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PREHISTORY KEY TERMS:
animism: the belief that the forces of nature are inhabited by spirits
culture:
the sum total of those things (including traditions, techniques, material
goods, and symbol systems) that people have invented, developed, and
transmitted cuneiform (“wedge-shaped”) one of humankind’s earliest
writing systems, consisting of wedge-shaped marks impressed into
clay by means of a reed stylus
dolmen: a stone tomb formed by two posts capped by a lintel
hieroglyph: (Greek, “sacred sign”) the pictographic script of ancient Egypt
hominid:
any of a family of bipedal primate mammals, including modern
humans and their ancestors, the earliest of which is Australopithecus
ideogram: a sign that represents an idea or a thing
lost wax:
(also French, cire-perdu ) a method of metal-casting in which a figure
is modeled in wax, then enclosed in a clay mold that is fired; the wax
melts, and molten metal is poured in to replace it; finally, the clay
mold is removed and the solid metal form is polished (see Figure 0.18)
megalith:
a large, roughly shaped stone, often used in ancient architectural
construction
phonogram: a sign that represents a sound
pictograph: a pictorial symbol used in humankind’s earliest systems of writing
polychrome: having many or various colors
post-and-
lintel:
the simplest form of architectural construction, consisting of vertical
members (posts) and supporting horizontals (lintels); see Figure 0.
prehistory the study of history before written records stele an upright
stone slab or pillar
PREHISTORY IMAGES:
pg. 4-Hall of Bulls, left wall, LASCAUX CAVES, Dordogne, France, ca. 15,000-10,000 BCE,
paint on limestone rock, length of individual bulls 13-16 ft.
pg. 5-Spotted horses and negative hand imprints, PECH-MERLE CAVES, Lot, France, ca.
15,000-10,000 BCE, length 11ft 2in
pg. 6- "VENUS" of Willendorf, from lower Austria, ca. 25,000-20,000 BCE, Limestone, height
4 3/8 in. Museum of Natural History, Vienna
pg. 7- Saharan rock painting, Tassili, Alegeria ca. 8000-4000 BCE
pg. 7- Isometric reconstruction of a Neolithic house at Hassuna (level 4). Originally mud &
limestone
pg. 8- Beaker painted w/ goats, dogs, & birds, from Susa, SW Iran, ca. 5000-4000 BCE Baked
clay
pg 8.- Eternal duality of birth & death, figurine, Mexico, 1700-1300 BCE, clay
pg. 8- Female figurine, early Cycladic II, Late Spedos type, ca. 2600-2400 BCE, marble
pg. 9- Dolmen site (up) & post-and-lintel construction (right)
pg. 9- Burial site, Dolmen (upright stones supporting a horizontal slab). Crucuno, north of
Carnac, France, Neolithic period.
pg. 10- STONEHENGE, Salisbury Plain, England, ca. 3000-1800 BCE (post-and-lintel
construction).
pg. 11- Giant hummingbird, Nasca Culture, SW Peru, ca. 200 BCE-200 CE, Wingspan 900 ft.
The geoglyph was created by scraping away the weathered surface of the desert & removing
stones.
pg. 13- (TOP) reverse side of a pictographic table from Jamdat Nasr, near Kish, Iraq, ca. 3000
BCE, listing accounts involving animals & various commodities including bread & beer, Clay
pg. 13- (BOTTOM) The development of SUMERIAN WRITING from a PICTOGRAPHIC
SCRIPT TO CUNIFORM SCRIPT TO A PHONETIC SYSTEM.
monarch a single or sole ruler
obelisk a tall, four-sided pillar that tapers to a pyramidal apex
papyrus a reed-like plant from which the ancient Egyptians made paper
polytheism the belief in many gods
pylon a massive gateway in the form of a pair of truncated pyramids
pyramid a four-sided structure rising to a peak
relief a sculptural technique in which figures or forms are carved either to project
from the background surface (raised relief) or cut away below the background
level (sunk relief); the degree of relief is designated as high, low, or sunken
simile a figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared
theocracy rule by god or god's representative
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN IMAGES:
Amun Receives Sesostris I
picture of White Chapel Jemolo, Rome ( http://www.thais.it/architettura/egizia/schede/scm_00034_uk.htm ) Narmer Palette Hirmer ( http://www.terraflex.co.il/ad/egypt/narmerspalette.htm ) Diagram of Above A/W ( http://www.mazzaroth.com/ChapterFour/NarmersPaletteReverse.htm ) Mycerinus and Queen MFA Boston ( http://rubens.anu.edu.au/htdocs/surveys/charlotte/0000/000062.JPG ) Sphinx Stock Montage Chicago ( http://www.thais.it/architettura/egizia/schede/scm_00021_uk.htm ) Sphinx Stock Montage Chicago ( http://www.thais.it/architettura/egizia/schede/scm_00100_uk.htm ) Sphinx Stock Montage Chicago ( http://www.thais.it/architettura/egizia/schede/scm_00020_uk.htm ) Mummy and Coffin BM ( http://home.golden.net/~weberd/hwc.htm#Egypt ) Pyramids Zefa ( http://home.golden.net/~weberd/hwc.htm#Egypt )
Banquet and Dancing Girls enter the site and continue searching through Compass, then type in Thebes BM ( http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/index.html ) Plan of Pylon Temple A/W ( http://daphne.palomar.edu/mhudelson/StudyGuides/EgyptTemple_WA.html ) Hypostyle Hall, Karnak AA ( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt/explore/karnakhypsou.html ) Hieroglyphics of Hymn to the Aten ( http://www.sofiatopia.org/equiaeon/davies.htm )
