Thin End of the Wedge: Recent Episodes
Jon Taylor
Thin End of the Wedge explores life in the ancient Middle East. There are many wonderful stories we can tell about those people, their communities, the gritty reality of their lives, their hopes, fears and beliefs. We can do that through the objects they left behind and the cities where they once lived. Our focus is on the cultures that used cuneiform (“wedge-shaped”) writing, so mostly on ancient Iraq and nearby regions from about 3000 BC to about 100 AD. Thin End of the Wedge brings you expert insights and the latest research in clear and simple language. What do we know? How do we know anything? And why is what we know always changing? Why is any of this important today? We won’t talk to you like you’re stupid. But you won’t need any special training to understand what we’re talking about. This is an independent production by me as an individual. It is not supported by my employer or any other organisation I am involved with, and the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect theirs.
Gioele talks about the PlANET Project (Plants in the Ancient Near East Texts). How do texts and archaeobotanical evidence combine to explain the economic and functional roles of plants? And what symbolic values did they have? To what extent did they play active roles?
3:27 the PlANET project
5:23 what do we know about plants?
7:57 combining sources
11:13 project goals
13:35 attitudes to environmental change
15:18 interdisciplinary
17:30 identifying plants
21:07 environmental humanities
26:15 plants as actors
29:06 gender studies in plant studies
32:59 BioANE project and PlANET project
33:49 analogical thinking
37:43 current research
40:59 favourite plant
PlANET at La Sapienza
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
David Kertai explains all about Neo-Assyrian palaces. What, and who, would we find there? How did they function? What do their design and decoration tell us about how they were used? How visible was the king?
David's museum page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
International Association for Assyriology awards prizes to early career scholars annually. The for 2025 awards went to:
Best PhD dissertation in the field of Assyriology and Mesopotamian Archaeology: Adeline Reynaud, for “Les diagrammes mathématiques paléo-babyloniens : catalogue, propriétés matérielles, rôles dans les raisonnements”
Best article in Assyriology and Mesopotamian Archaeology:
Laureate: Jon Beltz, for “Everyday Magic? Four Sumerian zi…pa₃ Incantations on Amulets,” in Journal of Cuneiform Studies 77: 97-121.
Runner-up: Andrew Pottorf, for “un-il₂ (“Menials”) as a Serflike Social Stratum during the Ur III Period,” Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History 12/1: 83-113.
Jon and Andrew join us to talk about their prize-winning research.
2:00 What is a zipa incantation?
2:54 amulets and tablets
3:55 practical magic
5:27 main argument
6:29 structures
8:13 place in research
9:10 what's next
11:42 status groups in Ur III
15:52 state of research
20:52 the "people"
22:30 how to become UN.IL2
26:59 social security?
28:50 place in research
30:43 what's next
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Lisa Wilhelmi discusses the international system in the ancient Middlle East. The 14th century BC tablets from Amarna in Egypt, and tablets from the royal archives in Hattusa (Türkiye), reveal diplomatic exchanges between the great powers that ruled the region. What did they want from each other? Who and what moved around, and why?
2:00 what does "international" mean?
3:09 what sources our sources say?
5:22 were the letters preserved or did they just survive?
6:50 what language do they use?
8:37 were they equal partners?
10:34 do resources buy membership of the great powers club?
12:15 how did they talk to each other?
14:35 what messages are they sending each other?
16:38 political theatre?
18:32 how princesses were chosen
19:40 did princesses take part in the correspondence?
20:13 why was cuneiform the method of communication?
23:51 cultural exchange
26:52 lost in translation?
Lisa's university page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Gina Konstantopoulos, Andrew Deloucas, Gabriel Moshenska, and Steven Garfinkle discuss internet favourite, Ea-nasir. What do we know about the Dilmun traders and their role in the supply of copper to the kingdoms of Babylonia? Who were his customers and what did they want his copper for? How did he become famous in the 21st century, and what jokes do people make about him? What possibilities does this offer assyriology?
Andrew Deloucas's university page
Gina Konstantopoulos's university page
Gabriel Moshenska's university page
Steven Garfinkle's university page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Rocío and Nathan take us to Babylon in the Late Babylonian period for a remarkable public ritual. The divine love lyrics are one of the most surprising literary survivals from antiquity. Sarpanitu discovers that Marduk has been sleeping with Ishtar. The two goddesses become embroiled in a very public shouting match, throwing insults at each other. What was this ritual and what did it mean?
3:56 introduction to the Divine Love Lyrics
5:42 one text, a series, or something else?
7:20 content in detail
10:45 reading the text
16:55 making sense of the texts
20:29 literary qualities
22:18 whose perspectives?
26:05 the lyrics in Babylonian theology
32:36 was it shocking?
34:29 who was it for?
37:56 what don't we know?
40:15 about the book
Rocío's university page
Rocío's Academia
Rocío's ResearchGate
Nathan's university page
Nathan's Academia
Nathan's personal website
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Mustafa discusses his project to document the condition of the gates of Nineveh, and to plan the sustainable conservation and management. What do the gates mean to Mosulis? What reconstruction work has taken place, what condition are the gates in now, and what might they look like in the future?
2:39 the Gates of Nineveh project
4:46 historic reconstructions
5:40 significance
7:19 current condition
9:51 archaeological park
13:45 displaying finds from the gates
16:04 heritage tourism in Mosul
17:07 heritage restoration
21:03 the Banquet Stela of Ashurnasirpal
24:33 where to learn more
Mustafa's Facebook
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Augusta talks about the new excavations at Nippur. What are the goals of the new work, and how does she manage the long history of excavations at the site? What are the long term plans for the site? She reveals the first results, including news about the city walls, a huge Neo-Babylonian villa, and a Parthian cemetery. She reflects on how the archaeological situation has changed since she was a student. And she discusses plans for sharing the results of the work.
3:13 why Nippur?
5:26 project goals
8:11 working around previous excavations
12:09 first results
15:39 a Neo-Babylonian villa
19:40 searching for Ur III
22:18 Kassite Nippur
24:06 the dig team
27:14 Neo-Babylonian graves
29:18 challenges
35:19 long term plans
39:11 publication
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Tina explains what animal teeth and bones can tell us about life in ancient Iraq. What did people eat? And what did those animals eat? How were flocks and herds managed? What does this tell us about status and economy? We learn what new strands of evidence are provided by scientific analyses.
3:12 about zooarchaeology
4:17 state of play
7:33 cow teeth and society
10:35 why the difference between texts and zooarchaeology?
14:43 feeding cattle
19:02 animal movement and management
26:13 how to get this information
32:06 stress in bones
37:15 how to learn
Tina's University page
Tina's laboratory page
Tina's Academia page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Moudhy talks about the different kinds of outreach work she has done. How does she excite interest in material that is very unfamiliar for most people? What works well? She discusses the different audiences and formats, the various approaches and possibilities.
2:18 why Mesopotamia?
4:45 attracting interest
8:11 overcoming the unfamiliar
11:19 reliable history versus pseudo-history
13:10 radio and podcasts
17:06 scale and detail
19:47 different audiences
22:03 images
23:52 what didn't work
25:55 favourite fact
27:17 new book
33:30 what's next?
Between Two Rivers
Moudhy's Bluesky
On the Spot: Moudhy Al-Rashid Feb 2019
The Stylus is Mightier than the Sword Feb 2020
You're Dead to Me--Cuneiform: the world’s first writing system
You're Dead to Me--The Ancient Babylonians
Writing and rewriting history Feb 2025
The Rest is History RIHC: Mesopotamian Mythology, Cyrus the Great, and The First Museum
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
The Mosul region is the focus of renewed activity by local and foreign teams. Archaeology there inevitably works differently now. Michael and John talk about the Iraq Heritage Stabilization Program, including conservation and reconstruction work, excavation, and capacity building.
