Mesopotamian Art and Literature
A Mesopotamian Mosaic
The Sumerians were great craftsmen. They created gold jewelry, fancy chairs, and vases to keep water cool. They did not have the resources for huge stone statues, so very few of those were made. One of the Sumerian's strongest points were their mosaics, made of pieces of painted clay. They made beautiful clay pottery, which was used to trade for food and clothes. The Sumerians also made many musical instruments, including the hard, reed pipes, the lyre, and drums.
The Sumerians created the world's first organized writing style, called Cuneiform. Cuneiform was created by pressing a wedge-shaped stylus into a clay tablet. Different symbols represent different letters and numbers. Thanks to Cuneiform, archaeologists have many records on Sumerians, because they listed everything from their court activity to their household items. They also wrote the epic poem, "The Epic of Gilgamesh." Click here to get to The Epic of Gilgamesh.
The Babylonians kept the Sumerian craftmanship, but added some of their own huge gates and statues to honor their gods, especially Marduk. The Assyrians on the other hand didn't create art just to create. They created art to honor their military victories and to display royal activities and life in the military.
The Sumerians created the world's first organized writing style, called Cuneiform. Cuneiform was created by pressing a wedge-shaped stylus into a clay tablet. Different symbols represent different letters and numbers. Thanks to Cuneiform, archaeologists have many records on Sumerians, because they listed everything from their court activity to their household items. They also wrote the epic poem, "The Epic of Gilgamesh." Click here to get to The Epic of Gilgamesh.
The Babylonians kept the Sumerian craftmanship, but added some of their own huge gates and statues to honor their gods, especially Marduk. The Assyrians on the other hand didn't create art just to create. They created art to honor their military victories and to display royal activities and life in the military.
A Cuneiform Tablet
