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SECTION 2: No. 33-89

THE ARCHAIC CIVILIZATIONS:

From the Rise of Civilization to the Fall of the Persian
Empire:
EARLY MESOPOTAMIA AND VICINITY

http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHneareast.html#AncNearEast
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Vocabulary for Mesopotamia I

Cylinder Seal

Pictograph

Cuneiform Writing

Marduk (Zeus)

Ishtar (Venus)

Gilgamesh (Hercules)

Shamash (Apollo)

Lapis Lazuli (semi-precious dark blue stone)

Alabaster, Sandstone, Limestone (generally light colored soft stones)

Marble (generally white but can be of many colors, medium hardness stone)

Diorite, Basalt, Dolerite (dark colored hard stones)

Sargon I

Citadel

Gudea of Lagash

Naran-Sin

Ziggurat

Hammurabi

Stele
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Discussion 2A: 25 points

Select ONE of the topics from 2A or 2B and write a 300 to 350
word essay and upload it to the Blackboard under Discussion.
Write in your own words using the appropriate pertinent
vocabulary listed below, and be careful not to plagiarize. Write
in your own words. Do not copy and paste from any online or
printed sources. Be sure to read other student's submissions,
particularly on the topics you did not address, as this is a great
way to learn.

1. What were the stimuli for the establishment of civilizations? What

are the characteristics of civilizations? Where were the first civilizations?
What are characteristic of their art and architecture? Focus on the works
of the Sumerians.

2. Discuss the impact of religion on the arts of painting and sculpture

in ancient Mesopotamia. Discuss what we know about their gods through
symbols and writings. Support your thesis with sufficient examples.

3. Discuss the various modes of architecture (royal, religious & tomb)

in Mesopotamia. What materials and building techniques were employed?
Give examples of the various functions of the structures. What do our
readings tell us about these structures? Pick any three examples from the
list to discuss.

4. How did the Mesopotamians express narrative in their paintings,

mosaics and sculptures? What is typical of the way they depicted the
human figure? How did they express hierarchy, space and time in their
works? Pick any three examples from the list to discuss.

5. Discuss the use of metals in the Mesopotamian cultures. What was

gold, copper and bronze used for in the arts of sculpture. How was its
used differently from stone and ceramics? What technologies were needed
to employ these materials? Pick any three examples from the list to
discuss.

6. What is a Lamassu? What did they express and how and where were
they used? What are they composed of and who did they depict? What are
they made of and how large are they? How were they made and what is
unusual about them?
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SUMERIANS (C. 3200-2200 BCE)

33. Priest-King Feeding Sacred Sheep, c. 3300 BCE. Marble cylinder seal, 2⅛"
high, 1¾ diameter. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preussischer Kulterbesitz,
Vorderasiatisches Museum. (READ: Janson, p. 29)

34. White Temple (Temple of the Sun-God Anu) Ziggurat, Uruk (modern
Warka, Biblical Erech), in southern Iraq, c. 3500-3000 BCE. Note the baked clay
cones and wall patterns preserved at right. (READ: Janson, p. 24)
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35. Female Head (Inanna?), c.

3500-3000 BCE. Marble, 8" high,
flattened back, originally inlaid with
such colored materials as lapis
lazuli, gold and copper etc.,
discovered in the Precinct of Inanna,
Uruk (Warka), Iraq, now in the Iraq
Museum, Baghdad. (READ:
Janson, p. 25)

36. Ritual Vase of Inanna, c.

3500-3000 BCE. Alabaster, 36" high,
discovered within the Inanna
Temple Complex, Uruk (Warka),
Iraq, now in the Iraq Museum,
Baghdad. NI
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37. Votive Statues, c. 2700-2500 BCE. Limestone, alabaster, gypsum with inlaid
eyes and traces of paint. Height of tallest figure: about 30", discovered in the
ruins of the Abu Temple, Eshnunna (Tel Asmar), on the Diyala River, Iraq, now
in the Iraq Museum, Baghdad, and the Oriental Institute, University of Chicago.
Votive figures. (READ: Janson, p. 26)

38. Standard of Ur, from Tomb 779, Royal Cemetary, Ur (modern Tell
Muqayyar), Iraq, c. 2600 BCE. Wood inlay with shell, lapis lazuli, and red
sandstone, approx. 8 X 19". British museum, London. This object is a soundbox
from a harp and has been reconstructed on a modern wood box. (READ:
8/29/2010 ART 164: HISTORY OF ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL ART 34

Janson, p. 27)
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/ixbin/goto?id=obj1740