2:34Iraq Heritage Stabilization Program
3:39 Nimrud and Nineveh
8:29why those sites? Who sets the goals?
12:56exhibition and online resources
13:47conservation and reconstruction
18:08long term commitment
20:06the dig team
22:38latest results from Nimrud
31:26kudurru
34:46architectural remains
37:01inscriptions
39:34publication, research, collaboration
42:51working in Mosul region
45:52engaging communities
50:26what's next?
https://www.penn.museum/about/press-room/press-releases/preserving-assyria
https://www.penn.museum/calendar/423/the-deep-dig
Michael's Academia page
John's Academia page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Zoltán and Erika introduce us to their exhibition about gods and demons. This exhibition, and the extensive catalogue that accompanies it, are major landmarks in Hungarian assyriology. What is it about, how did it become a reality, and what impact will it have?
2:40 the exhibition
8:11 key objects
10:47 why this topic, and why now?
12:56 reaction
15:15 preparing an exhibition
21:19 about the displays
23:19 significance for Hungary
24:52 the museum's own collection
27:45 favourite object
https://www.mfab.hu/exhibitions/kingdom-of-gods-and-demons-mesopotamia-1000-500-bce/
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Christopher discusses new ideas around the murder of King Sennacherib. Who really killed him and why? Was it a coup? Where was Esarhaddon and why wasn't he in Nineveh? [Much of this first section of the episode was published as part of Episode 71. 8:03-10:30 is not found there. And everything from 25:19 is also new] Next he addresses the question of how the kings of this dynasty ran their empire. What does social network analysis reveal about how they coped with information flow? Who was influential and why did that change?
2:09 prize winner
3:09 regicide
8:04 motives for murder
10:21 what's new?
15:21 who was involved?
19:13 a coup
22:24 propaganda
25:20 dissertation
27:54 how the empire functioned
32:30 new power structures
36:16 rise and fall of the scholars
38:38 why reform?
40:42 Ashurbanipal's relationship with scholars(hip)
46:10 where tablets were found
51:56 interpreting palace reliefs
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
This is a special episode presenting the prize-winning research of three early career scholars: William McGrath, Alessia Pilloni, and Christopher Jones. What prizes did they win, and what was their research about? We hear about the latest news from Isin II period history, astrology in the Late Babylonian period, and a military coup in the Neo-Assyrian period.
1:24 William McGrath
2:10 dissertation
6:08 key conclusions
9:10 publication plans
10:48 what's next?
13:45 Alessia Pilloni
14:27 horoscopes
20:03 star signs
22:37 two technical terms identified
26:51 wider context
29:10 Christopher Jones
30:45 whodunnit
35:59 new evidence
41:54 purge
45:48 coup theory
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
This episode was recorded live at the Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale conference held in Helsinki in July 2024.
Simo Parpola reflects on his long and momentous career. He explains how he became an assyriologist, and how he came to focus on the Assyrians. A key collaboration led to one of the most significant projects in assyriological history. What was it like to study large groups of tablets in the days before bulk digitisation? How did they identify so many joins remotely? Simo then discusses what has brought him satisfaction, and offers advice to younger scholars. He also explains what else he has dedicated his time to.
2:19 why assyriology?
4:38 why study the Assyrians?
7:49 origins of the project
12:24 early digital technology
13:33 joining fragments
17:17 looking back
19:04 dream finds
20:54 reaction to other projects
21:28 finding support for the project
23:32 combining traditional and innovative thinking
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Carolyne introduces us to the study of ancient plant remains, especially carpology--the study of seeds, fruits, and flowers. In her case study she takes us to the site of Logardan in the Kurdish region, and explains what she could learn from the remains found in kilns. We discuss the role and uses of dung.
2:02 archaeobotany
4:08 how to train
5:09 site of Logardan
6:37 role of archaeobotany
9:47 comparison with results from other fields
12:30 main results from Logardan
14:00 why use dung?
18:28 dung sources and their properties
20:37 plants as evidence for pottery production practices
23:04 where else are you working?
26:18 ideal situation for archaeobotany
Carolyne at Oxford
Carolyne's ResearchGate page
Carolyne's Academia page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Witold discusses the labour market under Hammurabi of Babylon. What kind of work could you get, and what would you be paid in exchange? Who would be looking for employment, who would take them on, and who held the balance of power?
1:45 how we know about getting a job
2:54 who are the job seekers?
3:48 how common was it?
4:58 what jobs are there beyond harvest time?
6:17 what kind of people are working?
8:19 how good were conditions?
11:12 different jobs for men and women?
13:03 do workers replace you or work alongside you?
15:22 salary
20:04 about beer
21:03 alcohol content
22:45 balance of power
25:13 challenging rogue employers
26:39 discipline
29:31 child labour
33:45 new book
Witold's university page
Witold's Academia page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Amy discusses the multi-sensory presence of the queens of Assyria. What was queenly dress and what meaning did each part of it convey? How does the evidence from art compare to what we learn from archaeology? Can we identify personal choice? She also talks about what it's like to wear queenly clothes, and what experimental archaeology can tell us.
2:45 sources for textiles
5:13 experimental archaeology
6:37 tombs of the queens
8:35 art versus archaeology
9:50 queenly dress
14:28 symbolism
17:03 individual choice
20:58 burialwear
21:54 craftsmen for the queen
22:44 smell, sound, and other senses
26:40 international dimension
28:39 new book
30:50 beauty standards
34:55 posture
37:41 colours
Amy’s university page
Amy’s Academia page
Amy’s personal website
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Rune, Seraina, and Gustav discuss their recently completed project on geomapping cuneiform. Where were inscriptions found and where are they now? How many tablets are there? What counts as a tablet anyway? They reveal the challenges of integrating datasets, and explore the potential opened up by knowing where inscriptions really come from.
4:18 GLoW project
7:44 data collection
10:51 how many tablets are there?
13:50 provenance problems
17:06 why 'where' matters
20:50 what distribution tells us
24:20 why this hasn't been done before
27:06 integrating databases
33:56 what can we do now?
GLoW publications
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Omar discusses the importance of studying gender as part of assyriology. What are the big themes now, and how did we get here? He focuses on two areas of special interest: masculinity, and eunuchism. What can we expect from the conference on gender studies (GeMANE) hosted in Malta this April? And what is the context of assyriology in Malta?
0:37 Introducing Ellie
2:56 the importance of studying gender
5:39 current trends
8:59 gender beyond only women
11:54 masculinities
16:21 eunuchs
23:58 organising GeMANE
27:15 assyriology in Malta
29:38 public engagement
Omar's Academia
Omar's university page
GeMANE 6
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
The site of Ur is easily one of the most important in Iraq. In this interview, originally recorded in late 2021, we hear from the person responsible for managing that site. Ali talks about Ur's significance, and its role in local life. What are the plans for the development of this key site?
4:18 introducing Lina
7:02 importance of Ur
7:34 what tourists can see
8:39 information for visitors
9:12 what Ur means to Iraqis
10:15 excavations
11:04 site conservation
11:49 future of tourism
12:19 cultural activities
13:41 the Pope's visit
16:42 future projects
18:10 website for Ur
19:00 how Ali became interested in archaeology
20:14 advice for students now
22:12 reasons for optimism
24:24 closing thoughts
This interview was originally recorded in September 2021, in Arabic. The interview was conducted by Lina Meerchyad and translated into English by her. The text is spoken by her and Terry Birkett.
