The first cities cultures that made necessary an administrative apparatus of many thousand heads derived in Mesopotamia and caused a first construction boom, a very effective war machine, a complex canalisation- and distribution sytem and a busy temple life. For the first time in history, individuals were confrontated with an impenetrable and nontransparent social structure. In the times before when it was a matter of placing a new construction project of limited time duration in rural or nomadic communities, the individual could have the certainty that all his coworkers put down the ax in the evening together with him. When he is going to bed, all others sleep as well.
This changes in the new cities Ur and Uruk and all follower cities and is no longer valuable. Individuals lose track. When he falls on his mat in exhaustion, business keeps going on in undiminished strength. No one can any longer know to full extent what is being built elsewhere, which new projects are starting and above all - who knows nothing, can not join any decision.
A new layer of leaders have arosen on top of the community with a scaring military force, a caste of priests and a staff of employees, who meticulously record every brick and every grain of wheat. They all demand respect and obedience, evident in the now valid gods Marduk, Ishtar and all others. This respect, one single person cannot any longer bring up in one day, in a year or a whole life.
And thus, on this globe the first mass production of small clay figurines arose, that populated as thousands of avatars the private house altars and public temple areas. The later history of art will once call them IDOLS. They consist of nothing more than a simple cylindrical body and instead of a complete head a gigantic pair of eyes. Tall like a finger or a hand they show not only just individual characters, but priests and couples and even entire families. Some are wearing hats to demonstrate their profession or background.
With this avatars, the Sumerian people have doubled themselves in a new meta-level, and these dummies representing their owners with their huge eyes opened permanently, which should on one hand pay respect to the gods and also to register everything new in the community around the clock.
This changes in the new cities Ur and Uruk and all follower cities and is no longer valuable. Individuals lose track. When he falls on his mat in exhaustion, business keeps going on in undiminished strength. No one can any longer know to full extent what is being built elsewhere, which new projects are starting and above all - who knows nothing, can not join any decision.
A new layer of leaders have arosen on top of the community with a scaring military force, a caste of priests and a staff of employees, who meticulously record every brick and every grain of wheat. They all demand respect and obedience, evident in the now valid gods Marduk, Ishtar and all others. This respect, one single person cannot any longer bring up in one day, in a year or a whole life.
And thus, on this globe the first mass production of small clay figurines arose, that populated as thousands of avatars the private house altars and public temple areas. The later history of art will once call them IDOLS. They consist of nothing more than a simple cylindrical body and instead of a complete head a gigantic pair of eyes. Tall like a finger or a hand they show not only just individual characters, but priests and couples and even entire families. Some are wearing hats to demonstrate their profession or background.
With this avatars, the Sumerian people have doubled themselves in a new meta-level, and these dummies representing their owners with their huge eyes opened permanently, which should on one hand pay respect to the gods and also to register everything new in the community around the clock.
From these very beginnings both leaders and followers have the same interest in as much information as possible about the whole community and all the attempts to get informed cannot be regarded as a crime.
Edward Snowdon has my full respect. All what he did is to act as an avatar, as an IDOL to gain a bit of information, we all are depending on for a democratic harmony.
