Sumerian Art [3,500BCE to 2332BCE] (jan 1, 3500 BC – jan 1, 2332 BC)

Description:

The moment when humans first gave up the dangerous and uncertain life of a hunter and gatherer for a more predictable and stable life of a farmer and herder is called the Neolithic Revolution. This fundamental change in the nature of daily life first occurred in Mesopotamia.

Agriculture began around 3500 BC, which is where the city of Uruk was made. Another element of the Neolithic Revolution is the development of writing.

The Sumerian language is thought to be unrelated to any other language and the life in this period seems to be relatively uncertain. We can think of the difficulty of the lifestyle- building the city and depending on crops. The rivers are unreliable (droughts, floods). Furthermore, frequent invasions occurred due to the flooded lands and each city-state fought each other for dominance.

The relationship between God and the people illustrate the uncertainty in their lives. This is because their entire lives are dependent on the seasons. They believe that if God is pleased, the seasons would be better for them. god should not just be worshiped but appeased and fed. An enormous amount of food was brought to the gods. Thus, the Mesopotamians made the nucleus of their city-states the Ziggurat.

This time period was also the first time that artists presented narratives in the form of registers.


Notable Art Pieces:
1. White Temple, Uruk (Ziggurat)
2. Inanna (marble head of the goddess)
3. Votive statuary (stand-ins for nobles placed at the ziggurats)
4. Warka vase (a vase that depicts the act of offering to the goddess Inanna herself)
5. Stele of The Vultures (commemorating the victory of a king)
6. Standard of Ur (wooden box inlaid with expensive materials, war vs peace side)
7. Bull-headed harp
8. Clay cylinder seals (like a signature that was rolled onto clay)

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