New website for the site of Ur
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Enrique introduces us to a major new resource in digital assyriology: The electronic Babylonian Library. What does it offer and what are its aims? He discusses the issues facing the field and the potential of digital tools, including AI, to help solve them. To what extent can Babylonian literature be reconstructed now, and what we can do with it?
2:08 what is the eBL?
4:59 how much Babylonian literature do we have?
6:16 the non-literary fragments
10:27 why launch now?
11:50 what's the reaction / impact?
15:05 what's the significance of eBL for your research on literature?
18:14 what happens to eBL when the project funding ends?
19:11 how does eBL relate to other digital resources?
22:02 impact of AI
23:56 long term goals
eBL website
Enrique's university page
Enrique's Academia page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
At the Rencontre in Leiden this summer, the IAA awarded its annual prizes celebrating the excellence of early career scholars. There were prizes for the best dissertation, best first article, and a research subsidy. I tracked down the prize winners to ask them about their work.
2:17 Clélia Paladre
2:57 thesis on Iranian glyptic
4:38 the Proto-Elamite phenomenon
6:14 working at the Louvre
7:31 Tomoki Kitazumi
8:29 translating in the Hittite empire
11:45 interpreters in the ancient Near East
13:56 German-Japanese interpreters colloquium
16:26 George Heath-Whyte
17:02 Neo-Babylonian patterns of life
21:05 naming practises project
23:31 Annarita Bonfanti
24:50 Urartian bowls project
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Shigeo shares the results of fieldwork at a site that was once a key city on the edges of the Assyrian empire. How do we know which city it was? He describes the key finds, and interprets their significance. What can we learn from a necklet?
2:22 Yasin Tepe
4:54 goals
6:38 identification as Dur-Ashur
9:12 results
12:44 who lived there?
13:44 inscribed necklet of a slave
18:49 future work
23:20 Tsukuba
Shigeo's Academia
Shigeo's ResearchGate
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Susanne pulls back the curtain on how exhibitions are made. She explains how the topic was chosen, and how that vision is translated into reality. How long does it take, how many people are involved, and just what needs to be done?
2:17 about Back to School
3:27 goals
5:37 what's on show?
7:16 star pieces
10:10 recreating an ancient school
11:05 how to display tablets
17:06 why school and why now?
19:10 return to Nippur and the Nippur Tablet Project
23:51 audience testing
25:50 how long it takes
27:37 what does a curator do?
29:33 the wider team
38:40 workshops for children
41:33 souvenirs for the giftshop
Susanne's university page
Susanne's Academia page
Susanne's ResearchGate page
Back to School in Babylonia exhibition
exhibition catalogue
The Adventures of Inanaka and Tuni: Learning to Write in Ancient Babylonia
Augusta McMahon's talk on excavations at Nippur
This special exhibition has been curated by Susanne Paulus, with Marta Díaz Herrera, Jane Gordon, Danielle Levy, Madeline Ouimet, Colton G. Siegmund, and Ryan D. Winters and with support from Pallas Eible Hargro, C Mikhail, Carter Rote, and Sarah M. Ware.
This exhibition has been organized by the ISAC Museum: Susan Allison, Rob Bain, Denise Browning, Laura D’Alessandro, Anne Flannery, Marc Maillot, Helen McDonald, Kiersten Neumann, Josh Tulisiak, and Alison Whyte, with contributions by Erin Bliss and Judy Radovsky.
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Louise discusses Ishtar, one of the most enigmatic and fascinating deities of the ancient Middle East. What characteristics were assigned to her, and what stories were told about her? What happened when Ishtar met Gilgamesh? Louise also discusses the reception of Ishtar and Gilgamesh. What do people find interesting about them now? She explains how being based in Australia influences her research.
1:56 how many Ishtars are there?
3:20 male or female?
5:11 Ishtar in myths
7:38 Ishtar as the archetypal or impossible woman
10:52 Ishtar and the king
12:34 popular reactions to Ishtar
14:03 hot take on Gilgamesh
17:00 Australian context for research
19:08 sharing research widely
20:12 what's popular about assyriology?
23:42 sources for the popular Ishtar
26:13 what's new for you?
Louise's university page
Louise's book on Ishtar
Louise's book on Gilgamesh
Louise's book on Wind
Louise's Academia page
Louise's Instagram: @louloveshistory
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
This special episode is a follow-up on the big annual conference. I offer some thoughts on what happened, and on how things might be in the future. As part of this, I catch up with three colleagues who have appeared as guests. Two were among the very first guests, who kindly helped me start the podcast. It was a leap in the dark for all of us. Since then, there have been a lot of changes for Gina and Jana. The third is a more recent guest, but someone who will shape our experience at next year's conference. Saana offers her thoughts on this year's topic--inequality--and gives us some hints about what we can expect in Helsinki next summer.
2:14 Jon reflects on RAI Leiden
11:02 Gina's thoughts
16:15 Jana's thoughts
25:14 Saana's thoughts
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
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The organising team of RAI 68 Leiden introduce us to what we can expect from the conference. Why did they pick inequality as a topic? And how do they address inequality in the conference design? What role does live-streaming play in a modern Rencontre?
2:03 about RAI 68 Leiden
2:52 what's different?
3:33 childcare support
4:23 why "inequality" as the topic?
5:41 live-streaming papers
9:37 scheduling papers fairly
12:41 building networks
16:39 recognising contributions
17:35 Leiden's RAI tradition
18:44 what else?
RAI 68 homepage
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
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Nicholas explains about imprisonment in ancient Iraq. Were there prisons? Who would be confined, how long for, and why? What would someone do in prison? And whose interest did confinement serve?
2:08 confinement in ancient Iraq
5:11 were there prisons?
7:45 why would you be confined?
8:53 for whose benefit?
10:01 the religious dimension
14:11 sources
15:29 life in confinement
18:15 labour in confinement
19:58 could you tell if someone was imprisoned?
21:17 jail terms
23:54 the longer historical picture
Nicholas's Academia page
Nicholas's book on prisons
Agnès discusses the history of the field, and why that matters now. Cast collections were an important part of Spain's early interest in ancient Iraq. How did these collections form? Who was interested? What were they interested in? And why? The history of the field has also impacted how we interpret objects, and how we read ancient texts. What lessons does that teach us?
3:16 why study the history of the field?
5:47 what is a cast?
7:39 casts in 19th/20th century
9:38 cast collections in Spain
11:52 Spanish interest in ancient Iraq
14:22 how objects were selected
18:31 different options for different purposes
21:24 impact of historical context
23:13 historiography and gender studies
28:32 impact in textual studies
30:08 opportunities and challenges for us now
Agnès's Academia page
Agnès's university page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Eckart has just published a new history of Assyria. What sources can we draw on? How reliable are they? He talks about Assyria's remarkable royal women and how they were remembered. What did the Assyrians achieve and what is their legacy?
3:39 how have we heard of the Assyrians?
6:42 biblical and classical texts as sources
9:36 what do we need to know about Assyria?
12:44 Assyrian royal women
18:33 were the Assyrians really 'cruel'?
23:44 empathy for the Assyrians
25:31 their greatest achievements?
28:03 Assyria's legacy
32:33 Eckart's approach to history writing
35:55 what's new?
