We are making easy Mesopotamian art that comes out looking just like something from a museum.Also, look at my page Ancient Mesopotamia Fun Facts For Kids Who Love History for more hands-on history ideas.
Too, you’ll love my Free Mesopotamia Lapbook For Kids Who Love Hands-On Learning. Ancient Mesopotamia, often called the “cradle of civilization,” was home to some of the earliest cities, writing systems, and art traditions in human history.
It was located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now modern-day Iraq and surrounding regions. Mesopotamia included powerful groups such as the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians.
Art played an important role in their daily life, religion, storytelling, and even government. One of the most common artistic materials they used was clay.
Because stone and wood were hard to come by in the region, Mesopotamian artists became masters of shaping, carving, and decorating earth-based materials. From tiny cylinder seals to massive palace wall carvings, clay relief artwork helped preserve stories that are still studied thousands of years later.
BOOKS ABOUT MESOPOTAMIA FOR KIDS
Next, look at these books about Mesopotamia.
7 Books to Read About Ancient Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a region situated within the Tigris–Euphrates River system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia occupies modern Iraq. In the broader sense, the historical region included present-day Iraq and parts of present-day Iran, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey.
Gilgamesh, half-god and half-man, in his loneliness and isolation becomes a cruel tyrant over the citizens of Uruk. To impress them forever he orders a great wall to be built, driving his people to exhaustion and despair so that they cry to the Sun God for help.
5,000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia during a terrible drought, Jomar and Zefa's father must send his children away to the city of Ur because he can no longer feed them. At fourteen, Jomar is old enough to apprentice with Sidah, a master goldsmith for the temple of the moongod, but there is no place for Zefa in Sidah's household. Zefa, a talented but untrained musician, is forced to play her music and sing for alms on the streets of Ur.
Describes the enormous accomplishments of the Sumerians and Babylonians of ancient Mesopotamia in every scientific area, a heritage which affects our own everyday lives
Explores Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian cultures, discussing social structure, lifestyles, and the military in these societies.
Lugalbanda woke with a jolt. He opened his eyes and what did he see but the terrible Anzu bird beating its wings in its nest high above. . . . Did he quake? Did he quail? No. Lugalbanda the Brave sat and stared, and into his head came a brilliant idea.
Presents the history of ancient Mesopotamia, describing the different groups of people who lived there, and their government, cities, everyday life, religion, and writing.
Invites readers them to become the main character. Each book uses humorous illustrations to depict the sometimes dark and horrific side of life during important eras in history.
Next, look at more activities.
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA FUN FACTS
- How To Craft A Fun Headdress: Mesopotamia Art And Craft
- Easy Mesopotamian Art: Make Your Own Clay Relief Masterpiece
- Ancient Mesopotamia Games & How To Make The Royal Game Of Ur
- How to Create An Easy LEGO Mesopotamia Chariot
- How To Make A Craft Of The Golden Bull: A Mesopotamian Adventure & Review
- 10 Facts About Assyrians & How to Make a Battering Ram
- Discovering the Stars: The Astronomy of Mesopotamia and How to Make a Clay Star Pattern Tablet
- How to Make a Reed Sailboat: Ancient Mesopotamia Sailboat Facts
- The Food of Mesopotamia | How to Prepare Traditional Mersu
- Babylon Activities & How To Make The Gate Of Ishtar Craft
- How Mesopotamian Culture Shaped the World & Easy Gilgamesh Puppets
- A Journey Through Time: Easy Mesopotamian Pottery Craft With Kids
- Mesopotamian Himri Fun Facts and Fascinating Marine Life
Mesopotamian art was very much connected to religion, kingship, and storytelling. Artists did not usually create artwork just for decoration.
Instead, art served clear purposes- honoring their gods, recording history, and adorning palace entryways to symbolize strength.
COMMON MATERIALS USED IN MESOPOTAMIAN ART
Clay- the most important and widely available material.
Mud brick- used for buildings and architectural decoration.
Stone- reserved for special sculptures or royal carvings.
Metal and precious stones- used in jewelry and ceremonial objects.
Clay was everywhere; the river valleys provided endless mud that could be shaped, dried, and sometimes baked into durable pieces.
Before paper existed, clay tablets and relief carvings recorded laws, myths, trade records, and royal victories.
Made from clay, relief-covered bricks and panels were used on temples, palaces, and gates, turning entire buildings into storytelling surfaces.
WHAT IS A CLAY RELIEF
A relief is a sculpture that is raised from a flat background surface instead of being fully three-dimensional. Mesopotamian artists carved or pressed images into clay tablets or bricks, creating scenes that could be either Low relief (bas-relief), slightly raised shapes, or High relief – deeper carvings with stronger shadows.
The artwork on these relief pieces was things like:
- Kings hunting lions
- Soldiers marching in rows
- Mythical creatures
- Religious rituals
- Everyday life activities
Figures were usually drawn in a side view with large eyes and detailed clothing. Size in the artwork often showed importance, not distance, so kings appeared much larger than servants or enemies.
One famous example is the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, decorated with rows of raised animal figures glazed in brilliant blue.
The Burney Relief (Queen of the Night)- A detailed clay plaque showing a winged goddess standing on lions, surrounded by owls. It demonstrates the Mesopotamian skill of shaping fine details in clay.
Assyrian Palace Reliefs- Large carved wall panels showing lion hunts, battles, and royal ceremonies. These told powerful visual stories about the king’s strength.
Cylinder Seals- Tiny carved cylinders rolled across wet clay to create repeating relief images like ancient signatures or stamps.
Creating a simple clay relief helps children experience history the way ancient artists did. As they press shapes into clay or build raised designs, they are using the same basic techniques practiced over 4,000 years ago by the Mesopotamians.
MAKE YOUR OWN CLAY RELIEF MASTERPIECE
First decide what image you will be recreating with your clay relief. A quick Google search or a peek into a reference book will give you loads of ideas.
You will need:
- Air Dry Clay
- Clay tools
- Craft paint
- water
First, work the clay in your hands for a few minutes to warm and soften it. This makes it easier to work with.
Roll out your clay to between ¼” and ½” thickness. To keep it uniform, put a pencil or something similar on either side, and be sure they are under the rollers.
Roll out a second, smaller piece, or several to use to build your design.
From the basic shape of what you are creating, for me, it was the lion’s body and head
To help the form adhere better to the larger piece, scratch up both the base and the back of your pieces, lightly wet with water using your fingers.
Tap into place and gently mold the edges into the background.
Now you can layer on more pieces to complete your relief, and use clay tools to add details and more dimension. Scratch, scrape, poke, and make the details.
Clay tools are marvelous for adding details to clay, but you can also just use what you have on hand- butter knives, wooden craft sticks, toothpicks, etc., to scrape away and shape your clay.
Allow the piece to dry overnight, flip it, and repeat flipping it back and forth every 12 hours or so until the piece is dry.
Mix up some paint to create a clay color and paint the entire piece. Set aside to dry.
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