Art Links - Ancient Art — Near East and Egypt

Persian Art through the Centuries
A useful overview of the history of Persian art from the Neolithic all the way up to the Qajar period (1750-1925), with sections devoted to Luristan, the Medes and Achaemenians, Sassanian, the periods of Islamic art, and the Mongols.
www.artarena.force9.co.uk/hpart.html

The collection ranges in date from 8000 BCE. (the Neolithic period) to the Arab conquest and rise of Islam beginning in 651 CE. Click on the "View 50 Highlights" to see works from ancient Mesopotamia, Iran, Syria, Anatolia, and other areas.
www.metmuseum.org/collections/department.asp?dep=3)

Art of Mesopotamia and Anatolia in the Louvre Museum, Paris Nineteen major examples of Sumerian, Akkadian, Neo-Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Hittite art in the world-class collection of the Louvre. Excellent images are accompanied by a brief text.
www.louvre.fr/anglais/collec/ao/ao_f.htm

Explore the Pyramids - A PBS NOVA Online presentation for kids but with good images and information about the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, plus the Sphinx. It also inquires into the age of the pyramids and who built them; with some fun QuickTime VR!
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pyramid/explore/

Artifacts in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo
A selection of various artifacts, including jewelry, architectural elements, furniture, mummies, sculpture, and tomb equipment (including the gold mask and coffin of Tutankhamon).
www.tourism.egnet.net/Attractions_Detail.asp?code=6

The Step Pyramid Complex of Djoser
Built during the Third Dynasty (ca. 2800 BCE) in what is now Saqqara, Egypt, Djoser's Step Pyramid is generally considered the first tomb in Egypt to be built entirely of stone. A clickable plan of the funerary precinct and a series of illustrations provides an excellent introduction to this important monument.
ccat.sas.upenn.edu/arth/zoser/zoser.html

Monuments and Sights to See In Egypt -Scroll down to "Pharaonic Monuments" and visit dozens of sites in ancient Egypt. Each is accompanied by a brief informative text with links to additional information about people (pharaohs, and other ancient Egyptians) and including the complete translation by E.A. Wallis Budge of The Egyptian Book of the Dead. Presented by the Ministry of Tourism, Egypt, and the Egyptian Tourist Authority.
touregypt.net/monument.htm

Mysteries of the Nile -Another PBS NOVA Online presentation that, besides the Old Kingdom pyramids and the Sphinx, includes the New Kingdom temples at Karnak and Luxor (with some QuickTime VR movies).
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt/explore/

The Theban Mapping Project - The Egyptian tomb, KV5, was discovered by archaeologist Kent Weeks in the Valley of the Kings in 1995. It has been described as the "largest tomb ever found in Egypt," and "the greatest archaeological discovery of the century." Trace the year-by-year history of KV 5's discovery and take a tour of the tomb and its many chambers. You can also follow the careful process of xxcavation, see the reliefs and finds being uncovered, and keep up-to-date on the excavation's progress (which can also be viewed with QuickTime VR).
www.kv5.com/intro.html