Module 2 Pre-Classical Art

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. Identify art from the Near Eastern, Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations;
2. Cite characteristics of the pre-classical pottery, sculpture and architecture; and
3. Explain how politics and culture influenced pre-classical art.

PRESENTATION

Ancient Near Eastern Art

(3,500–1,600 BCE)

The history of Near Eastern cultures is complex, since various city-states rose
and fell from power and dominance over a long period of time. The earliest
peoples in recorded history to occupy the fertile Mesopotamian valley of the
lower Tigris and Euphrates rivers were the Sumerians who established the first
urban city-states. Notable among their achievements was the development of the
earliest script—a system of wedge-shaped (cuneiform, see right photo) signs or
marks pressed into clay tablets with the sharpened end of a reed. While writing
was developed to organize commercial and social life, the Sumerians also produced a
significant literature, the most important being the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Ziggurat to Moon Goddess Nanna

Ur (Neo-Sumerian), about 2,100 BCE
Sumerian society was not secular and city-states were “owned” by
the deity that town served. At least originally these city-states were
theocracies, that is, governed by a priest-bureaucracy. The towns
were dominated by shrines or temples. Often the temple is on a
man-made mountain (called a ziggurat) with stairs leading up to the
temple area on the top. The geographical conditions of
Mesopotamia did not favor the development of architecture since it
lacked stone and timber, which are essential building materials for
monumental architecture. Most buildings were probably made of
tall marsh reeds—highly perishable materials. The ziggurats and
temples, however, were made of mud brick (oblong bricks dried in
the sun). The temple was at the top of the ziggurat; its name means
literally “the waiting room” for the god. These structures were an
early attempt to bridge the gap between human beings and divinity.
The mountain is an important symbol in Mesopotamian religion,
representing the mysterious forces of life which bring rain and
fertility.

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Votive statues from Abu Temple
marble with shell and black limestone inlay
Sumerian, about 2700-2600 BCE, tallest figure about 30” tall
Many of the artifacts that survive from early Mesopotamian cultures
are religious in nature; a number of carved stone vases, for example,
have been excavated which probably had a ritual function. The
statues from the Abu Temple, unlike early Egyptian works which
memorialized important pharoahs, were ritual furniture for the
temple. The two largest figures are a god and goddess (designs on
the base have symbols relating to their divinity). The large eyes also
identify them as divine; the eye in many cultures has a mysterious
force (“the evil eye,” for example). The other figures in the
grouping are thought to be worshippers -- or stand-ins for
worshippers, believed to be offering prayers on behalf of human
beings.

Stele with law code of Hammurabi

Babylonian, about 1780 BCE
Basalt, 7’4” high
Another important development in Mesopotamian art is the stele, a
carved stone slab which commemorates historical events -- such as
the winning of a military victory or the building of a ziggurat.
Although a number of these survive, perhaps the most famous is this
example from Babylonian art. It depicts the ruler Hammurabi
receiving the law code from the god Shamash. It predates Moses’
receiving of the tablets at Sinai by about 500 years.

Shamash, the sun god, has flames at his shoulders, wears a horned
crown (the bull is a symbol of power in Mesopotamian religion),
and holds a ring and staff, which were also symbols of his divinity.
Hammurabi stand with his hand raised in obedience or prayer. The
scene takes place on a mountain top, represented by the triangles
under the god’s feet.

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 Minoan Art and Architecture
(3,000–1,400 BCE)

Although human beings inhabited Greece as early as the Neolithic age, the important
Aegean civilizations came to prominence in the second millennium BCE, well after the
advanced civilizations in the river valleys of Mesopotamia and Egypt.

The Minoan centers, located on the island of Crete and several surrounding islands in
the Aegean, were at the crossroads of the ancient Mediterranean. Thus, they prospered,
enjoying the natural defenses that the sea provided. The largest of the Minoan palaces is at
Knossos (according to legend the home of King Minos). The palace of Knossos reflects the
prosperity and comfort level of this early culture. The other arts tell us as well about the
values, religion, and life style of Minoan peoples.

