
hierarchy of scale
pictural convention where important figures are represented in a larger size
52
idealism
encourages art to realize a standard of perfection
53
Ionic Order
fluted column shaft, capitals with spiral volutes, large base
54
in situ
in its original place
55
Ka
ancient Egypt word for immortal human life force (soul)
56
krater
large, ancient Greek bowl used for mixing water and wine
57
kouros (m)/kore (f)
free-standing nude males/clothed maidens
58
keystone
centre stone of arch, holds others in place
59
lapis lazuli
bright blue rock used for colour, decoration, and jewellery
60
Mustaba
large rectangular structure used as tomb in ancient Egypt
61
metope
panel between the triglyphs, often sculpted in relief
62
necropolis
large, elaborate cemetery with tomb monuments
63
naturalism
style and theory or representation based on accurate depiction of detail
64
oculus
round opening at the centre of a dome
65
pediment
triangular upper part of the front of a Classical building
66
peplos
garment worn by ancient Greek women
67
peristyle
continuous porch formed by row of columns surrounding the perimetre of a building or courtyard
68
portico
entrance to a building with a covered and columned area
69
pylon
wide entrance of an Egyptian temple characterized by sloping wall
70
frieze
narrow band of sculpture that runs along the architrave of a building
71
register
horizontal bands that tell a narrative story
72
shaft
main support of a column or pier
73
stele
standing stone slab used in the ancient world as a grave marker, dedication, commemoration, and demarcation
74
stucco
fine plaster made of cement, sand, and lime for covering exterior walls of buildings
75
stoa
open building with roof supported by a row of columns parallel to the back wall
76
stylobate
uppermost course of the platform of a Greek temple
77
surrogate
literalist art object invokes customs of personal manners and civil reciprocity
78
tesserae
small piece of stone, glass, or other object pieced together with others to form a mosaic
79
triglyph
triple grooved member of frieze that alternates with metopes
80
Tuscan Order
Roman order of smooth columns that sit on simple bases with no carves on the frieze or capitals
81
vault
curved ceiling made of arches
82
verism
realistic style of Roman art that highlights imperfections of the face to emphasize old age and gravitas
83
volute
spiral, scroll like form characteristic of Greek Ionic and Roman Composite capital forms
84
wet drapery
cloth that appears to cling to the body in animated folds while revealing the contours of the form beneath

AP Art History (4 decks)

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