39:46 unsolved problems
Eckart's university page
Eckart's Academia
His new book is available
US: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/eckart-frahm/assyria/9781541674400/?lens=basic-books
UK: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/assyria-9781526623812/
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Parsa explains how decision-making took place in ancient Iraq. When you asked the assembly of gods for a yes/no answer to help you solve a difficult problem, how would they agree on what to reply? Why would these answers be time limited? And how would they make their answer visible in the entrails of the sacrificial sheep?
2:35 what is extispicy?
6:25 who used it?
11:17 how long was a divine answer valid?
15:15 consensus decision making
19:28 were all gods equal in voting?
23:07 did gods each vote in their own organ?
25:49 why decide by consensus?
29:49 how much weight did an answer carry?
Parsa's Academia page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Birgül explains about her work using microscopic plant remains to understand life in ancient western Asia. What are phytoliths and how do we find them? How can such microscopic evidence tell us about building use, for example? And where do they sit in the archaeological toolkit?
3:12 what are phytoliths?
5:14 sampling method
8:02 dung
11:43 limitations of phytoliths
14:07 from the micro-scale to the big picture
16:59 combination with other methods
20:59 training
26:27 Birgül's projects
Birgül's Academia page
If you would like to donate in support of the earthquake victims, Birgül suggests the following organisations:
Ahbap: https://ahbap.org/
Akut: https://www.akut.org.tr/en
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Ali reflects on his long career. How did he become an assyriologist? What are his achievements, and what is his legacy to the next generation? How was his academic career shaped by the twists and turns of political events?
1:56 from school to university
7:14 student life at Mosul
11:12 military service
12:39 research assistant
15:48 time in the UK
25:21 military service again
28:07 opening a department
33:40 promotion
37:55 the ISIL years
42:30 after ISIL, heritage
46:16 retirement
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Dr Basima talks about her new research on a Late Babylonian economic archive from Shatir. She explains about her teaching, and incorporating tablet handling sessions at the Iraq Museum.
2:03 an Achaemenid archive
7:15 confiscated tablets
9:53 locating ancient Shatir
11:39 publication plans
15:00 teaching at Baghdad University
21:06 how did Basima become interested?
23:51 thoughts about the future
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
150 years ago, a young George Smith made headlines around the world. He had pieced together an Akkadian version of the Flood story found on fragments of clay tablets. Who was Smith, and why did his discovery have such a dramatic impact? What happened to him next? And what is his legacy?
We're joined by guests Sophus Helle, Gareth Brereton, Strahil Panayotov, Enrique Jimenez, Cornelia Wunsch, Mark Weeden, and Pippa Steele.
3:23Smith finds a marvel
13:46who was Smith?
17:06Smith's 1st and 2nd expeditions
22:02the fateful 3rd expedition
27:43the mysterious Mr Mathewson
33:29Carchemish and the Hittites
40:25quarantine!
42:58to Aleppo by horse
51:10a tragic end
56:22Mathewson's career
58:09Smith's family
1:03:10boo, a ghost
1:06:50Smith's notebooks
1:12:55Egibi tablets
1:16:30statue of Kubaba
1:21:29deciphering Cypriote syllabic script
The sad story of Boscawen can be found in Ruth Horry’s “Assyriology at the Margins. The Case of William St. Chad Boscawen (1855–1913)” in IRAQ 77 (2015) pp. 129-142
You can read more about the Egibit tablets in Strahil V. Panayotov and Cornelia Wunsch, "New Light on George Smith’s Purchase of the Egibi Archive in 1876 from the Nachlass Mathewson", in: Melammu: The Ancient World in an Age of Globalization (2014)
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
150 years ago, a young George Smith made headlines around the world. He had pieced together an Akkadian version of the Flood story found on fragments of clay tablets. Who was Smith, and why did his discovery have such a dramatic impact? What happened to him next? And what is his legacy?
We're joined by guests Sophus Helle, Gareth Brereton, Strahil Panayotov, and Enrique Jimenez.
2:46Smith finds a marvel
10:24who was Smith?
14:26the fateful 3rd expedition
17:26the mysterious Mr Mathewson
20:58Carchemish and the Hittites
25:50quarantine!
27:44to Aleppo by horse
33:50a tragic end
38:10Mathewson's career
39:35Smith's family and legacy
42:33Smith's notebooks
The sad story of Boscawen can be found in Ruth Horry’s “Assyriology at the Margins. The Case of William St. Chad Boscawen (1855–1913)” in IRAQ 77 (2015) pp. 129-142
You can read more about the Egibit tablets in Strahil V. Panayotov and Cornelia Wunsch, "New Light on George Smith’s Purchase of the Egibi Archive in 1876 from the Nachlass Mathewson", in: Melammu: The Ancient World in an Age of Globalization (2014)
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
How can 3000 years of history, documented by a mountain of sources, be surveyed clearly in a single book? Amanda tells us all about her new history of the ancient Middle East. Why did she use micro-histories? Who among the people in her book made the biggest impacts on her?
3:36 why micro-histories?
7:46 finding the non-elites
11:38 who did Amanda empathise with?
13:22 who did she feels sorry for?
16:56 who made her laugh?
19:40 whose story to tell?
21:43 history from limited data
26:11 writing a synthesis
30:26 why this book?
32:52 the author's hopes
Amanda's Academia page
Amanda's university page
Amanda's new book
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Louise introduces us to the fascinating world of Babylonian textiles. How do we know about textiles when almost none survive? What were they made of and what did they look like? Who made them, and who washed them? What would someone's clothing say about them?
2:46 how do we know about textiles?
8:02 what materials were clothes made of?
11:17 how practical was wool as a material to make clothes from?
12:59 who made clothes?
15:45 were clothes plain or decorated?
18:11 what would someone's clothes say about them?
20:43 what clothes would someone have in their cupboard?
22:29 who did the laundry?
27:11 how fine were fabrics?
29:44 what will fabric impressions tell us?
Louise's Academia page
Louise's ResearchGate page
Louise's new book
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Laerke talks about animals in a new way, taking us beyond thinking about animals as sources of products. What was their agency? And how did they influence human behaviour?
6:10 equids not just horses
9:50 animal agency
12:59 human-horse-dog relations
15:36 animal behaviours
22:31 potential of animal studies
Laerke's Academia page
Laerke's Twitter
Laerke's website
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Victor takes a fresh look at tablets as archaeological objects. Where and how are they found, and what does that mean for how we interpret them? Are we reconstructing archives from ancient office bins?
5:28 an archaeological approach to archives
11:01 in situ or rubbish?
15:28 the story of tablets from Tell Sabi Abyad
23:55 the story of tablets from Tell Fekheriye
27:46 history from office bins
35:03 current research
Victor's Academia page: https://ucy.academia.edu/VictorKlinkenberg
Victor's ResearchGate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Victor-Klinkenberg
Palloures:
project site: https://palloures.eu/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@palloures
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Sophie reveals the secrets of the votive statues from Mari. How did people choose to represent themselves, and why did they make those choices? Why are the male statues walking? And what do the markings on some them tell us about the life of the statue?
4:42 votive statues
7:21 Mari votive statues
12:43 what did they look like?
17:45 how do statues work?
22:59 walking statues
33:46 women watching from the sidelines?
35:47 end of life
Sophie's Academia page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Nadia discusses her work on the Iraqi antiquities market of the late 19th and early 20th century. She focuses on two remarkable figures from the trade. Ibrahim Gejou was perhaps the most significant dealer used by European and American collectors. Ferida Antone Shamas is less well-known, but still a fascinating character. Who were they? What was their role in the trade? And what was their motivation?
