Artistic culture of the interfluve. Presentation on the discipline "art" on the topic "ancient Mesopotamia" Features of the artistic culture of Mesopotamia presentation

Block Width px

Copy this code and paste it on your website

Slides captions:

Artistic Culture of the Ancient World Art of Mesopotamia

Ancient civilizations known to science arose 4 thousand years BC. e. This is first of all Ancient East - Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Assyria, Egypt.

The fertile plain of the Tigris and Euphrates began to be called Mesopotamia ("mesos" - middle, "potamos" - river, Greek), which means Mesopotamia. On the modern map you do not have this name. Today here is the Arab state of Iraq with the capital Baghdad.

Historical stages of development of Mesopotamia
IV millennium BC. e.- the time of the collapse of the primitive communal system.
III millennium BC. uh. - formation of the Sumero-Akkadian kingdom.
- 27th-25th centuries BC e. - the rise of the Sumerian city-states.
- 24th-23rd centuries BC e. - power passes to the city of Mesopotamia - Akkad.
- 23-21st centuries BC e. - new strengthening of the Sumerian cities of Ur and Lagash.

II millennium BC. e.

II millennium BC. e.- Rise of Babylon. 19th-12th centuries BC e. - Unification of Mesopotamia under the rule of Babylon.
I millennium BC uh.:
- 9th-7th centuries. BC e. - strengthening the power of Assyria, who defeated Babylon.
- 7th-6th centuries. BC e. - a new rise of Babylon, the Neo-Babylonian kingdom.
- 536 BC e. - Conquest of Babylon by Cyrus, king of Iran.
- 4th-2nd centuries. to i. e. - Domination of the Greco-Macedonian conquerors in Mesopotamia.

Achievements of the peoples of Mesopotamia

knew the exact time;
they knew how to orient the walls of cities and towers to 4 cardinal points, accurately aligning the horizontal lines of the foundations;
erected the world's first "skyscrapers" (the Tower of Babel);
connected the Tigris and Euphrates shipping channels;
compiled solar and lunar calendars;
laid the foundations of medical knowledge;
set up a 7-day system;
at the beginning of the III millennium BC. e. the first numerical symbols appeared (they knew how to use amazingly large numbers).
invented writing, which made it possible to read the history of ancient Mesopotamia.

Religious and mythological representations of the peoples of Mesopotamia Ebih-il figurine from Mari. Alabaster. Middle of III millennium BC e. Paris, Louvre

Adorant figurines (from Latin adore - “to worship”) depict praying people. They had to address the gods (on behalf of the one whom this statuette depicted) and assure them of their devotion.

Literature and writing of ancient Mesopotamia

creation of the first cuneiform books (the world's first library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal);
Mesopotamian literature includes epic poems, fairy tales, collections of proverbs, author's works;
The oldest epic poem is the Epic of Gilgamesh.

The relief depicting this mythical hero of Mesopotamia is now kept in Paris in the Louvre. Culture of the Sumero-Akkadian kingdom

The Sumerians had many gods. A temple was built for each of the gods. The oldest known Sumerian temples are dedicated to the goddess Inanna (Ishtar) and the god Anu. These are the "white temple" and the "red temple" in Uruk, named after the color of the walls.

The head of the goddess from the "white temple" in Uruk. Marble. III millennium BC e. Baghdad, Iraqi Museum Portrait head of Sargon the Ancient. Copper. XXIII-XXII centuries BC e. Baghdad, Iraqi Museum One of the best examples of Akkadian sculpture is the victory stele of King Naram-Sin. In the III millennium BC. e. in the kingdom of Sumer and Akkad, the main type of temple architecture of Mesopotamia developed - ziggurat.

A ziggurat is a stepped temple tower, consisting of several trapezoidal platforms decreasing upwards, made of raw brick. At the top is a sanctuary; on the facade - three steep stairs.

