CONTENTS
Introduction : Becoming Art 8
Mesopotamia in Art History 8
Influence on Artists 9
Innovation and Creativity in Mesopotamian Art 12
The Approach of This Book 13
1.The Search for Origins:
Mesopotamia and the Cradle of Civilization 14
Early Interest in Mesopotamia 18
Early Archaeology in Mesopotamia 22
The Emergence of Art: Prehistoric Mesopotamia 28
2. Uruk: The Arts of Civilition 38
Architecture 42
Sculpture 46
Seals: The Mark of Identity 54
Writing: The Beginning of History 56
Archaeology and History : The Uruk Phenomenon 57
Mythic History 60
3. Early Dynastic Sumer:
Images for the People, Temples for the Gods 62
Sculpture: The Votive Image 66
The Portrait as Text and Substitute Images 70
Metalwork 76
Architecture 78
Architectural Ritual 82
4. Early Dynastic Sumer: Art for Eternity 84
The Art of Death: The Royal Cemetery of Ur 87
The Mari Treasure 99
Inventing the Public Monument 102
Seals and Sea lings 105
5. Art of the Akkadian Dynasty 110
Royal Monuments and Sovereign Power 113
Portraiture and Identity: The Royallmage 117
Architecture 127
Cylinder Seals 129
6. Gudea: Royal Portraits and the Lifespan of Images 134
The Emergence of Portraiture 137
Statues and the Forms of Representation 140
Images and Texts of the Lagash Dynasty 147
The Function and Lifespan of Images 150
7. The Third Dynasty of Ur 154
Architecture 158
Sculpture 162
Regional Art 168
Cylinder Seals 172