Compléter Ancient Art quizVersion en ligne Ancient Near-Eastern and Ancient Egyptian Art par Sally Linfield 1 Greek Pharaohs angle 3000 ziggurats symbols realistic rivers Mesopotamian civilization flourished 5000 years ago . Mesopotamia means " between the " and refers to a fertile area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers . It is sometimes called the " cradle " of civilization . Animals shown in art were , humans were not . The first written language was called cuneiform . The Mesopotamians built huge buildings called . Egypt depended on the River Nile , and its civilization lasted more than years . The periods of Egyptian rule are classified into early , middle , new and late kingdoms . Interestingly , artistic styles didn't change much . The classical style was closely copied . Egyptians had a diverse pantheon of gods . , considered living gods , were depicted with of power , including stylized beards . In painted figures , every body part was shown from its most recognizable . Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BCE , when elements were introduced into Egyptian art . In 30 BCE Rome conquered Egypt .