The main directions of the Sumerian-Akkadian culture:

1) cult , in which a special type of temple architecture is formed - ziggurat and temple paraphernalia associated with it appears - odorants.
2) secular manifested itself primarily in decorative and applied arts (glyptic - the art of carving on precious and semiprecious stones) and in sculpture (dedicatory steles depicting the exploits of kings and portrait statues of rulers).

Assyro-Babylonian culture

Babylon reached its heyday under the reign of Hammurabi, one of the greatest politicians of antiquity.
The time of Hammurabi left an amazing monument of art - a diorite pillar, decorated with reliefs - a cuneiform code of laws. Hammurabi's code of laws covered all aspects of Babylonian society, both religious and civil.

Stele of Hammurabi from Susa. Diorite. 18th century BC e. Berlin, State Museum It was not a cult like in Sumer but secular. Here

Assyrian art was performed pathos of strength, glorified the power, victories and conquests of the rulers. It was not a cult like in Sumer but secular. Here mainly palaces were built.
The main achievement of the Babylonian and, accordingly, Assyrian architects is the invention of the arch and vault.(subsequently they were the basis of all building art ancient rome and medieval Europe).

In Assyria, a new type of city appeared - a city-fortress with a single layout. The architecture of such a city is based on a brick wall. The city planning is characterized by the following features:

1) the presence of a citadel; it contains a palace and a temple (the citadel is a fortified part of the city);
2) the location of the citadel near the wall;
3) the rectangular shape of the fortifications.

Shedu from the palace of Sargon II at Dur-Sharrukin. Sandstone. 18th century BC e. Berlin, State Museum Features of the Assyro-Babylonian culture

The development of Assyro-Babylonian culture is dominated not by a cult, but by a secular line. This was manifested in the construction of magnificent cities with luxurious temples and palaces decorated with reliefs. Art was intended to glorify the victories and wealth of rulers, to perpetuate the names of kings.

slide 1

slide 2

slide 3

slide 4

slide 5

slide 6

Slide 7

Slide 8

Slide 9

Slide 10

slide 11

The presentation on the topic "Culture of Ancient Mesopotamia" can be downloaded absolutely free of charge on our website. Subject of the project: MHK. Colorful slides and illustrations will help you keep your classmates or audience interested. To view the content, use the player, or if you want to download the report, click on the appropriate text under the player. The presentation contains 11 slide(s).

Presentation slides

slide 1

Culture of Ancient Mesopotamia

slide 2

slide 3

This people, who appeared in the south of Mesopotamia in the middle of the 3rd millennium BC from nowhere, is now called the “progenitor of modern civilization” But until the middle of the 19th century, no one even suspected about him not linguists, perhaps we would never have known about Sumer... For centuries, the minds of scientists and theologians have been amazed by Mesopotamian texts, which are a reworking of Sumerian texts. …

Sumerians - "black-headed"

slide 4

Discovery of Sumerian culture

The features of the cultural development of ancient civilizations that arose in the basins of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Western Asia became known at the beginning of the 19th century after the sensational discoveries of the French consul Paul - Emile Botta. He discovered in one of the Arab villages reliefs depicting strange animals that once adorned the Assyrian royal Ashurbanipal Palace

slide 5

Mystery of the Sumerians

Over the past century and a half, on the site of Sumerian cities, archaeologists have discovered thousands of texts and illustrations on astronomy, mathematics A large fragment of a tablet with mathematical exercises, dated 1700 BC, contains geometric shapes with mathematical equations in Akkadian

slide 6

The secret of the Sumerians - -unofficial version

In the state structure, this people had all the attributes of a modern developed state: a jury, a bicameral parliament system consisting of elected deputies, civil councils (an analogue of self-government committees) Their culture is characterized by amazing musical achievements, they were fond of dancing chemistry, pharmaceuticals, astronomy and many branches of modern mathematics)

Slide 7

The Secret of the Sumerians - unofficial version

Among them - in fundamental mathematics, calculating the areas of complex figures, extracting roots, solving equations with two and three unknowns, the so-called golden proportions and Fibonacci numbers. used with the advent of computer technology Sumerian texts contain information about the origin, development and structure of the solar system, including a list and characteristics of the planets ...