3:24 the network: Ibrahim, Ferida and Budge
10:51 the letters, and Svoboda's diaries
15:10 Ferida
21:28 Ibrahim
26:09 relations between Ferida and Ibrahim
28:39 Nadia's inspiration
Nadia's blog post, February 2022
Nadia's blog post, May 2022
Nadia's blog post, July 2022
Magali Dessagnes' thesis
Svoboda Diaries Project
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Julian looks back over his career. He explains how he developed his interests, and his unusual path into the field. He discusses some key moments: from the excavations at Nimrud, to discoveries in museum collections, and his own excavations at Tell Taya. Who influenced him? What does he think about how things are done? Plus news of his latest work.
3:03 approach to history
5:30 origins of interest
8:25 archaeological experience
13:58 community in Baghdad
17:44 PhD life
20:43 first job
26:26 on the Nimrud excavations
33:25 Tell Taya
37:12 museum discoveries
44:49 displaying Assyrian sculpture
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Farouk offers his personal story. He describes his family background, his early life, and details of his career. He explains how he became interested in ancient Iraq, and the many people who influenced and helped him develop his career. We learn about life in Iraq during the 20th century, and how political changes affected one man's journey.
3:14 introduction. Rawa
6:33 family background
15:01 interest in history
19:36 after graduation
27:33 early career
34:51 student life
37:40 teachers
41:31 PhD
46:05 return to Iraq
51:17 discovery of the Sippar temple library
58:40 trouble in Baghdad
1:00:05 Suleimaniyah Museum
1:06:02 thoughts about the future
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Davide recently returned from a season of work at Tell Surghul in southern Iraq. He discusses the site and his team's work there. How did they choose the site and what did they want to achieve there, and what are their results so far? Why is excavation important anyway? He explains what an archaeological team looks like today, what they do, and what happens once the excavations are over. He also offers his thoughts on current discussions around how foreign teams should work in Iraq.
2:53 Tell Surghul
7:13 choosing a site
9:17 project goals
13:25 results so far
16:49 the excavation team
20:07 a typical day
25:47 why excavation?
31:11 conservation/preservation
35:38 making the future better
Davide's university page
Davide's Academia page
Davide's Twitter
The 10-point list of suggestions for decolonising excavations permits
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Saana introduces us to the Centre of Excellence in Helsinki. She explains the new tools her team is developing to help us understand the meaning of Akkadian words. How can they help cuneiform specialists? And how can they make cuneiform resources more accessible to other specialists?
3:45 The Centre of Excellence
6:38 team goals
11:44 what digital Akkadian tools can do
19:50 why two tools?
23:23 sources and consequences
26:29 what might the future hold?
ANEE: https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/en/projects/centre-of-excellence-in-ancient-near-eastern-empires
Saana's university page
Fear in Akkadian pdf
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
History isn't just about great men. Tonia introduces us to the complicated family life of King Shulgi. Who were his wives? Did they live in a 'harem'? How did he control his empire while managing the ambitions of his many sons?
2:43 the Ur III period and king Shulgi
5:47 Shulgi's family
9:19 Shulgi's children
13:01 Shulgi's motivation
14:37 the 'harem'
17:47 the court
21:35 agency of the wives
25:56 impact of Shulgi becoming a god
27:32 royal deaths
Tonia's university page
Tonia's Academia page
Tonia's email: tonia.sharlach [at] okstate.edu
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Tim introduces us to a dynasty that ruled over Babylonia during one of the periods of its greatest influence. Where did they come from? What were their achievements? And what is their legacy?
2:29 who were the Kassites?
4:57 where did they come from?
9:20 Kassite achievements
18:04 characteristic Kassite material culture
23:13 where to see Kassite objects
24:57 where to find out more
28:49 Tim's own research
Tim's Academia page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Amir al-Zubaidi is Director of Nasiriyah Museum, and now SBAH Director of Archaeology for Dhi Qar province. He introduces us to Nasiriyah Museum, and discusses both his achievements so far and his dreams for the future. What interests the people of Nasiriyah, and what role does heritage play in civic life there?
This is the first in an experimental mini-series where we hear the thoughts of colleagues who are doing important work in Iraq. Yet while their work may be well known in Iraq itself, few in the UK or the wider western world know anything about it. This may be partly because of the nature of the specialist’s position, or the low level of Arabic language skills in the west.
With the help of interpreter Zainab Mizyidawi, Amir was interviewed in Arabic and the results have been translated into English. This episode was made possible through the generous support of the London Centre for the Ancient Near East.
4:31 Nasiriyah Museum
9:39 visitors
11:42 audience engagement
15:55 goals
19:59 what interests people
21:07 role of heritage in Nasiriyah
23:20 role of foreign teams
24:40 life as director of archaeology
29:49 priorities and challenges
30:55 hopes
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
The abundance of records from Babylonia between the 6th and the 4th century BC shows us how justice functioned. Why was the trial process so intimidating? How could you avoid it? And what happened if you couldn't?
3:05 how we know
5:01 where crime happened
7:58 motives
9:35 white collar crime
11:01 law enforcement
15:53 trials
18:07 judges
22:28 where courts met
23:49 access to justice
26:01 trials
32:38 torture
34:29 an eye for an eye?
Małgorzata 's Academia page
Małgorzata's ResearchGate page
Małgorzata's book at Zaphon press
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Tiffany introduces us to Urartu, Assyria's great neighbour and rival. What can we learn from its network of fortresses? And how can deep maps and digital storytelling help us engage people with our work?
3:48 Urartu and the Urartians
9:36 Vayots Dzor Fortress Landscapes Project
12:56 the fortress network
15:16 fire beacon stations
18:42 digital storytelling
20:50 deep maps
23:16 community engagement
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
It's back to school season. So it's story time. In this special episode, we hear the stories of how our guests became interested in the ancient Middle East.
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
András discusses the medical conditions that showed themselves through heat of some kind. 'Heat' could affect many different body parts, for various reasons. Which medicinal ingredients were used to cure 'heat' and why? András also gives an introduction to his latest work on 'glosses' in medical texts, and what the broader significance of the different types is.
2:51 about Mesopotamian medicine
5:19 fever in the ancient texts
9:52 how to catch a fever
12:08 how to cure a fever
20:57 why lizards?
22:03 strange ingredients
23:12 glosses in medical texts
András' university page: https://btk.ppke.hu/en/academics/institutes-and-departments/institute-of-history/department-of-ancient-history/faculty/andras-bacskay
András' Academia page: https://ppke.academia.edu/Andr%C3%A1sB%C3%A1cskay
András' ResearchGate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andras-Bacskay
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Stefania introduces us to one of the dominant figures of early assyriology--Austen Henry Layard. She guides us through the archival sources that put his famous publications in context, and reveal the man behind the legend.
3:03 Why was Layard famous?
5:34 Why study Layard?
7:50 Layard's cuneiform skills
9:24 The sources and what we learn from them
15:08 Are the archives everything or just a selection?
16:42 Do the archives agree with his publications?
18:48 Stefania's publications
Stefania's Academia
Stefania's university page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Elynn introduces the historical geography of the Neo-Elamite kingdom. What do we know about the borderlands and their role in Assyrian-Elamite relations? Why don't we know where so many places are, and why is that so significant?
2:32 who were “the Elamites”?
5:24 the Elamite language, writing, and texts
7:33 about the Elamite kingdom
10:21 relations with Elam's neighbours
11:50 the borderlands and Elamite-Assyrian relations
15:36 on Elamite identity
16:28 where are the places mentioned in the texts?
