Unit 2: Ancient Near East

“What you seek you shall never find. For when the Gods made man, they kept immortality to themselves. Fill your belly. Day and night make merry. Let Days be full of joy. Love the child who holds your hand. Let your wife delight in your embrace. For these alone are the concerns of man.”

― The Epic of Gilgamesh

How did people in Ancient Mesopotamian society view death and the afterlife?

They believed dying was one of the most important things in the cycle of life. They honored the afterlife and even admired death in a sense at times. They admired it so much so that their government was a theocracy, fully ruled by religious ideals and beliefs.

Culture and Dates

How to Understand Art — Know its Form, Function, Content, Context

1. CONTEXT: What was important to society at the time?

• Their art was primarily for religious or political purposes. Afterlife and politics were very important to the society during this time, most especially when people started documenting things in history.

1. FUNCTION: What was art generally made for?

• It was used to honor the afterlife and the gods and goddess in which they believed in. Some artworks were also used as laws for people to read in everyday life.

1. CONTENT: What were the types of common imagery – why?

• Human figures were common, figures began to get more realistic and lifelike at times.

1. FORM: What materials did artists use & how did they make their art?

• They often used stone and would carve into it to make sculptures or to write.

1. What was the “Neolithic Revolution”?

• This was the point in time where people went from hunter-gathers to farming villages. Civilizations became more technologically sophisticated.

1. What does “Mesopotamia” mean, and what modern day countries contain most of Mesopotamia?

• “The land between the rivers”, modern day Iraq and Kuwait

1. What was the first major civilization in Mesopotamia, and what was their leaders’ relationship to the gods?