Slide 8

Mystery of the Sumerians unofficial version

Developed weaving and textile industry Progressive efficient Agriculture could be an example for similar modern industries A highly developed religion, amazing temples ... All this is Sumeria, located in the southern part of modern Iraq on the territory of ancient Mesopotamia

Slide 9

The Secret of the Sumerians (unofficial version)

Many generations of scientists struggled with the mystery of this civilization that appeared before the time, but there were more than enough mysteries ... What is Sumeria? A brilliant nation that appeared, like the misunderstood Leonardo da Vinci in Italy, prematurely on planet Earth or ...?

Slide 10

Try to explain the slide in your own words, add additional Interesting Facts, you don’t just need to read the information from the slides, the audience can read it themselves.

No need to overload your project slides with text blocks, more illustrations and a minimum of text will better convey information and attract attention. Only the key information should be on the slide, the rest is better to tell the audience orally.

The text must be well readable, otherwise the audience will not be able to see the information provided, will be greatly distracted from the story, trying to make out at least something, or completely lose all interest. To do this, you need to choose the right font, taking into account where and how the presentation will be broadcast, and also choose the right combination of background and text.

It is important to rehearse your report, think over how you will greet the audience, what you will say first, how you will finish the presentation. All comes with experience.

Choose the right outfit, because. The speaker's clothing also plays a big role in the perception of his speech.

Try to speak confidently, fluently and coherently.

Try to enjoy the performance so you can be more relaxed and less anxious.

slide 1

Mesopotamia lat. Mesopotamia - "Mesopotamia"

slide 2

Mesopotamia is the country where the oldest civilization in the world arose, which lasted approx. 25 centuries, from the time of the creation of writing and ending with the conquest of Babylon by the Persians in 539 BC.

slide 3

slide 4

This country, separated from the rest of Asia Minor by barely passable deserts, began to be settled around the 6th millennium BC. e. During the VI-IV millennia, the tribes that settled here lived extremely poorly: barley, sown on a narrow strip of land between swamps and a scorched desert and irrigated by unregulated and uneven floods, brought small and unstable crops. Sowing was better on lands that were irrigated by canals diverted from the small Diyala River, a tributary of the Tigris. Only in the middle of the IV millennium BC. e. separate groups of communities coped with the creation of rational drainage and irrigation systems in the Euphrates basin.

slide 5

Inhabitants of Mesopotamia

slide 6

Slide 7

Religion. The religion of Mesopotamia in all its major moments was created by the Sumerians. Over time, the Akkadian names of the gods began to replace the Sumerian ones, and the personifications of the elements gave way to star deities. Local gods could also lead the pantheon of a particular region, as happened with Marduk in Babylon or Ashur in the Assyrian capital. But the religious system as a whole, the view of the world and the changes taking place in it differed little from the initial ideas of the Sumerians. None of the Mesopotamian deities was the exclusive source of power, none had supreme power. The fullness of power belonged to the assembly of the gods, who, according to tradition, elected the leader and approved all important decisions. Nothing was set forever or taken for granted. But the instability of the cosmos led to intrigues among the gods, and therefore promised danger and gave rise to anxiety among mortals.

Slide 8

Slide 9

Economy. The economy of Mesopotamia was determined natural conditions region. fertile soils the valleys gave rich harvests. The South specialized in date palm cultivation. The vast pastures of the nearby mountains made it possible to keep large herds of sheep and goats. On the other hand, the country felt a shortage of stone, metal, wood, raw materials for the manufacture of dyes and other vital necessary materials. The surplus of some goods and the lack of others led to the development of trade relations.

