Preview

Sumerian Ziggurats

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
359 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sumerian Ziggurats
Yannier Artiles

Sumerian Ziggurats
Were monumental structures created in the antique Mesopotamian valley and western Iranian plateau, with the form of a terraced step pyramid of consecutive receding stories or levels. The earliest ziggurats started by the end of the Early Dynastic Period. The latest Mesopotamian ziggurats date from the 6th century BC. The purpose of these structures was for local religions. It was built by the, Akkadians, Elamites, Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians. Sun-baked bricks designed the center of the ziggurat with exposing of fired bricks on the outside. The facings were frequently glazed in different colors and may have had astrological meanings. For example, Kings often had their names engraved on these glazed bricks. The Mesopotamian Ziggurats were not designated for open worship or ceremonies. The structure called Sumerian meant "The Foundation of Heaven and Earth"

Egyptian Pyramids
Aged pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt. The majority were constructed as tombs for the country 's Pharaohs and their associate during the ancient and Middle Kingdom time. The shape of Egyptian pyramids is believed to represent the primordial mound by which the Egyptians believed the earth was formed. These pyramids symbolized the decreasing rays of the sun, and some pyramids were faced with polished, increased reflective white limestone. It was created meanwhile the third dynasty. This pyramid and its border complex were invented by the architect Imhotep, and are mostly reflected to be the world 's oldest monumental structures constructed of dressed masonry. They were built from 1860- 2612 BC.

Definitions

Acculturation: A process in which members of one cultural group adopt the beliefs and behaviors of another group.
Cuneiform:
The system of writing used most extensively in the ancient Middle



Cited: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziggurat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramids-*/ http://www.rice.edu/projects/HispanicHealth/Acculturation.html http://history-world.org/cuneiform_writing.htm http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pictograph http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ideogram http://www.thefreedictionary.com/phonogram

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    These pyramids took place in the Third Dynasty during 2630-2575 BC. King Djoser commissioned this monumental architecture in Egypt. The designer was Djoser’s prime minister, Ihotep, whose name is inscribed on a statue at the site. The purpose was to hold his mummified body. The Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser's at Saqqara arose as a traditional, flat-roofed mastaba, although in 2611 B.C., by the end of his nineteen-year reign, it had risen to six stepped layers and stood two hundred and four feet or sixty-two meters high, making it the largest building at this time. The Funerary Complex of Djoser is a large pyramid structure that looks like steps with six structures stacked on top of one another, each one decreasing in size. The material used was limestone. These pyramids were usually eighteen hundred feet long by nine hundred feet wide; overall in size they were very large. Below the structure was the underground burial area, which consisted of a small room that held a statue of the deceased and there was a chapel for family to gather. A shaft then led down to the burial area that was sealed after the burial. This structure was west facing towards the setting sun. Under…

    • 1402 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    15. Ziggurats- (among the ancient Babylonians and Assyrians) a temple of Sumerian origin in the form of a pyramidal tower, consisting of a number of stories and having about the outside a broad ascent winding round the structure, presenting the appearance of a series of terraces.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Eng 102 Chapter 2 Summary

    • 2997 Words
    • 12 Pages

    Anthropology: the systematic and comparative study of humankind in all its cultural and biological diversity—past, present, and future. In short, anthropology is the study of all things human.…

    • 2997 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ziggurat: a massive pyramidal stepped tower made of mud bricks. It is associated with religious complexes in ancient Mesopotamian cities, but its function is unknown.…

    • 2649 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ziggurats Research Paper

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Ziggurats, a type of temple and/or temple complexes, were first built in Sumerian cities. The temples were built on top of high platforms in the center of the city. Although no one has exactly figured out why they were built or what their purpose was, they likely connected with the religion of the time for use of worship or dedication. One of the most famous ziggurats was built in the Sumerian state of Ur and was built under the reign of king Ur-Nammu to honor the mood-god, Sin.…

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    CulturalArtifactSpeech 1