Minoan Pottery

Minoan pottery, made with a potter's wheel, reflects their love of nature. Sometimes the pots
are in natural shapes. Note the beak and the eye of the first vase. Natural motifs also decorate
the bodies of the pots—fish, octopus, and leaves are often integrated with the shape of the
vase.

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 Minoan Statuettes
Unlike the sculpture of Egypt or
Mesopotamia, the surviving sculpture of
Minoan art is small; perhaps they
constructed larger works in wood which
have not survived. These small statuettes,
barely over a foot tall, are thought to
represent goddess figures. One figure holds
snakes and balances a feline creature on her
head, which is probably a way of
representing her control over the natural
world. Like the gods of many ancient
cultures, she is probably a fertility figure; she
is also another example of human beings
representing their gods in their own images.

Faience
Priestess with snakes
statuette

The Palace of Knossos, Crete

The palace of Knossos on the island of Crete is
the largest of the surviving Minoan palaces. On
a vast plain, it was surrounded by villas
belonging to officials of the court.

Note the central space in the layout of the

palace. This is the court around which the
rooms of the palace were organized. There
were official and ceremonial rooms as well as
separate royal residential rooms and servants'
quarters. The palace had three stories around
the central court and beautiful stairwells with
light and air wells to provide illumination and
ventilation.

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 Unlike palaces in the Near East which had
enormous public and ceremonial rooms, this
throne room is small and unpretentious. It too is
decorated with wall paintings.

The Queen had her own residential quarters

with an adjoining porch. The palace had an
underlying plumbing system of terra cotta pipes
and the Queen had her own bathroom with
toilet facilities (the small opening in the center
is to her bathroom). The dolphin frescoes again
reflect the Minoan love for the sea.

One entire area of the palace was comprised of

storerooms for wine, grain, and honey. These
storerooms reflect both Minoan prosperity and
their ability to plan for the future. The large
storage vases were excavated in place.

Unlike many palaces, this one has no defensive

walls. Perhaps the Minoans were secure in their
world (the sea did provide a natural defense),
but there is no archaeological evidence that
these peoples were war-like. The processional
way provides easy access to the palace.

The Toreador Fresco

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Many wall paintings have been discovered adorning the walls of Minoan palaces. Often these
depict scenes of daily life. This large example (about 3 feet high) may depict a Minoan
ceremony of bull-leaping. The energy of the human participants (females at the end painted
white and a male acrobat in the center) is strikingly represented while the charge of the bull is
suggested through his elongated body. The bull, a common fertility symbol in early cultures,
may have had ritual significance.

Mycenaean Architecture
(1600–1150 BCE)

The origins of Mycenaean culture are unclear, but these forerunners of the Greeks had
developed a distinct culture by about 1500 BCE on mainland Greece. This culture is called
Mycenaean after one of its principal citadels, Mycenae. Mycenaean remains have been
discovered at a number of locations, however. Mycenaean palace-forts contrast dramatically
with the open Minoan palaces and reveal the defensive and war-like nature of these
peoples. Tiryns, one of the Mycenaean citadels, was the legendary birthplace of Hercules,
one of the greatest of Greek heroes.

The plan of Tiryns shows the shrewd

intelligence of Mycenaean builders.
Enemies would have to attack the fortress
by marching up a long ramp constructed so
that the right side of the warriors would be
exposed. (A right handed warrior would
carry a sword in his right hand with his protective shield on the left.)
The walls of this fortress were about 20 feet wide as well and narrow
gates and vaulted passageways also provided good defense.
The lion gateway at the citadel of Mycenae illustrates the skill of
builders who constructed huge walls without the aid of cement or
mortar. Guardian animal figures are

SEATWORK
On your notebook, answer the following questions

1. What does cuneiform mean?

2. What does ziggurat literally mean?
3. Why is the mountain significant in Mesopotamian culture?
4. Describe Minoan pottery.
5. How does culture determine Minoan art? Explain.
6. What makes Mycenaean architecture ingenious—meaning resourceful or clever? Discuss.