Slide 10

At the same time, there was always the possibility that events would turn into better side if the person behaves correctly. The temple tower (ziggurat) was the place where the celestials stayed. She symbolized the human desire to establish a connection between heaven and earth. As a rule, the inhabitants of Mesopotamia relied little on the goodwill of the gods. They tried to propitiate them by performing increasingly complex rites.

slide 11

slide 12

Writing and science. The supreme authority of law was a characteristic feature of the Mesopotamian historical period and may even have preceded it, but the effectiveness legislative activity associated with the use of written evidence and documents. There is reason to believe that the invention of writing by the ancient Sumerians was led primarily by concern for private and communal rights. Already the earliest texts known to us testify to the need to fix everything, whether it be objects necessary for a temple exchange, or gifts intended for a deity. Such documents were certified by an imprint of a cylinder seal.

slide 13

The most ancient writing was pictographic, and its signs depicted objects of the surrounding world - animals, plants, etc. The signs formed groups, each of which, consisting, for example, of images of animals, plants or objects, was composed in a certain sequence. Over time, the lists acquired the character of a kind of reference book on zoology, botany, mineralogy, etc. Since the Sumerian contribution to the development of the local civilization was perceived as very significant, and after the establishment of the Akkadian dynasty, colloquial Sumerian became of little use, the Akkadians did everything in their power to preserve the Sumerian language. Efforts in this direction did not stop with the fall of the Third Dynasty of Ur and continued into Amorite times. As a result, word lists, numerous Sumero-Akkadian dictionaries, and grammar studies were created.

Slide 14

slide 15

There were many other cultural phenomena that were systematized thanks to writing. Among them, a special place is occupied by omens, through which people tried to know their future through various signs, such as the shape of the liver of a sacrificed sheep or the location of the stars. The list of omens helped the priest to predict the consequences of certain phenomena. Compilation of lists of the most common legal terms and formulas was also widespread. In mathematics and astronomy, the ancient Mesopotamians also made significant advances. According to modern scholars, the system of Egyptian mathematics was crude and primitive compared to the Babylonian; it is believed that even Greek mathematics learned much from the achievements of earlier Mesopotamian. A highly developed area was the so-called. "Chaldean (i.e. Babylonian) astronomy".

slide 16

CULTURE Saterial culture. Ceramics gradually improved in terms of manufacturing techniques, variety of shapes and ornaments, this can be traced from the ancient Jarmo culture through other prehistoric cultures up to the emergence of a single technology for the production of stone and metal vessels. Now it is impossible to say what important discoveries in the field of ceramics were brought to Mesopotamia from outside. A significant development was the introduction of the closed kiln, which allowed the craftsman to achieve a higher temperature and more easily control it, and as a result to obtain dishes of high quality in shape and finish. Such ovens were first discovered at Tepe Gavre, north of present-day Mosul. In the same settlement, the oldest known samples of carefully made seals-stamps were found.

Slide 17

Slide 18

Slide 19

Mesopotamia created the oldest known structures of monumental architecture in the north - in Tepe Gavre, in the south - in Eridu. About high technical level this time can be judged by the aqueduct in Jervan, approx. 50 km, through which water entered Nineveh. Mesopotamian craftsmen brought metal work to the level of high art. This can be judged by items made of precious metals, remarkable samples of which, dating back to the early dynastic period, were found in burials in Ur, and a silver vase of the Lagash ruler Entemena is also known.

Slide 20

Sculpture in Mesopotamia reached a high level of development even in prehistoric times. Cylinder seals with indented images are known, and rolling them on clay made it possible to obtain convex impressions. Reliefs on the Naram-Suen stela, carefully executed portrait sculptures of the ruler of Lagash Gudea and other monuments are examples of a large form of the ancient era. Mesopotamian sculpture reached its highest development in the 1st millennium BC. in Assyria, when colossal figures and exquisite reliefs were created with images of animals, in particular, galloping horses, wild donkeys struck by hunters, and dying lionesses. In the same period, magnificent reliefs depicting individual episodes of hostilities were sculpted.

slide 21

slide 22

slide 23

Little is known about the development of painting. Murals could not survive due to moisture and soil conditions, but surviving examples from various eras show that this type of art was widespread. Magnificent examples of painted ceramics were found, in particular, in Ashur. They testify that their creators preferred bright colors.