39. Royal Harp, c. 2685 BCE. Wood

with inlaid shell, lapis lazuli, shell, and
gold foil, 17" high, discovered in the
Tomb of King Abargi, Royal Cemetery at
Ur (Tell Muqaiyir), Iraq, now in the
University Museum, University of
Pennsylvania, Philidelphia. (READ:
Janson, p. 28)

40. Imdugud with Two Stags, from Tell

Al ‘Ubiadc. 2500 BCE. Copper over
wood and cast copper (heads), 42 X
94". Among the earliest large scale
works in copper. British Museum,
London. NI
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AKKADIAN [Agade] (c. 2370 - 2200 BCE)

41. Head of an Akkadian Ruler (Sargon

I?), c. 2250 BCE. Cast bronze, approx.
14½" high, discovered at Nineveh, Iraq,
now in the Museum of Antiquities,
Baghdad. It was Sargon I that instituted
terrorism as a means of collecting annual
tribute. (READ: Janson, p. 30)

42. Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, c. 2200,

BCE. Pink sandstone, 78" high, discovered
at Sippar, Iraq, now in the Musée du
Louvre, Paris. Naran-Sin was the grandson
of Sargon I, claimed divinity for himself and
was the first to call himself "King of the Four
Quarters". (READ: Janson, p. 31)
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NEO-SUMERIAN (c. 2112 - 2004 BCE)

43. Seated Gudea of Lagash Holding a
Temple Plan, c. 2100 BCE. Diorite: about 38
inches tall total, discovered at Lagash, Iraq.
(Head) Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; (Body)
Musée du Louvre, Paris. This statue is
inscribed in the cuneiform text “This statue
has not been made from silver nor from lapis
lazuli, nor from copper nor from lead, nor yet
from bronze; it is made of diorite.” (READ:
Janson, p. 32-33)

44. Nanna Ziggurat, at Ur, Iraq (built for the

Sumarian King Urnammu), c. 2100-2050 BCE.
Solid mud brick and oiled reed mats (no
interior chambers) with baked clay exterior,
50' high base. Nanna Ziggurat, at Ur, Iraq
(no. 48 above). Note the three stair cases of
100 steps each, the multi platform layering
and the temple at the summit. (READ:
Janson, p. 32)
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BABYLONIAN (c. 2200 - 1600 BCE)

45. Queen of the Night (Goddess Lilitu -

Lilith?), c. 2025-1763. Polychromed
terracotta relief, 19 ½ inches. British
museum, London. This is the earliest
image of a ‘beautiful’ woman, meaning that
the proportions are those accepted by the
ancient civilized cultures from China to
Egypt in general. She is in this case a night
stalker with the talons of a bird of prey,
accompanied by lions and owls. In each of
her hands she holds a rod and ring,
symbols of the abstract children of the sun
god Shamash Kettu (Justice) and Misharu
(Law), suggesting a vengeful nature. Lilitu
waqs a succubus, a powerful demonic
creature that seduced men, ate children
and often appeared with a screech owl. NI

46. Stele of The Law Code of

Hammurabi, c. 1775 BCE. Irregularly
shaped block of black basalt, approx. 7'4"
high; relief approx 28" high. Musée du
Louvre, Paris. Discovered in 1901 by
Egyptologist Gustave Jéquir, a member of
the expedition headed by Jacques de
Morgan. The stele was discovered in what
is now Khuzestan, Iran (ancient Susa,
Elam), where it was taken as plunder by
the Elamite king Shutruk-Nahhunte in the
12th century BCE. Shamash is the sun god
of the Mesopotamians (note the horned
crown and fire from the shoulders).
(READ: Janson, p. 34)
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HITTITES of Anatolia and Syria (c. 1700 - 1180 BCE)

47. The Royal Lion Gate, c. 1400 BCE.

Megalithic stone, lions approx. 7' high. Hattusa,
near modern Boghazkoy, Turkey. These are the
first of city guardian type, in high relief. Note
the megalithic building techniques. The Hittites
are famous as the first culture to use iron on a
large scale, giving them a great advantage in
military conflicts. (READ: Janson, p. 39)

48. Storm God Adda, 14th century BCE. Stone,

Adda Temple, Acropolis, Aleppo, Syria. The
Adda Temple and relief sculptures were
discovered in 1996 by German and Syrian
archaeologists. Adda is related to the Greek
god Zeus, and possibly to the Hebrew god
Yahweh as storm gods, or bringers of rain.
Note the horned crown, which look forward to
the Assyrian images of the gods. NI
8/29/2010 ART 164: HISTORY OF ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL ART 39

