Unit 2: Ancient Mediterranean, 3500 BCE–300 CE

Art and art making of the Ancient Mediterranean illustrate the active exchange of ideas, reception of artistic styles, and a subsequent influence on the classical world. The study of artistic innovations and conventions developed in the ancient Near East and dynastic Egypt provides a foundation for comparative understanding of subsequent artistic traditions within the region and beyond, as ancient Greek, Etruscan, and Roman artists and architects were influenced by earlier Mediterranean cultures.

This unit provides the foundation for the exploration of art in Europe and the Americas as students compare developments, consider continuities and changes over time, and build an understanding of how these works fit into a larger artistic tradition.^{(AP® Art History CED)}