Art of the Old Kingdom (28th - 22nd centuries BC) Timeline (time axis) 15 thousand 8 thousand 4 thousand 2 thousand 1 thousand 12 thousand 18 thousand 30 thousand years 3 thousand Our era BC Stone Age Bronze Age (megaliths) Iron Age (metal weapons and DPI) Paleolithic (“Paleolithic Venuses”, images of animals in caves) Mesolithic (plot compositions, pictograms) Neolithic (ceramics, petroglyphs) Nativity of Christ Art Middle Kingdom (21st - 18th centuries BC) Art of the New Kingdom (16th - 11th centuries BC) Art of the Sumero-Akkadian Kingdom (27th - 21st centuries BC)

Sumero-Akkadian Kingdom (30th century BC - 20th century BC) Statue of the dignitary Ebih-Il from Mari. Middle of the 3rd millennium BC Louvre, Paris Adorant - a statue of a prayer, it was presented to the temple by Inlaid eyes. Inlay - decoration of the surface of the product with pieces of stone, wood, metal, etc., which differ from it in color or material.

Sumero-Akkadian kingdom (30th century BC - 20th century BC) from the Stele of King Naramsin. 23rd century BC. The relief of the stele of the king of Akkad Naramsin tells about his victorious campaign against the mountain tribe of the Lullubeys. The master managed to convey space and movement, the volume of figures and show not only warriors, but also a mountain landscape. The relief shows the signs of the Sun and the Moon, symbolizing the deities - the patrons of royal power.

Art of the Old Babylonian Kingdom (20th century BC - 17th century BC) Prayer Statue - 1750 BC. Louvre, Paris Stele of the Babylonian king Hammurabi with the text of 247 laws. Written in cuneiform. The oldest collection of laws in existence. Stele of King Hammurabi from Susa. 28th century BC. Louvre, Paris

Art of Assyria (9th century BC - 7th century BC) King Sargon II. Relief from the palace at Dur-Sharrukin. 8th c. BC. Statue of King Ashurnasirapal II. 883 - 859 BC. British Museum, London Gilgamesh with a lion. Relief of the palace gate at Dur-Sharrukin. 8th c. BC. Louvre, Paris

The art of the Neo-Babylonian kingdom (7th century BC - 6th century BC) Ziggurat Etemenanki. Reconstruction. 6th c. BC. Etemenanki - “The House of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth” The Tower of Babel had grandiose dimensions = 91 x 91 m at the base and a height of 90 m

Art of the Neo-Babylonian kingdom (7th century BC - 6th century BC) Gate of the goddess Ishtar from Babylon. 6th c. BC. State Museums, Berlin Lions. Tiled facing of the wall of the throne room of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. 6th c. BC. State Museums, Berlin

The art of Mesopotamia is characterized by: In culture 1. Burnt clay tablets with inscriptions - cuneiform, the forerunner of the Greek and other alphabets. In architecture 2. Construction material- clay (because there is no stone or wood nearby). 3. Arched structures, vaulted ceilings, wall cladding with colorful tiles. 4. Fantastic creatures (above the gods) - the power of fate and fate: shedu (winged 5-legged bulls with human heads), Lamashtu (lion-headed demon woman), Mushkhush or Sirush (“fiery red” dragon of the god Marduk), Anzud ( an eagle with a lion's head) is an intermediary between gods and people, symbolizing the voice of fate, which embodied the struggle of life and death. 5. In the temples in front of the statues of the gods - small figures (from 10 to 70 cm) - Anta's ador. The proportions of the human body and portrait resemblance are not important. 6. Unlike Egypt, the Babylonian priest did not promise blessings after death, but in case of obedience he promised them during his lifetime.