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages

    1. Built during a time when Egypt was one of the richest and most powerful civilizations in the world, the pyramids are some of the most magnificent man-made structures in history. Their massive scale reflects the unique role that the pharaoh played in ancient Egyptian society. These Pyramids were built by Pharaohs Khufu (tallest), Khafre (background), Menkaure (front), as tombs for themselves and their queens.…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Ziggurats Research Paper

    • 2387 Words
    • 10 Pages

    During the third millennium B.C., these were made higher and bigger. Eventually it was decided to build even higher temples on platforms which were stepped. These stepped towers we call Ziggurats. By 2000 BC, mud-brick ziggurats were being constructed in many Sumerian cities. Later, Ziggurats were constructed in Babylonian and Assyrian cities, mainly for religious festivals. These were held at the top of the Ziggurat…

    • 2387 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    White Temple, Uruk (Iraq) – C.3200 BCE, was one of the most important places in Southern Mesopotamia. The arrangement of the Sumerian cities echoed the dominant role of the gods in daily life. According to (Kleiner), the White Temple was built more than five years ago and its city had a population of more than 40,000 people. Moreover, the city was formed with the foremost temples to each kingdom's leading god. The builders of the White Temple did not have the access to the stones therefore, they had to form mud bricks instead. The White Temple was built on a platform or ziggurat. According to (German) a ziggurat is a platform with four sloping sides made up of mud-bricks. In addition, ziggurats were not only a visual pivotal point of a city; it also had a representative scheme known as ‘theocratic political system’ (a theocracy is a type of government where a god is recognized as the ruler, and the state officials operate on the god’s behalf.)…

    • 649 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sociology Quiz

    • 2474 Words
    • 10 Pages

    | What term do sociologists use to refer to the process by which a cultural item spreads from group to group or society to society?…

    • 2474 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Egypt began After 2242 BC. The Bible also reveals that after the Flood man came together and didn't spread around the globe. They settled at a place called “Shinar” and built a tower to keep themselves from being scattered. At Babel, they were scattered by language divisions. This is when people finally began traveling and settling to different parts of the world. Some of the descendants of Ham made their way to northern Africa, and established cities there, including the area we today call Egypt. The Tower of Babel has traditionally been known as a type of ziggurat. In fact, the pyramids resemble many other ancient ziggurats styles. This could explain why we see ziggurat-shaped structures around the world by ancient people-they were built…

    • 366 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Sumerians started very simply and began trying things like using pictures to be representations for different items and animals. This was what the earliest form of a writing system was. Using that style hey could tell exactly what things were. Over some time, this system developed into using those same pictographs, but now having certain symbols for certain words. This was established by 3100 B.C. However, as more complex ideas than keeping track of trades arose, a demand for a more complex system of writing had also risen. As time progressed, s system of writing known as cuneiform or "wedged-shaped" began to develop. This system of writing developed by about 2900 B.C, used symbols to represent ideas, sounds, syllables and objects. The symbols were pressed into tablets of wet clay which later, were dried in the sun preserving records and ideas and their history. This very long lasting style of writing became popular among the Babylonians and the Assyrians began using it for their own…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Researchers believe that today there are only about 80 pyramids left from ancient Egypt. The pyramids were built as tombs for the Pharaohs and their queens. During their time on earth, it was believed that the Pharaohs were the link between the people and gods and when the Pharaohs died, they became gods. Since they expected to become gods in the afterlife, the Pharaohs had massive pyramid tombs built for them and filled them with all the things they would need in the afterlife.…

    • 1157 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Final Exam Study guide

    • 2001 Words
    • 9 Pages

    - The process by which people learn a society’s or culture’s norms and also learn to conform to them.…

    • 2001 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pyramidal construction is as old as Egyptian history itself, going back to the beginning of the 3rd…

    • 1889 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Artfacts

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The ancient Egyptians probably chose that distinctive form for their pharaohs' tombs because of their solar religion, explained Donald Redford, professor of Classics and ancient Mediterranean studies at Penn State. The Egyptian sun god Ra, considered the father of all pharaohs, was said to have created himself from a pyramid-shaped mound of earth before creating all other gods. The pyramid's shape is thought to have symbolized the sun's rays.…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics