Ancient Art and Architecture

• Cuneiform represents the earliest known writing system, characterized by wedge-shaped marks used for record-keeping.
• Ziggurats are elevated platforms constructed for religious purposes, designed to be man-made structures high above the ground.
• Something considered Apotropaic is believed to be protective and capable of warding off evil.
• Hierarchical Scale involves unrealistic size variations in artwork to denote the relative importance of figures or subjects.
• A Register is a horizontal band used in artwork to divide scenes or organize subjects.
• Domus refers to a Roman house, serving as a private residence.
• An Atrium is a reception area located at the front of a domus.
• The Impluvium is a basin in the atrium designed to collect rainwater.
• A Triclinium is a dining room commonly found in Roman houses.
• Continuous Narrative is a storytelling technique in a single image through repeating key figures multiple times to depict a sequence of events.
• Intaglio is a carving technique where the image is incised into the surface, resulting in a sunken design.
• Relief Sculpture involves carving an image from a surface by removing the background, causing the remaining image to project outwards.
• Monolithic describes something made from a single, solid piece of stone.
• Bilateral Symmetry is a mirror-image arrangement along a vertical axis.
• An Obelisk is a tall, four-sided monument that narrows towards the top, culminating in a pyramid shape.
• Protodoric Columns are wooden columns that taper downwards, featuring a simple base and capital.
• A Kouros is a sculpture depicting a nude male youth, standing in a forward-facing pose.
• Kore serves as the female counterpart to the kouros, and is always depicted clothed.
• Tesserae are small, uniform cubes of stone utilized in creating mosaics.
• Fractional Representation is a technique where different body parts are displayed from multiple viewpoints simultaneously.
• Fresco is a painting technique applied on wet plaster, known for its durability and permanence.
• First Style Painting, also known as "Masonry style" fresco, imitates colored marble panels.
• Second Style Painting, or "Architectural style" fresco, aims to create the illusion of expanded space.
• Third Style Painting, referred to as "Ornate style" fresco, features large washes of color with small decorative details.
• Black Figure Painting employs slip-painted black figures, with details scratched to reveal the underlying red clay.
• Contrapposto describes a standing figure that shifts its weight onto one leg, creating a more natural pose.
• Linear Perspective is achieved when parallel lines converge at a vanishing point, creating a sense of depth.
• Atmospheric Perspective creates the illusion of distance by making background elements appear hazier, bluer, and fainter.
• Post and Lintel is a basic structural system consisting of vertical posts supporting a horizontal beam.
• A Corbeled Arch is formed by stacking lintels that progressively decrease in width, creating an early form of arch.
• Pylon Gates are massive, simple entrances to temples or religious complexes.
• Clerestories are upper rows of windows that allow light and ventilation into a space.
• Doric Order refers to a simple, heavy column style characterized by the absence of a base and a plain capital.
• Ionic Order describes a slender column style adorned with decorative volute (scroll) capitals.
• Corinthian Order is an ornate column style distinguished by capitals decorated with acanthus leaves.
• A Barrel Vault is an extended arch that forms a tunnel-like ceiling.
• A Groin Vault is created by the intersection of two or more barrel vaults, resulting in a stronger ceiling structure.
• Coffers are sunken indentations in a ceiling, used to reduce weight and enhance decoration.

Definitions of terms related to ancient art and architecture. Includes cuneiform, ziggurats, and elements of Roman houses like the domus, atrium, and impluvium. Also covers art concepts like hierarchical scale and continuous narrative.