Art of the countries of Mesopotamia. Sumer. Assyria. Babylon. Persia

Grade 2

Presentation prepared

Fine arts teacher

MBU TO DSHI a. Takhtamukay

Jaste Saida Yurievna

The earliest civilizations in the world were Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Indus Valley and Ancient China. Other major civilizations also arose near large rivers, as fertile coastal soils allowed people to successfully engage in agriculture.

One of the first, in the 4th millennium BC, the ancient states of Mesopotamia arose - countries located between the Caucasus in the north and the Persian Gulf in the south, between the Syrian steppe in the west and the mountainous regions of Iran in the east (the territory of modern Iraq). From north to south, the country is crossed by two large rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. These rivers created a fertile valley due to river sediments and served as good transport routes connecting the states of Mesopotamia with their neighbors.
Mesopotamia means "land between rivers". By the 5th millennium BC. the agricultural communities of Mesopotamia, formed on the fertile banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, reached their peak. In the south, the Sumerian kingdom was formed.

Sumer and Akkad

The oldest city (IV millennium BC) Mesopotamia - Uruk (reconstruction II - III millennium BC)

Sumerians and Akkadians are two ancient peoples who created a unique historical and cultural image of Mesopotamia IV-III millennia BC. e. There is no exact information about the origin of the Sumerians. It is only known that they appeared in southern Mesopotamia no later than the 4th millennium BC. e. Having laid a network of canals from the Euphrates River, they irrigated the barren lands and built the cities of Ur, Uruk, Nippur, Lagash, etc. on them. Each Sumerian city was a separate state with its own ruler and army.

Different cities believed in different gods. They built multi-stage towers - ziggurats ("home of the gods"), with a temple on top. The first ziggurat was built in Ur.
The gods were the patrons of cities. In one city, it was the god of the Sun - Shamash, in another - the god of the Moon Sin. They revered the god Ea - after all, he nourishes the fields with moisture, gives people bread and life. People addressed the goddess of fertility and love Ishtar with requests for rich harvests of grain and the birth of children.

Scientists-priests were engaged in mathematics. The number 60 they considered sacred. Under the influence of the ancient inhabitants of Mesopotamia, we divide an hour into 60 minutes, and a circle into 360 degrees. The Sumerians also revered the number 12. They especially honored the number 7. They denoted 7 with the same sign as the entire Universe. This number expressed six main directions (up, down, forward, backward, left and right), and even the place from which this countdown comes. The Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians had seven steps in their temples, these temples were illuminated by seven-candlesticks, they knew seven metals, and so on.

The Sumerians also created a unique form of writing - cuneiform.
Wedge-shaped signs were pressed out with sharp sticks on wet clay tablets, which were then dried or burned on fire.
Sumerian writing captured laws, knowledge, religious ideas and myths.

Epic of Gilgamesh

One of the oldest literary monuments of that time is the Epic of Gilgamesh in Akkadian (translated from an earlier Sumerian text). The poem was written in the 2nd millennium BC. Gilgamesh, king of the Sumerian city of Uruk, is presented in the poem as the son of a goddess and a demigod. Brave and strong. He decides to measure his strength with the gods and learn the secret of immortality. After 12 years he

returns to the walls of his city Uruk (the flower of immortality steals a snake from him), sees its walls and understands that his immortality is a majestic and beautiful city that he will leave to his descendants.

Sumer and Akkad

Hong Nian Zhang . Sargon the Great - Birth of the Kingdom of Akkad

Around 2370 B.C. King Sargon I, the ruler of Akkad, a city in northern Mesopotamia, conquered the Sumerian kingdom and created an empire that lasted 200 years. later the Sumerian and Akkadian kingdoms became part of Hammurabi's Babylonian empire.