Vocabulary for Later Mesopotamia and Persia

Assur (Ashur) head of the Assyrian pantheon

Ashurnasirpal II

Sargon II

Corbelled Vault

Lamassu

Glazed Brick

Arched Vault

Bitumen Compound

Zoroastianism

Ahura-Mazda

King Darius I

Apadana

Addorsed

Rhyton
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ASSYRIAN EMPIRE

CHALDEAN EMPIRE
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LATER MESOPOTAMIAN AND PERSIAN CIVILIZATIONS:

ASSYRIAN (c. 2000 - 612 BCE)

49. Lamassu (Winged Human-Headed

Bull), c. 720 BCE. Limestone, approx.
13'10" high, 40 tons, one of a pair from the
entrance to the throne room, citadel of
Sargon II, Dur Sharrukin (modern
Khorsabad), Iraq, now in the Musée du
Louvre, Paris. It is composed of bull legs,
lion body, eagle wings and human head.
(READ: Janson, p. 36)

50. Dying Lioness, c. 650 BCE. Limestone

relief, approx. 16-inches high, detail of the
60-inch high Great Lion Hunt, from the
palace of Ashurbanipal, Nineveh, Iraq, now
in the British Museum, London. NI (READ:
Janson, p. 37)
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NEO-BABYLONIAN; THE CHALDEANS (c. 747 - 539 BCE)

51. Ishtar Gate (restored), citadel of Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon, c. 575 BCE.

Glazed relief brick, now restored in the Staatliche Museen, Berlin. (READ:
Janson, p. 38)

PERSIAN EMPIRE
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ANCIENT IRAN: ELAM and PERSIA (7000 –331 BCE)

52. Royal Audience Hall (Apadana) and Stairway, Palace of Darius I and Xerxes I,
Persepolis, Iran, c. 521-465 BCE. Stone, wood etc., 250' square, with 36 columns 40'
high topped by bull capitals (no. 77). Achaemenid Persian. (READ: Janson, p. 42-43)

53. Gryphon Capital, c. 500 BCE. Gray marble, 12'3" wide, from the royal audience hall
(Hall of the 100 Columns) of the Royal Palace at Persepolis. Achaemenid Persian.
Addorsed. NI (READ: Janson, p. 43)
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th th
54. Woman Spinning (Elam), c. 8 -7 century BCE. Dark gray bitumen compound
taken from a mold, 3¾" X 5¼", found at Susa (modern Shush), Iran, now in the Musée
du Louvre, Paris. Elamite. This piece is the oldest example of a ‘plastic’ substance
used in making sculpture. The use of this medium in conjunction with a mold means the
form can be reproduced many times. NI

55. Rhyton with a Protome of a Griffin, 5th

- 4th century BCE. Silver with gilding, 9" high,
British Museum, London. Achaemenid
Persian. The wide mouth form was
designed to allow the wine to breath.
Drinking was achieved through the hole at
the bottom on the creature’s chest. NI
(READ: Janson, p. 42)
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Vocabulary for Egyptian Art

Nile River

Giza

Karnak

Re (Sun god, father of the gods)

Osiris (Man as god, an early king of Egypt)

Isis (Woman as goddess, Wife of Osiris)

Horus, (Spirit as god, son of Osiris, Husband of Hathor)

Hathor (Cow as goddess, protects pregnant women and the king)

Ka (soul)

Maat (order)

Ankh (life)

Rosetta Stone

King Narmer

Great Enclosure

Ben-Ben Stone

Mastaba

Queen Hatshepsut

Amen Re (combined ram and sun god)

Akhenaten

Aten (Sun disk god, earliest attempt at monotheism)

Tell el Amarna

Pylon

Hypostyle Hall

Obelisk

Howard Carter

Gigantism

Papyrus
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Discussion 2B: 25 points

Select ONE of the topics from 2A or 2B and write a 300 to 350
word essay and upload it to the Blackboard under Discussion.
Write in your own words using the appropriate pertinent
vocabulary listed below, and be careful not to plagiarize. Write
in your own words. Do not copy and paste from any online or
printed sources. Be sure to read other student's submissions,
particularly on the topics you did not address, as this is a great
way to learn.

1. Discuss the role of the pyramids in Egyptian culture? Who invented

them? What was their function and who had them erected? How were they
constructed and where was the material quarried? What is the
arrangement of the spaces within them and what did they contain? Were
they arranged in accordance with specific cosmological alignments?

