It is easy to see the ziggurats and artwork of the Ancient Near East and think that they are similar to the pyramids and artwork of Ancient Egypt, but our current understanding of these cultures show us that they are also drastically different. They may share many physical similarities, but their purposes and extravagance differ.
Both ziggurats and pyramids are the largest monuments of their respective cultures that we know of, and are some of the largest monuments of the ancient world. Both went through their own progressions, building off of previous structures and ideas. They share an equal significance to our knowledge of ancient culture’s religion, providing us with artifacts and artwork describing ceremonial or religious values and narratives. Each of them is set aside from everyday living, setting up an atmosphere conducive to their unique and important function.
Architecturally, these monuments at some point were constructed the same. Ziggurats were solid all the way through, as were many older pyramids, and it is possible that some (for all we know maybe even all) ziggurats and pyramids were colored to be white. Both were built off of a sloping or incline idea, though the reasoning behind that may be different. As both had religious and ceremonial functions, they each provided some sort of a processional route, usually utilizing one or more long stairways.
Even though both cultures managed to create monuments seemingly related or alike, the functions and attitudes involved were very different. Ziggurats expressed a desire to be pious, bringing our attention to the gods and humbling the ancient peoples, while making an effort to be closer to the celestial and bridge the gap between mortals and gods. Pyramids, on the other hand, expressed a ruler’s desire to be happy and important even after they have left this world. Egyptian rulers must have immediately started planning for the humongous monuments to themselves once they knew they would come into power.
The pyramids were much more luxurious, large, and elaborate by the end of their evolution than any ziggurat. Pyramids also varied more overtime. The first and last ziggurats that we know of are easy to look at and realize they are related or the same, but the earlier pyramids look dramatically different from the more recent. This is because of the attitude of the culture. While the Ancient Near East may have had some conceited rulers, there was enough gratitude and humility for ziggurat temples to exist. They needed a place where they could worship and pay homage to their gods. The pottery, sculpture and architecture of ziggurats were directed at or revolving around the gods and the peoples’ piety. Pyramids, however, are lavishly filled with artwork meant to satisfy the dead rulers of Egypt. These rulers, or pharaohs, already believed themselves to be gods or worthy of being considered one, where as in the Near East, they knew they were stuck on the Earth as mortals, as is supported by the ever popular Tale of Gilgamesh.
Despite the obvious physical appearances making us assume ziggurats and pyramids are related, Ancient Near Easterners were continually aspiring to be closer to the gods, which ziggurats were used to do, but Egyptians used pyramids to show how great and godly pharaohs thought they already were.
I liked the way you described the similarities and differences to these two structures. They do both hold nearly the same reason for existence, they are even architecturally similar. But I too noticed that the near easterners did aspire to be closer to their gods while Egyptians thought they were already great and holy.
ReplyDeleteThere are stepped pyramids in Central and, I think, South America that were built by the Incas, Mayas and/or Aztecs and some North American tribes built great mounds. There are also large structures in India and China. We haven't studied these much yet but every sophisticated ancient culture gained the ability to build large monuments at some point. These cultures had various methods and reasons for these buildings but they usually worshiped their gods there, which was probably the most important activity of ancient peoples.
ReplyDeleteI really like your style of writing, it flows very nicely. You are very descriptive enabling the reader to visualize each of the pyramids! I too wrote my blog on the pyramids, however you seem to have captured a more complete, well rounded idea. The one thing I hope to find out within my life time, is how on earth these pyramids were actually made.
ReplyDeleteI know right? How the heck did those ridiculously heavy blocks get moved? I don't think we have any evidence of heavy machinery like ours, so it's nearly impossible for us to imagine how they did it.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'm confused as to why there aren't any found narratives describing the process at all. I would think that because their calculations and processes were so complex and perfect, they would have valued it enough to show off and describe it in some way. And if all the little details such as placement with Orion's Belt and the corners matching the compass points mattered, then there must have been some sort of religious connection so it would have been worth writing or drawing about.
Why Ancient Egyptians? Why?!
I like the way you compare the similarities and differences to Pyramids and Ziggurats. It is true that both of them are the most significant monuments that we know about these two ancient cultures. The reasons of their existence are similar and interesting to me that although both of them exists because of the religious beliefs. However, they are also differences in the central beliefs that Ancient Near East thought that Ziggurats are the way for them to get closer to God and that Egyptians built Pyramids because they thought that people who had great power while alive will become God in after life.
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