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With the end of Akkadian dominance around 2150 BC came a revival of Sumerian culture that lasted more than 300 years. Gudea was the best-known ruler, because of his devotion to religion, literature, and good works. After his death he was worshiped as a god. Many sculptures of his likeness have survived.

After the death of King Hammurabi in 1750 BC, the Babylonian period came to an end. Mesopotamia erupted into war that lasted for 100s of years. The Assyrians rose to power in 900 BC.

King Nebuchadnezzer rekindled Babylonian supremacy in the early 7th c. BC. The only example of architecture that survived is the "Ishtar Gate."

Newcomers appeared and called themselves Irani and their homeland Irania (now Iran). Mistakenly called Persians because later Greek geographers named them after a territory known as Parsa, or Persis, where their early kings had their capital.

Persian Empire

Art of the Fertile Crescent

Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes, c. 500 BC. Persepolis.

Akkadian Period

Neo-Babylonian

Babylonian Civilization

Animals is bas relief (low relief).

Ishtar Gate, Main Gate of Babylon. c. 605-562 BC. Enameled Tiles

The Code of Hammurabi. 1792-1750 BC.

Engraved black basalt. 7'4"

Short lived, but vast empire. Known for their relief sculptures celebrating military victories.

Assyrian Civilization

Gained control around 1800 BC under King Hammurabi. Hammurabi's fame is due to his unifying legal code recorded on a stele, an inscribed stone pillar, placed in a public area for all to see. Engraved in cuneiform, punishments for crimes are similar to the biblical "an eye for an eye."

Winged Genie Fertilizing a Date Tree. From Nimrud, Assyrian. 884-860 BC. Limestone.

How did written language help further civilization?

King Naram-Sin of Akkad in Horned Tiara Near Mountain Summit with Soldiers. 2230BC. Sandstone Stele.

Neo-Sumerian Period

Seated Gudea. Neo-Sumerian. 2144-2124 BC. Dorite. 17"

Origins of Civilization in Mesopotamia

Attracted settlers from many different areas because of the rich soil deposited by a few great river valleys. Tribes fought over land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

Sumerian Decorative Arts

Found in the cemetery of the ancient Sumerian city of Ur. This gold leafed finished soundbox testifies to the imagination and skill of Sumerian artists. The bull for centuries prior had protected the cattle of the early herders from wild beasts. The bull is given a human beard to signify the power of its owner.

Sumerian

Evolution of Writing

Earliest known form of writing. At first pictorial then developed into a writing system called cuneiform, writing with wedge-shaped characters on a wet clay tablet.

Stylus, or writing instrument...

Iraq. c. 2685 B.C. Gold, lapis lazuli, shell on wodden reconstruction

A highly gifted and creative people. They are believed to have invented wheeled transportation and the potter's wheel.

Widespread cooperation was needed for what?

Made up of small-cities states structured around the shrine of a local god. These shrines are called ziggurats, which are stepped mountains made of brick-covered earth.

They desired to span the space between them

and their heavenly gods.

Tower of Babel

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