Chapter 1

The Dawn of Culture

A. The Earliest Cultures
  1. The Paleolithic Period
  2. The Neolithic Period

B. Mesopotamia: The Cradle of Civilization
  1. Sumer
  2. Akkad
  3. Babylon
  4. Assyria
  5. Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon
  6. Persia

The Dawn of Cultures

Fig 1-1
Overview of the Hall of Bulls, ca. 15,000-10,000 B.C.; Lascuaux, Dordogne,France.

A discussion of the recent archeological finds in the Ardeche Region of France includes photos and discussion.

Fig 1-2
Two bison, clay relief on cave wall; (scroll halfway down page) ca. 13,000 b.c., Le Tuc díAudoubert, AriËge, France.

Fig 1-3
Woman of Willendorf, found at Willendorf, Austria, ca. 25,000ñ20,000 b.c., limestone, Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna. The so-called Venus of Willendorf (scroll to the end of the page) is the most famous.

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2. The Neolithic Period

Fig 1-4
Image of herd crossing river, hunters with bows and arrows. Valtorta Gorge rock painting ca. 8000-3000 BC

Fig 1-5
Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England, completed ca. 2000 b.c., bluestone and sarsen.

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B. Mesopotamia: The Cradle of Civilization

1. Sumer

Fig 1-6
Image of Ziggurat of King Urnammu ; (reconstruction) Ur, Iraq, ca. 2500-2050 BC.

Fig 1-7
Female head, known as Divine Consort or Inanna, Iraq Museum, Baghdad. Ca 2800 BC

Fig 1-8
Standing man (among votive statues)from the Temple of Abu, Tell Asmar. c 2500

Fig 1-9
Gudea of Lagash, seated, c 2144-2124 BC

Fig 1-10
Inlaid Standard from the "royal cemetery" at Ur. c.2700-2600 BC

Fig 1-11
Lyre from the tomb of Queen Puabi, c. 2600 BC. University Museum, Philadelphia

Fig 1-12
Detail from the panel on the lyre in Fig 1-11.

Fig 1-15
Human Headed Winged Lion from the northwest palace of Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrad c. 883-859 BC. Metropolitan Museum of New York

Fig 1-16
Ashurnasirpal II Killing Lions (scroll about 3/4 down the page) British Museum, London c. 850 BC

Highlights of the Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago focusing on Assyria.

Fig 1-20
Vase handle in the form of a winged ibex, from Persia, fourth century BC. Musee du Louvre, Paris

Fig1-21
Palace of Darius and Xerxes, Persepolis, Iran c. 518-460 BC

Images of Ancient Iran Collection from Stanford of various important pieces.