21:16 about the harbours
25:16 matching up names with sites on the ground
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
While the pandemic keeps us apart, colleagues are working hard to find ways to organise virtual conferences. The 67th RAI is hosted by Turin this July. Elena Devecchi and Stefano de Martino explain what to expect this year, and what it means to Turin to host a RAI now. Walther Sallaberger explains the IAA's role in coordinating the RAIs.
Sophus explains the most famous piece of literature from ancient Iraq: the Epic of Gilgamesh. He guides us through the many meanings that have been found in it, from antiquity to the present day. Why does it fascinate us, and what can it offer us?
2:21 about the Gilgamesh Epic
6:38 what Gilgamesh meant in antiquity
9:39 meanings in the modern world
15:51 what Gilgamesh has meant for Iraqis in particular
22:21 Sophus’s new book, and a reading from his translation
https://sophushelle.com/
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Reinhard reveals the wealth of information recorded in the so-called "astronomical diaries". The astronomical component was, and still is, a valuable resource. But there is so much more. The diaries document fascinating historical details, help us understand the Babylonian economy, and offer remarkable details about the ancient environment.
2:32 introduction to astronomical diaries
5:40 what do the diaries say?
10:37 who wrote them?
12:21 why were they written?
13:47 why are they important?
16:23 relation to other texts
19:19 what they tell us about the Babylonian economy
22:21 what they tell us about the environment
25:21 computer aided analysis
Reinhard's Academia page: https://oeaw.academia.edu/ReinhardPirngruber
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Müge introduces us to the Hittites and their artistic world. We focus on kings, and why there are so few depictions of kings in human form. What do they look like? What are they communicating and who to? What does it tell us about the relationship between human and divine worlds?
3:45 nature and scope of Hittite art
7:22 who is it for?
10:49 relation to other ancient Middle Eastern traditions
12:41 why are there so few representations of kings in human form?
15:37 individuality or timeless kingship?
18:25 what does the king look like?
21:03 portraits or generic forms?
22:22 relation between human and divine worlds
23:55 can we identify historical events in art?
Müge's university page: http://arkeo.bilkent.edu.tr/muge.html
Müge's Academia page: https://bilkent.academia.edu/mdurusu
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Adelheid, Nicolò, and Ingolf explain about the ICAANE. Why was it started, and how did it become what it is today? What does it take to organise an ICAANE? What lessons were learned from the recent, virtual ICAANE? And what can we expect from future ICAANEs? What can be done to make them more inclusive?
Adelheid:
2:49 About ICAANE
5:10 Scope of ICAANE
8:11 Who runs it?
10:22 Logistics of in-person ICAANE
Nicolò
14:21 Significance of ICAANE
16:20 Logistics of virtual ICAANE
23:17 Successes of virtual ICAANE Bologna
Ingolf
27:17 Why is ICAANE always in Europe?
28:55 What can we expect from ICAANE 2023 in Copenhagen?
34:10 Inclusion, and the future of ICAANE
Access to ICAANE 12 Bologna lectures: https://12icaane.site.ibrida.io
ICAANE 12 Bologna website: https://eventi.unibo.it/12icaane
OrientLab YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IjpFbH2DRU
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
The world’s first Assyrian museum opened in 1847 in Paris, at the Louvre. Since then, the Louvre has curated one of the most important collections of antiquities from the ancient Middle East. What is the modern approach to curation there? Ariane discusses the curatorial role, from displays, research, combatting illegal antiquities, heritage protection, and partnerships with colleagues and institutions in the Middle East.
2:29 what a curator at the Louvre does
4:12 display at the Louvre
12:28 how research fits in
15:50 acquisitions and combatting illegal antiquities
20:40 Louvre’s activities in the Middle East
25:50 about the department of Ancient Near Eastern Antiquities
30:01 what the future might hold at the Louvre
Ariane in the news: https://www.culture.gouv.fr/Presse/Communiques-de-presse/Nomination-d-Ariane-Thomas-a-la-tete-du-departement-des-antiquites-orientales-du-musee-du-Louvre
On the Louvre website: https://www.louvre.fr/recherche-et-conservation/departement-des-antiquites-orientales
Louvre on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MuseeLouvre
Louvre on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/louvre
ALIPH: https://www.aliph-foundation.org/
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Many of us have spent a lot of time at home this year. What would that have been like in ancient Babylon? Heather talks about housing in the first millennium BC. What were houses like, who lived in them, and how did they use them? She discusses what houses meant to Babylonians, and how they were split and reconstituted by the family.
2:34 where was housing in the city?
4:13 where did people want to live?
6:42 did houses have kerb appeal?
8:54 a typical house
12:17 how rooms were used
15:13 who lived in a typical house?
18:09 keeping a family home
22:04 what about water?
26:01 how did you find where someone lived?
https://www.nmc.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/heather-d-baker
https://hcommons.org/members/apkallatu/
https://utoronto.academia.edu/HeatherDBaker
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Jaafar explains his love for the ancient waterways of southern Iraq. He tells us why they are so important, and what they can tell us about life in ancient Iraq. How do you find ancient waterways? And how do you investigate them?
2:44 Jaafar's interest in waterways
4:26 why are they important?
6:35 what they can tell us
11:39 the relationship between sites and waterways
17:06 how to study waterways
21:36 collaborations
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaafarJotheri
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001588284937
Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=9zuyq4UAAAAJ
University website: http://qu.edu.iq/arc/?page_id=4405
Nahrein Network: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/nahrein/project-team/core-team
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
- Fabienne Huber Vuillet: Meanings from the mundane
Fabienne introduces us to the Mesopotamian science of predicting the future based on things that happened during daily life. What might have meaning, and how would you find it? Who used this kind of expertise? And was there anything you could do to change the future predicted for you?
2:34 omens from daily life
5:20 what had meaning
10:20 how did divination worked
16:49 who used the omens
19:51 could you change the future?
25:15 how the mass of knowledge was organised
Project site: https://www.unige.ch/lettres/antic/unites/mesopotamie/projets/edition-de-la-serie-divinatoire-shumma-alu/
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Xiaoli introduces us to silver in the Sumerian city of Umma. She explains where it came from and how people got hold of it. Who was able to use it and what for? She tells us how we might understand whether it could be called money. And explains the physical form in which silver circulated.
5:42 What is money?
8:46 Who used silver?
13:00 How they got silver
16:55 Did silver actually circulate?
22:26 How was value set?
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
- Shiyanthi Thavapalan: Colour in Mesopotamia
Shiyanthi throws light on how colour was interpreted in Mesopotamia. What cultural meanings were attached to colours? What was the relation between materials and colours? She explains where they sourced their pigments and how they made paints.
2:26 Mesopotamia as a colourful place
6:01 How they saw colour
12:00 How we know about colour
14:47 Materials and colour
16:56 Sources of pigments
21:56 Experimental archaeology
23:33 The meaning of colours
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
- Carmen Gütschow: Archaeological conservation
Carmen introduces the work of an archaeological conservator. She discusses the issues that arise in different materials, and the range of treatments and tools she uses. What are the pressures of conservation work on an archaeological site? And what does she do differently in Europe and the Middle East. As an expert in treating cuneiform tablets, Carmen explains about firing and salts.