2. Discuss the impact of religion in the arts of painting and sculpture in

ancient Egypt. Discuss the gods and symbols of this culture and how they
changed. Pick any three examples from the list to discuss.

3. Discuss the various modes of temple architecture in Egypt. What

materials and building techniques were employed? Give examples of the
various functions of the structures. What do our readings tell us about
these structures?

4. Discuss the characteristics of the Amarna Period. What was the

cause of this change in style, and who was responsible for it. Elaborate on
the style and consequences of his beliefs. Support your thesis with
sufficient examples

5. Discuss the Tomb of King Tut. When was it discovered and by

whom? What was inside of it and what condition was the material in?

6. How are the Mycenaeans different from the Minoans? What were the
causes of these differences? Discuss the architecture, sculpture and
decorative arts. What do know about these people from literature? Who
were the Therans? What are the connections between these cultures and
Greek mythology? Support your thesis with sufficient examples.
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EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD (c. 3150-2681 BCE)

56. Palette of King Narmer, c. 3150-3125

BCE. Slate (graywacke), 25" high,
discovered at Hierakonpolis (Falcon City),
Upper Egypt, now in the Egyptian Museum,
Cairo. (READ: Janson, p. 51)

57. IMHOTEP, Funerary Complex with

Step Pyramid of King Djoser (Zoser), at
the Necropolis (city of the dead), Memphis
(Saqqarah), c. 2681-2662 BCE. Limestone
and sandstone, pyramid is 204' high, and
has a 413 X 344' base, the complex is
surrounded by a 65' high enclosing wall
1800 X 912'. (READ: Janson, p. 53-54)
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EGYPTIAN OLD KINGDOM (c. 2700-2190 BCE)

58. Hemiunu, Great Pyramids, at Gizeh, c.

2550 BCE. Pyramids of Khufu, (Cheops:
c. 2570 BCE, 481' high), Khafre (Chefren: c.
2530 BCE, 471' high), Menkure (Mycerinus:
c. 2500 BCE, 218' high), Dynasty IV, Lower
Egypt, sandstone, limestone. (READ:
Janson, p. 55-57)

59. Great Sphinx, at Gizeh, c. 2500 BCE.

Living sandstone with ashlar blocks added,
65' by 240'; the head is 13' high. It faces
east. (READ: Janson, p. 58)
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60. Statue of King Kafre Seated

(Chephren), c. 2570-2544 BCE. Diorite
(anorthosite gneiss), 5'6" high, discovered
at Giza, now in the Egyptian Museum,
Cairo. (READ: Janson, p. 59)

61. Prince Rahotep and His Wife Nofret,

c. 2580 BCE. Painted limestone with inlaid
eyes of white quartz and transparent rock
crystal, 47" high, discovered in the prince's
tomb at Maidum in the Faiyum, now in the
Egyptian Museum, Cairo. (READ:
Janson, p. 60)
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62. Statue of the Scribe Kay, c. 2400 BCE.

Polychromed limestone with inlaid eyes of
white quartz and transparent rock crystal,
21" high, discovered in his mastaba in
Saqqara and now in the Louvre, Paris.
(READ: Janson, p. 61)

63. Ti watching a Hippopotamus Hunt, in

the Tomb [Mastaba] of Ti, Saqqara, 2400
BCE. Painted limestone relief, 45" high.
(READ: Janson, p. 61)
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The Old Kingdom came to an end because of a break in the succession of

the last king of the period, Pepi II, who had the longest rule of anyone (94
years?). This was followed by 140 years of chaos, fortification building,
and depression called the First Intermediate Period (2181-2040).

EGYPTIAN MIDDLE KINGDOM (c. 2040-1633 BCE)

64. Tomb of Amenemhat III, Beni Hasan, Dynasty 12,

c. 1930 BCE. Rock-cut tomb with painted walls and
living rock fluted columns. NI (READ: Janson, p. 63)

65. Sesostris III, c. 1850 BCE. Granite, 150 cm high,

discovered in the front court of the Temple of
Mentuhotep II, now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. His
Pyramid was built with a core of mud bricks with the
burial chamber below it. NI
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EGYPTIAN NEW KINGDOM and EMPIRE (c. 1567-1086 BCE):

66. SENMUT, Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Deir el-Bahri, of c. 1480

BCE. (READ: Janson, p. 66)

67. Musicians and Dancers, c. 1350 BCE, about 24" high, fragment of a wall
painting taken from the Tomb of Nebamun, Thebes, now in the British Museum,
London. (READ: Janson, p. 71)
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68. Portrait of Queen Tiy, c. 1390-