MESOPOTAMIA KEY TERMS:
antiphonal a type of music in which two or more groups of voices or instruments alternate with one another cantor the chief singer of the liturgy covenant contract the bond between the Hebrew people and their God empire a state achieved militarily by the unification of territories under a single sovereign power epic a long narrative poem that recounts the deeds of a legendary or historical hero in his quest for meaning or identity liturgy the rituals for public worship
menorah a seven-branched candelabrum monotheism the belief in one and only one god responsory a type of music in which a single voice answers another voice or a chorus shofar a trumpet made of a ram's horn, used to summon Jews to prayer synagogue the Jewish house for worship and religious study Torah (Hebrew, "instruction," "law," or "teaching") the first five books of the Hebrew Bible Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy ziggurat a terraced tower of rubble and brick that served ancient Mesopotamians as a temple-shrine
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA IMAGES:
Harp from Ur enter the site and continue searching through Compass, then type in Queen's Lyre BM ( http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/index.html ) The Standard of Ur (both sides) enter the site and continue searching through Compass, then type in Standard of Ur BM ( http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/index.html )
INDIA & CHINA KEY TERMS:
Atman the Hindu name for the Self; the personal part of Brahman Brahman the Hindu name for the Absolute Spirit; an impersonal World Soul that pervades all things caste system a rigid social stratification in India based on differences in wealth, rank, or occupation karma (Sanskrit, "deed") the law that holds that one's deeds determine one's future life in the Wheel of Rebirth nirvana (Sanskrit, "liberation" or "extinction") the blissful reabsorption of the Self into the Absolute Spirit (Brahman): release from the endless cycle of rebirth (see also Buddhism, chapters 8, 9) pantheism the belief that a divine spirit pervades all things in the universe qi (Chinese, "substance" or "breath") the material substance or vital force of the universe yoga (Sanskrit, "to yoke or join") a system of spiritual exercises aimed at joining the Self and the One through control of mind and body
ANCIENT INDIA & CHINA IMAGES:
Dancing Girl Indus Valley inscriptions Nat. Mus. Delhi ( http://indoeuro.bizland.com/project/script/indus.jpg ) Ceremonial Wine Vessel Art of Asia, Virtual Tour: Cincinnati Art Museum ( http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/greatart/tour_asia.shtml )
Bronze Standing Figure China Exhibitions ( http://www.nga.gov/education/chinatp_sl08.htm ) Jade Shroud China Exhibitions ( http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/china1999/358_129.htm ) Oracle Bone Columbia U/Arch ( http://www.chinapage.com/oracle/oracle00.html ) Yin Yang Symbol text regarding symbol A/W
GREECE KEY TERMS:
allegory a literary device in which objects, persons, or actions are equated with secondary, figurative meanings that underlie their literal meaning amphora a two-handled vessel used for oil or wine (see Figures 4.7 and 5.4) antagonist the character that directly opposes the protagonist in drama or fiction catalog a list of people, things, or attributes, characteristic of biblical and Homeric literature democracy a government in which supreme power is vested in the people dialectical method a question-and-answer style of inquiry made famous by Socrates empirical method a method of inquiry dependent on direct experience or observation
The Queen's Quarters comprehensive tour AAA ( http://www.daedalus.gr/DAEI/THEME/Knossos.htm ) Bull-leaping Fresco comprehensive tour Scala ( http://www.daedalus.gr/DAEI/THEME/Knossos.htm ) Priestess with Snakes LKP Com. Tranny ( http://www.ou.edu/finearts/art/ahi4913/aegeanhtml/minoansculpture2.html ) Lion Gate at Mycenae LKP Com. Tranny ( http://argeas.cs-net.gr/argolis/liongate.html ) Mask of Agamemnon LKP Com. Tranny ( http://www.artchive.com/artchive/G/greek/agamemnon.jpg.html ) Amphora - detail showing foot race Met ( http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/04/eusb/ho_14.130.12.htm ) Theatre at Epidaurus LKP Archive ( http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21104n/e211dn02.html ) Plan of the Theatre from Above A/W ( http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21104n/e211dn02.html ) Kylix Interior
search the site for similar pieces Met ( http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_Of_Art/index.asp ) Bust of Socrates Archive/Hirmer ( http://ocw.mit.edu/NR/rdonlyres/Global/7/74471E7A-0D1C-49B6-82CF-204F08193DEF/0/21L704.jpg )
CLASSICAL STYLE GREECE KEY TERMS:
