Nabataean art - Quiz
Nabataean art
  • 1. What are baetyls in Nabataean art?
A) Written religious scrolls
B) Large bronze statues
C) Representations of gods and goddesses
D) Ornate architectural columns
  • 2. Where are baetyls commonly found?
A) On the exterior of city walls
B) Floating in water basins
C) Inside burial tombs only
D) In public and private shrines
  • 3. Which god is most often embodied by baetyls?
A) Apollo
B) Zeus
C) Dionysus
D) Dushara
  • 4. What is the typical physical shape of a baetyl?
A) Cylindrical and hollow
B) Rectangular and non-figural
C) Polygonal and highly detailed
D) Spherical and decorative
  • 5. What features can occasionally be found on baetyls?
A) Jewelry carvings
B) Intricate hair patterns
C) Full body limbs
D) Stylised eyes and a nose
  • 6. What style does the majority of Nabataean painting follow?
A) Hellenistic style
B) Romanesque style
C) Egyptian style
D) Byzantine style
  • 7. Where is the 'Painted House' located?
A) Amman
B) Petra city center
C) Little Petra, Jordan
D) Jerusalem
  • 8. Why were the frescoes in the Painted House hidden for centuries?
A) Soot from Bedouin campfires
B) Water damage
C) Deliberate vandalism
D) Natural rock falls
  • 9. What imagery is depicted in the Painted House frescoes?
A) Grapevines and putti
B) Harvesting and farming
C) Geometric patterns only
D) Battle scenes and horses
  • 10. With which Greek god is the imagery in the Painted House associated?
A) Ares
B) Dionysus
C) Poseidon
D) Hermes
  • 11. What materials were used in the Painted House frescoes?
A) Oil and acrylic
B) Glazes and gold leaf
C) Marble dust and wax
D) Charcoal and clay
  • 12. What was the possible function of the Painted House?
A) Sleeping quarters
B) Public assembly
C) Religious sacrifice
D) Wine consumption
  • 13. How are the Painted House frescoes described compared to Roman imitations at Herculaneum?
A) Inferior
B) Identical
C) Superior
D) More abstract
  • 14. What does the text say about the survival of Nabataean paintings?
A) Few instances have survived
B) They have all been destroyed
C) Only outdoor paintings exist
D) Many examples are well preserved
  • 15. Can baetyls appear in the round?
A) Yes
B) Only if they are painted
C) No, only as relief sculpture
D) Only if they are made of gold
  • 16. Why did Nabataean pottery feature exclusively floral patterns?
A) Due to limited color pigments
B) To imitate metal wares
C) Due to religious aniconism
D) Because of local plant availability
  • 17. What is the common color of Nabataean pottery?
A) Pinkish
B) Dark blue
C) Jet black
D) Pure white
  • 18. Which construction technique is most common in Nabataean tombs?
A) Rock-cut
B) Brick-stacking
C) Timber-frame assembly
D) Adobe mud-casting
  • 19. How many different façade types are identified in Nabataean tombs?
A) Ten
B) Eight
C) Six
D) Four
  • 20. What is the function of the triclinia found in Petra?
A) Meeting places for government officials
B) Temporary housing for traveling merchants
C) Feasts dedicated to the dead
D) Storage of local clay
  • 21. Which architectural features were used to finish Nabataean pottery pieces?
A) Varnish and lacquer
B) Polishing with sand
C) Oil-based wax
D) Burnishing or a sintering process
  • 22. What is the suspected occupant of the Urn Tomb?
A) A master architect
B) King Malchus II
C) A wealthy merchant
D) A high priest
  • 23. What kind of non-permanent housing did Nabataeans use early on?
A) Yurts
B) Tents
C) Wigwams
D) Tipis
  • 24. In which Petra area has residential research been conducted?
A) al-Khazneh
B) ad-Deir
C) al-Siq
D) az-Zantur
  • 25. Besides tents and built structures, what other spaces were used for residential purposes?
A) Temples
B) Caves
C) Boats
D) Tombs
  • 26. How are the eyes often depicted in later, stylised Nabataean sculpture?
A) Flat, cartoonish, semicircular
B) Deep-set and realistic
C) Covered by helmets
D) Closed and serene
  • 27. What shape are the noses often depicted as in later Nabataean sculpture?
A) Flat
B) Triangular
C) Hooked
D) Button-shaped
  • 28. In what traditional form was Dushara first represented?
A) A tall pillar
B) Aniconic square block
C) A realistic marble statue
D) A bronze animal
  • 29. What are the square blocks representing gods in Petra called?
A) Stele
B) Obelisks
C) Baetyls
D) Monoliths
  • 30. Besides Petra, where have examples of Dushara been found?
A) Amman
B) Jerash
C) Khirbet et-Tannur
D) Damascus
  • 31. Which of the following is listed as a commonly represented Nabataean deity?
A) Athena
B) Ra
C) Thor
D) Al-Uzza
Created with That Quiz — where test making and test taking are made easy for math and other subject areas.