There was little fuel, and the bricks were not fired, but dried in the sun. Unfired brick crumbles easily, so the defensive city wall had to be made so thick that a wagon could pass over the top. Due to the swampy terrain, buildings were erected on artificial platforms - embankments. From the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, the Sumerians were the first to use arches and vaults in construction.

White Temple in Uruk

Fragment of ornamental patterns on the surface of the Red Building in Uruk

Temple goddesses Ninhursag(mothers of gods and wooded mountains)

Relief of the lintel of the Ninhursag temple with Imdugud and deer.

Ninhursag

Temple of Ninhursag in Ubaid. Early dynastic period, ser. III millennium BC

Another significant monument is the small temple of the fertility goddess Ninhursag at Ur. It was built using the same architectural forms, but is decorated not only with a relief, but also with a round sculpture. In the niches of the walls there were copper figurines of walking gobies, and on the friezes there were high reliefs of lying gobies. At the entrance to the temple there are two statues of lions made of wood. All this made the temple festive and elegant.

Head of Sargon the Ancient, Nineveh

Relief of Urnansh, ruler of the city of Lagash

Since the initial material for the development of art was clay, not stone, the plasticity and softness of clay determined the smoothness of the lines, and not the angularity and flatness. Mesopotamian relief and sculpture are not carved, but molded by hand, so there is no frontality in the image, but there is volume, whether it be sculpture or bas-relief. The plots of the reliefs and sculptures are cult processions, kings and priests in communion with the gods, battles and victories over the enemy, the laying of the temple by the kings and the royal hunt.

Sumerian sculpture was cult, initiatory. There was no single pictorial canon. The person was depicted conditionally, schematically, without exact proportions and portrait resemblance, great importance was attached to the expressiveness of postures, gestures and eyes. For example, a female sculpture from Lagash or a sculpture of a husband and wife.
More often, the sculpture was ordered in order to put them in temples, where they had to pray to the gods for their real owners (such sculptures were called adorers) their large ears symbolized wisdom, as well as the fact that prayer would be heard by God.
Most of all, the eyes were striking, which were large, deep-set and encrusted with colored stones, which gave expressiveness to the look. The arms are usually folded across the chest. The sculptures were small - 15-20 cm.

Heraldic motif of the Entemena silver vase.

In Sumerian art, there are many images of animals. For example, one plot is present on a copper relief obtained from excavations in Ur and on a silver vase of Entemena, the king of Lagash. On the first, a three-dimensional image emphasizes the majesty of the drawing - this is an image of an eagle and two deer, and not in profile, but in front. On the second, the composition is repeated four times, with the addition of two lions, two goats. Despite the symbolic image of the struggle, the pose of the animals is completely calm.

Vase Entemenes from Lagash: housing from silver, copper bottom.

In animal sculpture, a clear emphasis is placed on power and intimidation. As a rule, it is either a bull or the king of beasts - a lion. In order to give the image anger and a sparkling look, they were depicted with a protruding tongue and eyes made of colored bright stones.
The artists of that time were very realistic in depicting animals and their movement.

What did the Sumerians do first on Earth:

opened the wheel
invented the potter's wheel
learned how to cast bronze (since this requires tin, but it was not mined on their lands and in neighboring countries, the Sumerians established trade relations with the peoples of the Indus Valley and brought tin from there),
learned how to make colored glass,
contributed to the development of astronomy (the oldest calendars and observations of the planets - hence the precise conduct of agricultural and irrigation works),
discovered practical mathematics (calculated the duration of the year, month, day, began to use numbers in writing numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, a table of squares and cubes, a table of reciprocals),
discovered geometry (calculated the areas of geometric shapes, found the number "pi"),
created library catalogs,
Created recipe guides
drafted legal codes
created a professional army,
created the world's first art books (in the form of a series of clay tablets) and much more.

At the same time, one must understand that in those days life passed under a series of continuous wars. There were no peace-loving kings. City-states constantly competed with each other.