1352 BCE. Mixed media, 3¾" high,
discovered at Medinet Gherub, now in
the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin,
Ägyptisches Museum, Berlin. (READ:
Janson, p. 74)

69. TUTMOSIS, Bust of Queen Nefertiti, c.

1348-1336 BCE. Painted gesso over
limestone with quartz crystal eyes held in
place by a waxy pigment, 19" high (Amarna
Period), discovered by Ludwig Borchardt in
the studio of the sculptor Tutmosis in the
ruins of Tell El-Amarna (Central Egypt),
now in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin,
Ägyptisches Museum, Berlin. (READ:
Janson, p. 75)
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70. Akhenaten and Nefertete with Their Children, c. 1348-1336 BCE.

Limestone relief, 12¼" high, discovered in the ruins of Tell El-Amarna (central
Egypt), now in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Ägyptisches Museum, Berlin.
(READ: Janson, p. 73)

71. Funerary Mask of King

Tutankhamun, c. 1340 BCE. Solid gold
inlaid with enamel and semi-precious
stones (eyes made of obsidisan and
quartz; collar made of lapis lazuli, quartz,
amazonite, and colored glass), 21" high,
discovered in 1922 in the Tomb of King
Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings,
Thebes, now in the Egyptian Museum,
Cairo. NI (READ: Janson, p. 76)
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72. Scarab Pectoral of Tutankhamun, c.

1340 BCE. Gold, silver, semi-precious
stones, natural glass, 6 inches high. One of
143 object found within the solid gold coffin
alone in the Tomb of Tutankhamun.
Discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. NI

73. Last Judgment before Osiris, from the Book of the Dead, c. 1285 BCE.
Painted and inscribed papyrus scroll, 16" wide and 70' long, discovered in the
Necropolis, Thebes, now in the British Museum, London. (READ: Janson, p.
78)
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74. Great Temple of Amun-Ra, Karnak:

Hypostyle Hall, c. 1294-1212 BCE. The
Hypostyle Hall has 134 columns and is
490 X 175 feet. The two central rows of
columns are 75 feet high [made of
sections, with capitals] and have lotus
blossom capitals that are 22 feet in
diameter. (READ: Janson, p. 68)

75. Temple of Ramesses II, at Abu Simbal, Upper Egypt, c. 1279-1212 BCE.
Rock-cut temple, figures of Ramesses 60' high. Due to flooding of the Aswan
Dam the entire structure was dismantled in 1968 and moved up the hill, but has
retained its cosmological orientation. Twice a year (February 20 and October 20)
the morning sunlight travels the full length of the 200 foot long corridor to
illuminate the four statues at the altar end. The Temple of his queen Nefertari is
next to his. (READ: Janson, p. 69-70)
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Sea Peoples Invasion of Egypt and Palestine

Rameses III (1190-1158 BCE) had a rough go of it, having to face direct attacks
against Egypt and against himself personally. With migration pressures building
up in the Aegean basin, the troubled Egyptian Empire came under attack from a
combined force of the Libyans and a mixed army from the Aegean and Asia
Minor (Anatolia) known from Egyptian sources as the "Peoples of the Sea" in c.
1232 and c. 1183 BCE. Both of these attacks were held off, but later kings found
themselves under constant threat from occasional attack from the East and
West. A conspiracy by the people close to the king was uncovered that proved
an intent to kill him. There was also a planned revolt outside of the palace to
coincide with the intended coup. Rameses III drafted workers to build his tomb,
but they went on strike, illustrating how far back the labor movement goes. For
maps see: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~atlas/europe/maps.html

The Egyptians were later conquered by the Nubians, Assyrians, Persians,

Greeks, Romans, Christians and finally the Muslims and their civilization
faded away.
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Vocabulary for the Early Aegean Basin

Aegean Sea, Cyclades, Crete

Sir Arhur Evens

Minotaur, Labyrinth

Daedalus, Icarus

Theseus

Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Aphrodite

Chryselephantine

Faïence

Thera

Fresco

Heinrich Schleimann

Mycenaea

Iliad / Homer

King Agamemnon

Judgment of Paris

Trojan War (Troy)

Repoussoir (Repoussé)

Cyclopean

Beehive Tomb

Tholos

Megaron

Niello
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THE EARLY AEGEAN BASIN

CYCLADIC (3000-1200 BCE)