3:03 what a conservator does
4:23 ceramics
7:38 organics and humidity
8:54 metals
11:40 work on an archaeological site versus work in a lab
13:38 work in the Middle East
16:23 cuneiform tablets
17:42 firing tablets
21:46 preserving original condition
24:37 working in museums
Carmen’s book
Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg/Excavation in Assur and Bakr Awa and Ninive in Iraq/Kurdistan
- https://www.assur.de/Themen/Ausgrabung/Assur2001/Konservierung/konservierung.html
- https://www.assur.de/Themen/Bakr_Awa/Restoration/body_restoration.html
- https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wissen/ausgrabung-in-ninive-heilsbotschaft-aus-dem-alten-orient/25727444.html
The Shamlu Archaeological Mission (SAM) is part of the DFG Emmy Noether project "Flight - Migration - Interaction. Artefact related diversity in Ancient Near Eastern contexts of the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC"
LMU/ Iran. Das elamische Archiv aus Goshtaspi. Staatliche Verwaltung
Sippar library/ Baghdad, Iraq. „Electronic Babylonian Literature“ (Professor Enrique Jiménez).
Hilprecht collection, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena
• https://www.oriindufa.uni-jena.de/keilschrift
• https://iaassyriology.com/congratulations-winner-of-the-second-iaa-dissertation-prize/
• https://www.harrassowitz-verlag.de/dzo/artikel/201/91_201.pdf?t=1408373297
DAI /Uruk-Warka collection, Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg
• iDAI.publications: publications.dainst.org › efb › article › download
• https://lens.idai.world/?url=/repository/eDAI-F_2020-3/eDAI-F_VanEss.xml
Böhl-Collection NINO /Leiden, Netherlands
• http://www.nino-leiden.nl/collections/de-liagre-bohl-collection
• http://www.nino-leiden.nl/message/pilot-restoration-of-clay-tablets-in-the-bohl-collection
VAM Berlin “Das Vorprojekt BABylo-tec”. Erinnerung an das ende der deutschen Babylon- Expedition
Museum of Islamic art Berlin/ Afghanistan. A museum project in Herat Afghanistan
• http://ancient-herat.de/category/herat_pdf_en/
• http://ancient-herat.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/00b-Showcasing-History-Realisation-of-a-Vision-D.pdf
•https://www.academia.edu/30106499/Herat_Through_Time_The_Collections_of_the_Herat_Museum_and_Archive_Ancient_Herat_Vol_3_Berlin_2016_extracts
Museum of Islamic art Berlin/ Karachi, Pakistan. A project and exhibition in Karachi
A new museum project in Yazd
• https://www.smb.museum/museen-einrichtungen/museum-fuer-islamische-kunst/sammeln-forschen/forschung-kooperation/iran-the-provincial-museum-yazd-national-museum-teheran/
• https://www.bundeskunsthalle.de/forschungsprojekte/iran.html
• https://www.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de/Iran
• https://www.welcometoiran.com/german-institute-to-help-set-up-museum/
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_p
- Strahil Panayotov: Assyrian eye medicine
Strahil explains how Assyrian medicine worked. Who were the doctors and what did they do? Would their treatments have been effective? He discusses the problems caused by taxonomy. Different ideas about the human body and the diseases affecting it make it more difficult for us to understand Assyrian medicine. One of our most important sources is a newly reconstructed reference work, The Nineveh Medical Encyclopaedia.
2:46 Assyrian doctors
5:24 how medicine worked
8:44 eye problems and their treatment
12:25 the problem of taxonomy
15:25 about our sources
17:30 the Nineveh Medical Encyclopaedia
BabMed: https://www.geschkult.fu-berlin.de/en/e/babmed/index.html
Strahil’s Academia: https://bas.academia.edu/StrahilPanayotov
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Ilgi and Selim explain their collaborative project to document and eventually publish an important group of texts from Turkish-sponsored excavations at Sippar in the late 19th century. They discuss the number and content of these tablets, and how they came to Istanbul. What are the project’s aims and what progress has been made so far?
5:07 About the Project
5:47 Why Sippar?
7:27 About the tablets
9:25 How they came to Istanbul
13:15 Results and further goals
18:45 Wider dissemination
20:56 Mesopotamia in schools
Sevin Kutlu and Teoman Duralı's translation based on N.K. Sandars's translation: Gılgamış Destanı (The Gilgamesh Epic)
Muazzez İlmiye Çığ, Gilgameş. Tarihte İlk Kral Kahraman (Gilgamesh. The First Hero King in History)
Sait Maden, Gılgamış Destanı (The Gilgamesh Epic)
Orhan Suda's translation of Jean Bottéro's translation, Gılgamış Destanı. Ölmek İstemeyen Adam (The Gilgamesh Epic. The Man Who Does Not Want To Die)
Muzaffer Ramazanoğlu, 2010, Gılgamış Destanı (The Gilgamesh Epic)
ilgigercek (at) bilkent.edu.tr
selimferruh.adali (at) asbu.edu.tr
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Daniel Nicky explains how he uses music to help teach school children about history. His Mesopotamia song has been incredibly successful. How does he do it, and what does it take? His work with youth groups in West Java may offer inspiration for engaging youth in the Middle East.
03:15 origins of the Mesopotamia Song
06:43 why it’s popular
10:00 the Mesopotamia Song
13:41 making the Song
16:22 researching the Song
23:37 plans for the future
27:09 working with youth groups
The Mesopotamia Song
Mr Nicky's World History Songs
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Aaron discusses the ideas from his new book, The Idols of Isis: from Assyria to the Internet. The ISIS video of men smashing statues in Mosul Museum reminded him of a lost scene from Sargon’s palace. What are images? Why do we need them? Can they ever be anything other than incomplete and imperfect? And does that matter?
2:53 images, idolatry and iconoclasm
5:39 meanings of images in relation to Iraqi heritage
9:09 ISIS videos
12:44 Sargon of Assyria and ancient iconoclasm
17:52 virtuous iconoclasm?
21:55 how museums might display meanings
Idols of Isis is available from the University of Chicago Press: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/I/bo60920783.html
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Nicolò discusses the work of the Iraqi-Italian team at the site of Nineveh in 2019 and 2020. What is the situation at Nineveh now? How has the site been affected in recent years? New research has revealed new information and insights. But far more importantly, Nicolò discusses the forms that archaeology can take, and why it is done.
2:24 about Nineveh
6:51 new work at Nineveh
9:55 what archaeology means at Nineveh
20:32 collaboration with SBAH
26:28 why this work, at Nineveh, now?
30:45 archaeological park
36:41 engaging communities
Academia: https://unibo.academia.edu/Nicol%C3%B2Marchetti
University page: https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/nicolo.marchetti/en
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nicolo_Marchetti
EDUU: https://site.unibo.it/eduu/en/project
Barry McGuire - Eve Of Destruction: https://youtu.be/qfZVu0alU0I
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube:
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Gojko reveals the amazing scale and scope of international trade in the ancient Middle East. And the incredible detail in which we can study it. The Assyrian trade network was not the exception we used to think it was. The traders’ business records document a system that has much to offer wider historical study.
2:39 what is trade?
5:10 about the Old Assyrian Colony Period
9:31 what the ancient archives tell us
12:49 was Assur normal or exceptional?
17:44 the significance of the scope and scale of the trade
21:52 who were these traders?
30:43 the relation between trade and political organisation
Academia: https://harvard.academia.edu/GojkoBarjamovic
University page: https://nelc.fas.harvard.edu/people/gojko-barjamovic
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube:
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Carlos introduces us to the social setting of Mesopotamian maths. What form did maths take? Who used it and what for? Are Mesopotamian practices related to what we know from other ancient cultures, or from the modern world? Carlos explains how our understanding of Mesopotamian maths has changed over the years.
