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| a curved architectural member, generally consisting of wedge-shaped blocks (voussoirs), which is used to span an opening; it transmits the downward pressure laterally. |
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| the decorated top of a column or pilaster, providing a transition from the shaft to the entablature. |
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| creating an image by removing material from an original material. |
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| a fortress or other fortified area placed in an elevated or commanding position. |
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| a cylindrical support, usually with three parts—base, shaft, and capital. |
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| a prehistoric monument consisting of a circle of monoliths. |
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| a small cylinder of stone or other material engraved in intaglio on its outer surface and used (especially in Mesopotamia) to roll an impression on wet clay. |
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| a prehistoric structure consisting of two or more megaliths capped with a horizontal slab. |
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| In this region, the king or ruler of the city-state was the servant of the highest deity. Many myths from this region survive. The most famous is the Epic of Gilgamesh, which dates from, at least, 2000 BCE. |
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| (a) in oil painting, a layer of translucent paint or varnish, sometimes applied over another color or ground, so that light passing through it is reflected back by the lower surface and modified by the glaze; (b) in pottery, a material applied in a thin layer that, when fired, fuses with the surface to produce a glossy, nonporous effect. |
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| relief sculpture in which the figures project substantially (e.g., more than half of their natural depth) from the background surface. |
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| Load-bearing construction |
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| a system of construction in which solid forms are superimposed on one another to form a tapering structure |
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| relief sculpture in which figures and forms project only slightly from the background plane. |
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| a prehistoric monolith standing alone or grouped with other stones. |
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| a large block of stone that is all in one piece (i.e., not composed of smaller blocks), used in megalithic structures. |
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| an ancient or prehistoric burial ground (literally "City of the Dead"). |
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| a large vertical architectural element, usually freestanding and load-bearing. |
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| (a) in Classical architecture, a square slab immediately below the circular base of a column; (b) a square block serving as a base for a statue, vase, etc. |
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| consisting of several colors. |
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| freestanding sculptural figures carved or modeled in three dimensions. |
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| the vertical, cylindrical part of a column that supports the entablature. |
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| Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. A practitioner of shamanism is known as a shaman, |
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| an upright stone slab or pillar, usually carved or inscribed for commemorative purposes. |
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| a trapezoidal stepped structure representing a mountain in ancient Mesopotamia |
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