Akkadians

We still do not know “who” the Sumerians were — their language does not appear to have been related to any of the major languages of antiquity.  What we do know is that they were conquered by the Akkadians around 2,300 B.C.  They were assimilated into a Semitic culture that was first ruled by Sargon of Akkad -- an single king.  Note that a Semitic culture is one that spoke a Semitic language ( such as the Hebrews, Arabs, Assyrians, Phoenicians, etc.).  We know that Sargon of Akkad constructed a capital city known as Akkad (or Agade).  It seems to have been near Baghdad, but it has never been located.  Thus, our knowledge of this dynasty truly is limited.   Still, at its height, the Akkadian dynasty included much of the area around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. 

Head of an Akkadian ruler, from Ninevah (now Iraq), ca. 2250-2200 B.C.

This is a copper-alloy, life-size portrait head of an Akkadian ruler; it may have had a body, but that no longer survives.  It is one of the earliest hollow-cast metal sculptures known (we will return to the method of making hollow-cast metal sculpture when we study the ancient Greeks).  A portrait is a likeness of a real person.  This example was probably one of many done for political purposes, that is to communicate the likeness of the ruler throughout the Akkadian dynasty.  At the same time, as discussed in Gardner's, the Akkadian kings were akin to gods. The sculpture is not in pristine condition, but rather it has been mutilated, probably to gouge out precious or semi-precious stones used for eyes.

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, 2300-2200 B.C.

Naram-Sin was Sargon of Akkad's grandson, and he was also an Akkadian ruler.  This is a victory stele (or upright stone slab) set up in Sippar to commemorate his defeat of the Lullubi (Iranian peoples who dwelled in the mountains to the East).  It is large — 6 feet, 7 inches! 

The stele is made from pink sandstone and is decorated with relief sculpture. Note that the mountain is inscribed with descriptive text (although it is damaged).  Naram-Sin leads his army up the slopes of a wooded mountain.  We see his enemies fall, flee, die or beg for mercy.  We know who Naram-Sin is because he stands alone, he is taller than his men, and he wears the horned helmet.  Note the stars shine in his triumph.  Naram-Sin appears to march up the mountain to heaven and this, too, indicates his godlike status.  Also notice that this is the  first real landscape in the Near Eastern art.  Not only do we see the mountain and stars in the sky, but also trees that are native to the region of this battle.  It's also important to point out that this piece broke with the convention of telling a story in horizontal registers.  It is a unified composition with the narrative presented in a single scene.