Open Textbook: Guide to Ancient Near Eastern Art

Guide to Ancient Near Eastern Art

Ruth Ezra

Beth Harris

Steven Zucker

Copyright Year: 2019

Publisher: Smarthistory

Language: English

Table of Contents

Part I. Sumerian

• 1. Sumer, an introduction
• 2. White Temple and ziggurat, Uruk
• 3. Archaeological reconstructions
• 4. A precious artifact from Sumer, the Warka Vase
• 5. Standing Male Worshipper (Tell Asmar)
• 6. Perforated Relief of Ur-Nanshe
• 7. Signing with a cylinder seal
• 8. War, peace, and the Standard of Ur

Part II. Akkadian

• 9. Akkad, an introduction
• 10. Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

Part III. Neo-Sumerian/Ur III

• 11. Seated Gudea holding temple plan
• 12. King Ur-Nammu's Ziggurat of Ur

Part IV. Babylonian

• 13. Visiting Babylon today
• 14. Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi
• 15. Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi
• 16. The Ishtar Gate and Neo-Babylonian art
• 17. Ishtar Gate and Neo-Babylonian art
• 18. Kassite art: Unfinished Kudurru

Part V. Assyrian

• 19. Assyria, an introduction
• 20. Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II
• 21. Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions

Part VI. Persian

• 22. Ancient Persia, an introduction
• 23. Capital of a column from the audience hall of the palace of Darius I, Susa
• 24. Persepolis: The Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes

About the Book

This book contains all of Smarthistory’s content for Sumerian, Akkadian, Neo-Sumerian / Ur III, Babylonian, Assyrian and Persian art.

About the Contributors

Editors

Ruth Ezra is a doctoral candidate at Harvard University, where she specializes in the art of late-medieval and Renaissance Europe. Upon completion of her BA at Williams College, she studied in the UK on a Marshall Scholarship, earning an MPhil in history and philosophy of science from the University of Cambridge and an MA in history of art from the Courtauld Institute. A committed educator, Ruth has recently served as a Gallery Lecturer at both the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the National Galleries of Scotland, as well as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard.

Beth Harris is co-founder and executive director of Smarthistory. Previously, she was dean of art and history at Khan Academy and director of digital learning at The Museum of Modern Art, where she started MoMA Courses Online and co-produced educational videos, websites and apps. Before joining MoMA, Beth was Associate Professor of art history and director of distance learning at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she taught both online and in the classroom. She has co-authored, with Dr. Steven Zucker, numerous articles on the future of education and the future of museums, topics she regularly addresses at conferences around the world. She received her Master’s degree from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, and her doctorate in Art History from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Steven Zucker is co-founder and executive director of Smarthistory. Previously, Steven was dean of art and history at Khan Academy. He was also chair of history of art and design at Pratt Institute where he strengthened enrollment and lead the renewal of curriculum across the Institute. Before that, he was dean of the School of Graduate Studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology, SUNY and chair of their art history department. He has taught at The School of Visual Arts, Hunter College, and at The Museum of Modern Art. Dr. Zucker is a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has co-authored, with Dr. Beth Harris, numerous articles on the future of education and the future of museums, topics he regularly addresses at conferences around the world. Dr. Zucker received his Ph.D. from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.