aulos a wind instrument used in ancient Greece; it had a double reed (held inside the mouth) and a number of finger holes and was always played in pairs, that is, with the performer holding one in each hand; a leather band was often tied around the head to support the cheeks, thus enabling the player to blow harder (see Figure 6.5) contrapposto (Italian, "counterpoised") a position assumed by the human body in which one part is turned in opposition to another part frieze in architecture, a sculptured or ornamented band gable the triangular section of a wall at the end of a pitched roof hymn a lyric poem offering divine praise or glorification kithara a large version of the lyre (having seven to eleven strings) and the principal instrument of ancient Greek music kouros (Greek, "youth"; pl. kouroi) a youthful male figure, usually depicted nude in ancient Greek sculpture; the female counterpart is the kore (Greek, "maiden"; pl. korai) krater a vessel used for mixing wine and water lyre any one of a group of plucked stringed instruments; in ancient Greece usually
series of notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C) of the twelve-tone octave; the chromatic scale consists of all twelve tones (represented by the twelve piano keys, seven white and five black) of the octave, each a semitone apart tholos a circular structure, generally in classical Greek style and probably derived from early tombs
CLASSICAL STYLE GREECE IMAGES:
Doryphorus LKP Comm. Tranny ( http://www.roanoke.edu/gst/Doryphoros.htm ) Proportional Study of a Man Leonardo LKP Comm. Tranny ( http://www.laks.com/english/331.html ) Geometric Krater Met ( http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_Of_Art/viewOneZoom.asp? dep=13&zoomFlag=0&viewMode=0&item=1... ) Amphora with Achilles and Ajax Playing Dice Vatican Museums ( http://www.christusrex.org/www1/vaticano/ETb-Amphora.jpg ) Amphora with Achilles and Ajax Playing Dice similar vases Vatican Museums ( http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1993.01.0629 ) Epictetus, detail of cup enter the site and continue searching through Compass, then type in Black Figure or Red Figure for similar images BM ( http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/index.html ) Kouros
Met ( http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_Of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=13&viewMode=0&item=32.11.1 ) Calf-Bearer Acrop Mus. Athens ( http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_Of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=6&viewMode=0&item=1970.44 ) Calf-Bearer (at dig site) Acrop Mus. Athens ( http://daphne.palomar.edu/mhudelson/WorksofArt/05Greek/4169.html ) Kroisos from Anavyssos Nat. Mus. Athens ( http://www.lanecc.edu/artad/ArtHistoryProgram/5-10kouros.htm ) Kritios Boy LKP Comm. Tranny ( http://www.hartzler.org/cc307/archaic/images/057.jpg ) Kritios Boy (at dig site) LKP Comm. Tranny ( http://daphne.palomar.edu/mhudelson/WorksofArt/05Greek/4169.html ) Discobolus Scala ( http://www.artchive.com/artchive/G/greek/discobolos.jpg.html ) Zeus (for Poseidon) LKP Comm. Tranny ( http://www.culture.gr/2/21/214/21405m/00/lm05m045.jpg ) Kore from Chios similar statue Kontos, Athens ( http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21101m/00/lk01m016.jpg )
East Frieze Detail LKP Archive ( http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21101m/00/lk01m012.jpg ) Gold Pendant Disk Novosti ( http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/03/hm3_1_5b.html ) Amphora Met ( http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_Of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=13&viewMode=0&item=56.171.38 ) Marble Relief Met ( http://www.usask.ca/antiquities/Collection/Maenad.html ) Head of Alexander Istanbul, Arch. Mus ( http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/ImagesofAlexander/Antiquity_All.html ) Altar of Zeus Pergamon Mus. ( http://www.phil.uni-erlangen.de/~p1altar/photo_html/bauplastik/fries/pergamon/gigantomach... ) Detail of Altar Pergamon Mus. ( http://www.phil.uni-erlangen.de/~p1altar/photo_html/bauplastik/fries/pergamon/perga35.jpg ) Nike of Samothrace RMN ( http://www.artchive.com/artchive/ftptoc/greek_ext.html ) Laocoon Group Vatican Mus./Scala ( http://www.artchive.com/artchive/ftptoc/greek_ext.html )
ROME KEY TERMS:
apse a vaulted semicircular recess at one or both ends of a basilica atrium the inner courtyard of a Roman house, usually colonnaded and open to the sky attic the superstructure or low upper story above the main order of a façade basilica a large, colonnaded hall commonly used for public assemblies, law courts, baths, and marketplaces eclogue a pastoral poem, usually involving shepherds in an idyllic rural setting epistle a formal letter equestrian mounted on horseback imperium (Latin, "command," "empire") the civil and military authority exercised by the rulers of ancient Rome (and the root of the English words "imperialism" and "empire"); symbolized in ancient Rome by an eagle-headed scepter and the fasces, an ax bound in a bundle of rods mosaic a medium by which small pieces of glass or stone are embedded in wet cement on wall and floor surfaces; any picture or pattern made in this manner oratory the art of public speaking pastoral pertaining to the country, to shepherds, and the simple rural life; also, any work of art presenting an idealized picture of country life
