Required works: AP art history Overview Guide: Ancient Mediterranean 3,500 B.C.E.–300 C.E. A brief history of Western culture By Dr. Beth Harris, Dr. Steven Zucker History is untidy. Though imperfect, defining periods and styles can order the chaos of millennia. Learn more Ancient Near East: cradle of civilization By Dr. Senta German Home to some of the earliest and greatest empires, the Near East is often referred to as the cradle of civilization. Learn more Sumer, an introduction By Dr. Senta German Sumer was home to some of the oldest known cities, supported by a focus on agriculture. Learn more Babylonia, an introduction By The British Museum For two thousand years, Babylon’s lost Tower and Hanging Gardens have haunted European imagination. Learn more Assyria, an introduction By Dr. Senta German Led by aggressive warrior kings, Assyria dominated the fertile crescent for half a millennia, amassing vast wealth. Learn more Ancient Egypt, an introduction By Dr. Amy Calvert Ancient Egypt had an enormous impact on ancient cultures—even today Egyptian culture permeates society. Learn more Ancient Egyptian art, an introduction By Dr. Amy Calvert How was the funerary and monumental art of Egypt meant to be seen and interpreted? Learn more Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, an introduction By Dr. Amy Calvert A brief overview of the predynastic and early dynastic periods in ancient Egypt Learn more Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period Egypt, an introduction By Dr. Amy Calvert An overview of the Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period Learn more Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period Egypt, an introduction By Dr. Amy Calvert An overview of the Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period in ancient Egypt Learn more New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period Egypt, an introduction By Dr. Amy Calvert An introduction to the New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period in ancient Egypt Learn more Introduction to ancient Greek art By Dr. Renee M. Gondek Learn how ancient Greeks mastered the human form and built soaring temples. Learn more Kouroi and Korai, an introduction By Dr. Monica Bulger From 600 to 480 B.C.E., ancient Greek cemeteries and sanctuaries were filled with marble statues of beautiful young men and women. Learn more Greek vase-painting, an introduction By Dr. Renee M. Gondek Greek potters developed a remarkable variety of shapes, sizes, and styles that offer insights into ancient culture. Learn more Contrapposto explained By Dr. Beth Harris, Dr. Steven Zucker Don’t stand so straight! Relax. Shift your weight. Bend a knee. Just respond to the world, like this spear-bearer. Learn more Greek architectural orders By Dr. Jeffrey A. Becker Identify the classical orders—the architectural styles developed by the Greeks and Romans used to this day. Learn more The Etruscans, an introduction By Dr. Laurel Taylor What was the first superpower in Italy? The Etruscans dominated long before Rome did. Learn more Introduction to ancient Rome By The British Museum From monarchy, to republic, then empire—at its height, Rome controlled territory from Scotland to the Middle East. Learn more Introduction to ancient Roman art By Dr. Jessica Leay Ambler With the lands of Greece, Egypt, and beyond, Ancient Rome was a melting pot of cultures. Learn more Introduction to ancient Roman architecture By Dr. Jessica Leay Ambler Concrete, arches, and vaulting allowed the Roman Empire to become an engineering and architectural marvel. Learn more Ancient Rome in virtual reality By Dr. Bernard Frischer, Dr. Steven Zucker Fly over a reconstruction of one of the greatest cities in history to experience Rome as the Romans knew it. Learn more Pompeii, an introduction By Dr. Francesca Tronchin Pompeii, once called the "City of the Dead," gives a marvelous sense of day-to-day Roman life. Learn more Roman wall painting styles By Dr. Jessica Leay Ambler Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii two millennia ago—creating a time capsule of the evolution of Roman painting. Learn more
A brief history of Western culture By Dr. Beth Harris, Dr. Steven Zucker History is untidy. Though imperfect, defining periods and styles can order the chaos of millennia. Learn more
Ancient Near East: cradle of civilization By Dr. Senta German Home to some of the earliest and greatest empires, the Near East is often referred to as the cradle of civilization. Learn more
Sumer, an introduction By Dr. Senta German Sumer was home to some of the oldest known cities, supported by a focus on agriculture. Learn more
Babylonia, an introduction By The British Museum For two thousand years, Babylon’s lost Tower and Hanging Gardens have haunted European imagination. Learn more
Assyria, an introduction By Dr. Senta German Led by aggressive warrior kings, Assyria dominated the fertile crescent for half a millennia, amassing vast wealth. Learn more
Ancient Egypt, an introduction By Dr. Amy Calvert Ancient Egypt had an enormous impact on ancient cultures—even today Egyptian culture permeates society. Learn more
Ancient Egyptian art, an introduction By Dr. Amy Calvert How was the funerary and monumental art of Egypt meant to be seen and interpreted? Learn more
Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, an introduction By Dr. Amy Calvert A brief overview of the predynastic and early dynastic periods in ancient Egypt Learn more
Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period Egypt, an introduction By Dr. Amy Calvert An overview of the Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period Learn more
Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period Egypt, an introduction By Dr. Amy Calvert An overview of the Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period in ancient Egypt Learn more
New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period Egypt, an introduction By Dr. Amy Calvert An introduction to the New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period in ancient Egypt Learn more
Introduction to ancient Greek art By Dr. Renee M. Gondek Learn how ancient Greeks mastered the human form and built soaring temples. Learn more
Kouroi and Korai, an introduction By Dr. Monica Bulger From 600 to 480 B.C.E., ancient Greek cemeteries and sanctuaries were filled with marble statues of beautiful young men and women. Learn more
Greek vase-painting, an introduction By Dr. Renee M. Gondek Greek potters developed a remarkable variety of shapes, sizes, and styles that offer insights into ancient culture. Learn more
Contrapposto explained By Dr. Beth Harris, Dr. Steven Zucker Don’t stand so straight! Relax. Shift your weight. Bend a knee. Just respond to the world, like this spear-bearer. Learn more
Greek architectural orders By Dr. Jeffrey A. Becker Identify the classical orders—the architectural styles developed by the Greeks and Romans used to this day. Learn more
The Etruscans, an introduction By Dr. Laurel Taylor What was the first superpower in Italy? The Etruscans dominated long before Rome did. Learn more
Introduction to ancient Rome By The British Museum From monarchy, to republic, then empire—at its height, Rome controlled territory from Scotland to the Middle East. Learn more
Introduction to ancient Roman art By Dr. Jessica Leay Ambler With the lands of Greece, Egypt, and beyond, Ancient Rome was a melting pot of cultures. Learn more
Introduction to ancient Roman architecture By Dr. Jessica Leay Ambler Concrete, arches, and vaulting allowed the Roman Empire to become an engineering and architectural marvel. Learn more
Ancient Rome in virtual reality By Dr. Bernard Frischer, Dr. Steven Zucker Fly over a reconstruction of one of the greatest cities in history to experience Rome as the Romans knew it. Learn more
Pompeii, an introduction By Dr. Francesca Tronchin Pompeii, once called the "City of the Dead," gives a marvelous sense of day-to-day Roman life. Learn more
Roman wall painting styles By Dr. Jessica Leay Ambler Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii two millennia ago—creating a time capsule of the evolution of Roman painting. Learn more
