3 sumer: A River Valley Civilization in Mesopotamia

THE NEOLITHIC IN THE NEAR EAST
Mesopotamia -- The Rise of Civilization: Sumer and Akkad
Historical Context for Understanding Ancient Near Eastern Art

   Civilization arose first in the Near East. It was here that hunting and gathering gave
        way to farming; that the first temples and cities were established; that the first metalworking
        and writing were developed; and that the first kingdoms and empires were founded. Why?
        One theory is that cooperation and social organization were necessary for the management
        of irrigation in Mesopotamia. Furthermore, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, major routes
        for trade and communication, facilitated contact with distant people, including their diverse
        materials, technologies, and ideas.

2)    The art of the region gives us clues about daily life and the economy. Imported precious goods,
        like lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, imply vast trade networks and wealth. The lack of many natural
        resources (stone, wood, metal) encouraged such trade and also a high level of skilled craftsmanship
        (in order to barter for raw materials). Cylinder seals and other art emphasize the central role of animals
        (both domestic and wild), the cultivation of barley, wheat, and dates, and the practices of hunting and
        fishing.

3)    The art reflects the spiritual life of the civilization, which was inextricably linked to political organization,
        including kingship. The existence of many gods, primarily related to natural forces, also reflects the
       decentralized nature of the cultures. All the art was created for a purpose, usually religious or political.
       Magico-religious beliefs are manifest in the amulets and talismans of the collection. They reflect the
        difficulty of survival in a harsh and often hostile environment.

4)    Permeable geographic boundaries made conflict almost inevitable in the region. Military themes are
        reflected in the art of almost all periods and are symbolized in the portrayal of conflict between animals,
        for example the bull and the lion. Technology, especially of metal, was harnessed for military purposes,
        e.g., helmets and horse trappings.

PART II

I.    

A. Geography of the Ancient Near East

• Four main geographic areas

              - Mesopotamia (Iraq)
              - Anatolia (Turkey)
              - Persia (Iran)
              - Levant/Palestine (Israel, Syria, Jordan)

• Tigris and Euphrates Rivers- The Fertile Crescent
• Marsh Arabs in southern Iraq

B.      The Neolithic:  pastoral village cultures

• Jericho- plastered skull - Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (circa 7500 B.C.)
  o Anatolian plain
  - Chatal Huyuk (c. 6250-5400 BC) wall paintings, shrines, figure
  o Fertility figures (some from Tell Halaf)

C. Early pottery (c. 5500-3000 BC ):  Hassuna Samarra, Halaf ,  Scarlet  ware

D. Tell Brak (northeastern Syria)  approx.3500-3100 BC

• Eye idols
• stone head

II. Sumer:  The Urban Revolution 
 A. Site of Uruk (c. 3500 BC on):  Biblical Erech, modern Warka: architecture
   o"Anu Ziggurat"
   o White Temple- tripartite plan, niches and buttresses
   o Stone cones ­ mosaic court, columns
 B. Development of writing:  cuneiform tablets, pictographs, tokens, Sumerian and Akkadian languages
 C. Seals:  stamps, cylinders, and amulets

D. Uruk:  art  

• Warka Vase and Trough
• Warka head
• Ruler or Priest figure
• Lion Hunt Stele
• Stone relief bowls
• Ewe and ram (baked clay)