2.1 The Ancient Near East

Mesopotamia

In the 'land between the rivers,' the Sumerians built ziggurats — massive stepped temple platforms like the Ziggurat of Ur. The Standard of Ur shows war and peace in registers of inlaid shell and lapis.

Law and kingship

The Code of Hammurabi (Babylon, c. 1750 BCE) is a tall stele carving Hammurabi's laws beneath an image of the king receiving authority from the sun god Shamash — art legitimizing power.

Persian power

The Persian palace at Persepolis displayed relief processions of subject peoples bringing tribute — imperial art projecting the vast reach of the empire.

Key terms

Ziggurat

stepped Mesopotamian temple platform (Ur)

Standard of Ur

inlaid box showing war and peace in registers

Code of Hammurabi

law stele; king receives authority from Shamash

Stele

an upright carved stone monument

Persepolis

Persian palace with tribute-procession reliefs

Try an AP-style question

The Standard of Ur uses registers to…

1. organize scenes of war and peace
2. map the city of Ur
3. show a single battle
4. depict one king in 3D