Ancient Near East Flashcards
define “Agrarian Civilization”
This society’s economy is based on producing and maintaining crops and farmland.
Define the 9 characteristics of a civilization
1 - creation of permanent urban admin centers
2 - invention of basic political, social, and economic institutions
3 - a method of taxation
4 - division and specialization of labor
5 - external trade
6 - hierarchical system of classes
7 - development of arts and sciences
8 - creation of a complex religious life
7 - invention of written language for communication, record keeping, and transmission of culture.
Where was Mesopotamia Located?
Located on the plain between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, now Iraq. Civilization developed in the Fertile Crescent, benefiting from this agriculturally rich area.
What is considered the first civilization (4,000 to 2350 BCE)?
Sumer (near Iran and Saudi Arabia)
Who developed the first known written language?
The Sumerians. Early cities were organized around a central temple or shrine dedicated to a specific deity—gods of water, the moon, or the wind.
Define the cuneiform script.
Written on tablet using signs and symbols, carved/etched with a stylus. First used for administrative records
around 3500 BCE.
Define a “Ziggurat” and its architectural makeup
A highly raised Temple. High terraced
platforms of up to seven levels. Staircase at front, shrine on top.
Supposed to elevate temples to the gods, in the heavens. Shape represents the mountains the Sumerians came from.
Made with sun-dried bricks bonded with bitumen, reed matting, or rope, finished with a weather-resistant exterior layer of kiln-fired bricks.
What is “The Standing Male Worshipper” an example of?
It’s an example of a Votive figure. A Votive figure is a statue of a man or
woman that is offered
to a god or goddess at a
sacred place, such as a
temple, to gain favor
with the god/goddess.
What is “The Standard of Ur” theorized to have been used for?
A military standard held high on a pole during a battle to symbolize the army. Found in royal grave at Ur. Has wooden panels decorated with mosaic scenes of a military.
what are Cylinder Seals used for?
Cylinders carved on scribes in reverse, seal used as signature for agreements or deals.
What is a Stele?
A stele is a vertical stone monument or marker often inscribed with text or relief carving.
What are the differences between The two kings Steles?
HAMMURABI: Made of Basalt. Shows two figures. Depicted as king of justice, getting law from a god. Outside, withstanding the elements, durable.
NARAM-SIN: Made with pink limestone. Two monuments in one, two victories. Shows hierarchy and multiple figures.
what is the Gate of Ishtar?
A 23’ high gate with glazed brick and animals in gold relief, located in Babylon. Recreated/conserved in Pergamon Museum.
Who was Babylon rebuilt by and when?
Rebuilt by Nebuchadnezzar II, 612. to 560 BCE.
what is The Citadel Lamassu?
A lamassu is a protective hybrid monster with the bearded head of a mature mane, the crown of a god, and the winged body of either a bull or lion. They are massive. Each Lamassu is carved from a single slab of stone. Found as doorway sculptures in Neo-Assyrian palaces.