76. Female Plank Idol, c. 2500 BCE. Marble, 30" high, discovered
at from Amorgas, now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford,
England. NI (READ: Janson, p. 83)
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MINOAN (3000-1500 BCE)

77. Palace of King Minos, Knossos, Crete, c. 1600-1400 BCE. Discovered and
reconstructed by Sir Arthur Evans, using modern techniques. This is the site of
the labyrinth in which mythology says the Minotaur was kept in the story of
Theseus. The reconstruction by Evens has been much criticized, particularly for
the over restoration of many of the frescos and the use of concrete for the
columns, which were originally made of wood. (READ: Janson, p. 85)
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78. Toreador Fresco, c. 1500 BCE. Wall fresco with modern restorations and
reconstructions, 24½ " high, from the Palace of King Minos, Knossos, Crete,
now in the Archaeological Museum, Heraklion, Crete. (READ: Janson, p. 92)

79. Landscape, before 1620 BCE. Wall fresco with modern reconstructions, from
Akrotiri, Thera, now in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens. This
bedroom was decorated with a pair of lovebirds fluttering above the plants, and a
shelf preserved as plaster by archaeologists. (READ: Janson, p. 88)
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80. Snake Goddess, c. 1600 BCE. Faïence

(a glass paste), 13½ inches high,
discovered at Knossos, Crete, now in the
Archaeological Museum, Heraklion, Crete.
(READ: Janson, p. 92)

81. Harvester Vase, c. 1500-1450 BCE.

Steatite, 4 ½ inches wide. Discovered at
Hagia Triada, it is now in the Archaeological
Museum, Iráklion, Crete. (READ: Janson,
p. 91)
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82. Bull Rhyton, c. 1500-1550 BCE.

Steatite with inlaid shell and rock crystal
(Modern horns replace the originals of gilt
wood), head: 12" high, discovered at
Knossos, Crete, now in the Archaeological
Museum, Heraklion, Crete. (READ:
Janson, p. 91)

83. Octopus Vase, c. 1500 BCE. Terracotta

with slip (Black –figure style), 11" high,
discovered at Palaikastro, Crete, now in the
Archaeological Museum, Heraklion, Crete.
(READ: Janson, p. 92)
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MYCENEAN (c. 1600-1200 BCE)

84. Mycenea, Greece, c. 1500-1300 BCE. The site is on an acropolis in the northern
Peloponnesus. The defensives wall are constructed of megalithic cyclopean wall with
corbelled arch and trilithon gates. Heinrich Schliemann discovered and identified the
site using the Iliad as his literary source. The central megaron (below) will become the
standard model for the development of later Greek temples. (READ: Janson, p. 93)
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85. Lion Gate, Mycenea, Greece, c. 1250 BCE. Limestone pediment relief panel,
9'5" high, pediment within corbelled arch supported by a trilithon gate with curved
lintel in a megalithic cyclopean wall. Heinrich Schliemann discovered and
identified the site using the Iliad as his historical source. Note the Minoan
influence in the cushion capital, inverted column and the entablature decorated
by repeating discs. The lion heads may have been made of gilt bronze attached
at the sockets in the stone. (READ: Janson, p. 95)

86. Funerary Mask, from Grave Circle A, Mycenae, Greece, c. 1600-1500 BCE.
Beaten Gold, approx. 12 inches high. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
This mask was discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876. He dubbed it the
'Mask of Agamemnon'. Some suspicion has recently been cast on the
authenticity of this piece. (READ: Janson, p. 98)
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87. Vaphio Cup, c. 1500 BCE. Repoussé gold, double walled (smooth on the
interior, hammered relief on the exterior, 3½" high, one of two discovered at
Laconia, Greece, now in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens. The style
of the imagery is clearly Minoan, while the three piece handle type is of
Mycenaean origin. (READ: Janson, p. 100)

88. Hunt and Battle Dagger Blade, c. 1600-1550 BCE. Bronze with gold, silver,
electrum and niello inlay, 9⅛ inches. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Discovered in grave IV, Grave Circle A, Mycenae, Greece. The style of the
imagery is clearly Minoan. Niello is a black metallic alloy of sulfer, copper, silver,
and usually lead, used as an inlay on engraved metal, originating in Egypt.
(READ: Janson, p. 99)
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89. Treasury of Atreus, Mycenea, Greece, c. 1300-1250 BCE. Corbelled vault

tumulus, in the form of a tholos, 40' high, 43' in diameter covered with earth
(beehive tomb). This is the largest unsupported space vaulted before the 1st
century Romans. (READ: Janson, p. 96-97)