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The Babylonian and Assyrian empires in Mesopotamia in the 2nd millennium BCE were renowned for their sculpture and architecture. LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ] Summarize the characteristics of both Babylonian and Assyrian art during the second millenium BCE. KEY POINTS [ edit ] The art of Mesopotamia during this period is sometimes summarized as Assyro-Babylonian because of the close cultural interdependence of the two political centers. The main emphasis was on clay and stone sculpture, many examples of which are durable enough to have survived to the present day, in the form of cylinder seals, free-standing figures, and reliefs of various sizes, and cheap plaques of moldedpottery. While Assyrian artists were greatly influenced by the Babylonianstyle, a distinctly Assyrian artistic style began to emerge in Mesopotamia around 1500 BC. Babylonian culture preferred free-standing sculpture to reliefs.The Assyrians preferred the reliefform and developed a style of large and exquisitely detailed narrative friezes in painted stone or alabaster, portraying royal activities such as hunting or war. A paucity of stone in the region made sun baked bricks and clay the building material of choice for the Babylonians, although the Assyrians used stone as well. One of the most remarkable achievements of Mesopotamian architecture was the development of the ziggurat, a massive structure taking the form of a terraced step pyramid of successively receding stories or levels, with a shrine or temple at the summit. TERMS [ edit ] Mesopotamia A region in Southwest Asia, spanning from the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, that is the site of one of the most ancient civilizations in the history of man. pilaster A rectangular column that projects partially from the wall to which it is attached; it gives the appearance of a support, but is only for decoration. relief A type of artwork in which shapes or figures protrude from a flat background. Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [edit ] The second millennium BCE marks the transition from the MiddleBronze Age to the LateBronze Age. The most prominent cultures in the ancient Near East during this period were Babylonia and Assyria. They were both located inMesopotamia; the former in the south and the latter in the north. Both cultures were renowned for their great empires and their cultural and artistic achievements. Register for FREE to stop seeing ads The art of Mesopotamia during this period is sometimes summarized as Assyro-Babylonian, because of the close cultural interdependence of the two political centers. It was considered some of the finest in western Eurasia, rivaling that of Ancient Egypt in sophistication and grandeur. The main emphasis was on sculpture, mostly in clay, but sometimes in stone as well. Many examples are durable enough to have survived to the present day. Very little painting has survived; archeological evidence suggests that it was mostly used for geometrical and plantbased decorative schemes, although most sculptures were also painted. The most common surviving forms of second millennium BCE Mesopotamian art are cylinder seals, relatively small free-standing figures, andreliefs of various sizes. These included cheap plaques, both religious and otherwise, of molded pottery for private homes, . Babylonian culture somewhat preferred free-standing sculpture to reliefs and depictions of human figures were realistic, if sometimes clumsily executed. The Assyrians, on the other hand, developed a style of large and exquisitely detailed narrative reliefs in painted stone or alabaster. Intended for palaces, these reliefs depict royal activities such as battles or hunting. Predominance is given to animal forms, particularly horses and lions, which are represented in great detail. Human figures arestatic and rigid by comparison, but also minutely detailed. The Assyrians produced very little free-standing sculpture with the exception of colossal guardian figures, usually lions and winged beasts, that flanked fortified royal gateways. While Assyrian artists were greatly influenced by the Babylonian style, a distinctly Assyrian artistic style began to emerge in Mesopotamia around 1500 BC . The Burney Relief The Burney Relief is a Mesopotamian terracotta plaque in high relief of the OldBabylonian period, depicting a winged, nude, goddesslike figure with bird's talons, flanked by owls, and perched upon supine lions. The relief is dated between 1800 and 1750 BCE. It originates from southern Iraq, but the exact findsite is unknown. Apart from its distinctive iconography, the piece is noted for its high relief and relatively large size, which suggests that is was used as a cult relief, which makes it a very rare survival from the period. The Mesopotamians regarded "the craft of building" as a divine gift taught to men by the gods and architecture flourished in the region during the second millennium BCE. A paucity of stone in the region made sun baked bricks and clay the building material of choice. Babylonian architecture featured pilasters andcolumns, as well as frescoes and enamelled tiles. Assyrian architects were strongly influenced by the Babylonian style but used stone as well as brick in their palaces, which were lined with sculptured and colored slabs of stone instead of being painted. One of the most remarkable achievements of Mesopotamian architecture was the development of theziggurat, a massive structure taking the form of a terraced steppyramid of successively receding stories or levels, with a shrine or temple at the summit. The first surviving ziggurats date from the fourth millennium BCE, but they continued to be a popular architectural form in the late third and early second millennium BCE as well . Chogha Zanbil Ziggurat The Chogha Zanbil ziggurat was built in 1250 BC by UntashNapirisha, the king of Elam to honor the Elamite god Inshushinak. The kingdom of Elam was located east of Mesopotamia and Chogha Zanbil is located in presentday Iranone of the few ziggurats outside Mesopotamia.