Academia: https://usp-br.academia.edu/CGon%C3%A7alves
2:19 about Mesopotamian maths
5:34 the oldest maths
10:10 connections to other ancient cultures, and to the modern world
14:57 how they wrote numbers
17:22 how Mesopotamians thought about numbers
23:51 changing modern understandings of Mesopotamian maths
28:42 Carlos' work
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Licia talks about her work at the Sumerian site of Abu Tbeirah in southern Iraq. She explains what the burials found there, and elsewhere in Iraq, tell us about the beliefs and practices of the Sumerians. Why are bodies oriented to the western horizon? And why are the heads sometimes missing?
2:25 about Abu Tbeirah
3:14 why excavate at Abu Tbeirah?
6:50 where were the dead buried?
14:56 the orientation of bodies
18:18 grave goods
21:10 after death
24:58 how burials are excavated
Academia: https://wwwuniroma1.academia.edu/LiciaRomano
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Licia_Romano
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbuTbeirah/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abu_tbeirah/?hl=en
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Elisa talks about terracottas as physical images. What different sorts are there? What images were popular? She tackles the difficult questions of who used them, and what for. What do broken examples tell us? And she explains how we understand the meaning of ancient images.
3:05 what is a terracotta?
9:24 what kinds of terracotta are there?
11:36 what images were popular?
13:11 how were terracottas used?
17:52 how do discover the meaning of terracottas?
22:51 what was the significance of breaking terracottas?
24:35 how to follow Elisa’s work
University page: https://www.vorderas-archaeologie.uni-muenchen.de/personen/wiss_mitarbeiter/rossberger/index.html
Academia: https://lmu-munich.academia.edu/ElisaRo%C3%9Fberger
Twitter: https://twitter.com/elisarossberger
ACAWAI-CS: https://www.acawai-cs.gwi.uni-muenchen.de/
https://twitter.com/acawai_cs
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Saber talks about his work recovering the text of the Elamite version of the trilingual inscription at Behistun. This is cuneiform’s equivalent of the Rosetta Stone. It was created at the end of the 6th century BC for Darius the Great of Persia. It has long been famous, but there is still more to learn about it.
3:39 introducing Behistun
6:13 the 3 languages
9:23 Behistun or Bisitun?
10:34 knowledge of Behistun
13:21 why new work is needed
16:16 Saber’s work
20:09 future plans
23:43 Behistun and Elamite in Iran
You can find Saber here:
Academia: https://independent.academia.edu/SaberAmiriParian
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saaber.pariyaan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Saber_Parian
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Dahlia explains all about Anzu, the thunderbird. Who was he? How did his character change? Why was everyone so taken by the Tablet of Destinies? What does his story tell us about the Mesopotamian relationship to the world?
2:59 who is Anzu?
4:28 Anzu’s story
12:00 the Tablet of Destinies
15:59 how Ninurta defeated Anzu
17:30 the different Anzus
26:35 what’s new?
Dahlia's university staff page: https://www.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/altorientalistik/team/shehata/
Dahlia's Academia: https://wue.academia.edu/DahliaShehata
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Paul explains the thinking behind traditional displays. He then guides us through the new displays at the Ashmolean. What is he doing differently? What does the future of display look like?
2:09 traditional displays
4:55 the role of aesthetics
8:14 temporary exhibitions versus permanent displays
12:53 flexible displays
17:37 catering for senses other than sight
21:47 technology
24:18 terminology
25:51 Owning the Past: from Mesopotamia to Iraq
28:32 new galleries at the Ashmolean
37:41 skill-sharing with Iraqi colleagues
39:39 how to follow Paul’s work
Ashmolean for All blog: https://ashmoleanforall.blog/
Nahrein Networks: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/nahrein/
BISI: http://www.bisi.ac.uk/
Paul’s Twitter : https://twitter.com/P_T_Collins
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
Jacob and Rients discuss their collaboration on texts from a site housing soldier-gardeners. Who were they and what were they doing there? How can archaeology help make sense of tablets looted a century ago? What is the situation today?
03:12 Where is Tell Abu Antiq?
04:34 What does the name Abu Antiq, and the ancient name Pi-Kasi, mean?
07:09 Connecting tablets old and new.
08:50 The finds from Abu Antiq.
11:00 Progress so far.
11:45 “Gardeners”.
17:09 How to connect tablets to archives.
19:49 Importance of archaeological context.
22:44 The end of Pi-Kasi.
25:17 Plans for the future.
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
16/10/2020
Thin End of the Wedge
Episode 4: Gina Konstantopoulos: A demon haunted world
Gina guides us through the family of demons. Who were they? What did they do, and why? How could tell if a demon had possessed someone. And what could you do about it? Hear the words of anti-demon spells.
02:47 What was a demon?
07:04 Pandemonium! And demonic warfare. Pazuzu and Lamashtu.
13:26 Where they live.
15:10 Why demons attack.
18:37 How to fight demons. Exorcists and magic.
28: 49 Plans for the future.
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
12/10/2020
Thin End of the Wedge
Richard explains what we know about music from Mesopotamia, and how we know it. Hear his reconstruction of a Hurrian song that’s more than 3000 years old. He talks about his work with colleagues in the Middle East, using music to drive positive change.
2:41 How do we know anything at all about music in Mesopotamia?
6:00 Babylonian system of music
12:10 What kind of music do we know about? Are they solo works or were there orchestras?
15:16 What kinds of instrument did they have?
21:10 the Hurrian hymn
25:17 What do we know about the musicians? Who were they? What training did they have?
27:12 plans for the future
28:47 the cultural festivals at Babylon
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
09/10/2020
Thin End of the Wedge
Jana Matuszak reveals the secrets of ancient texts describing how not to be a woman. Some of these texts have lain unread for almost 4000 years. She brings Sumerian literature to life. What do they tell us about the expectations placed on women in ancient Iraq?
2:43 What do these texts sound like?
4:38 About Sumerian
7:12 Introducing the texts: how many are there, and what happens in them?
13:16 Why are they fragmentary?
15:41 Is this reality?
24:51 Who was the ideal Sumerian woman?
27:43 Is it misogyny?
30:49 Research progress
Jana’s personal page at SOAS: https://soas-uk.academia.edu/JanaMatuszak
Academia page with copies of articles: https://soas-uk.academia.edu/JanaMatuszak
Twitter: @JanaMatuszak
Jana’s book will be available through https://www.degruyter.com/view/title/571773?language=en
To join the staging of “Two Women B” in English and Arabic, sign up via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/myevent?eid=117241708105
ORACC is at: http://oracc.org Jana’s translations are not yet available, but you’ll find all sorts of other interesting texts there in the meantime.
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
05/10/2020
Thin End of the Wedge
Episode 1: Laith Hussein: Tell Harmal, heart of Eshnunna
Laith Hussein talks about a key centre in the kingdom of Eshnunna. Eshnunna was one of several rival kingdoms fighting for supremacy in Iraq about 4000 years ago. What was found, and what work is being done?
3:06 about the site of Tell Harmal. Where is it? How big is it? When was it excavated? What was its ancient name?
7:54 what ancient texts have been found there?
13:01 how the archaeological remains and texts relate to each other. The production of huge numbers of bricks.
15:54 what language are the texts in? And what do they talk about?
17:36 what do they tell us about life in ancient Iraq?
21:00 any plans for new excavations?
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod
The article Dr Laith mentioned is: "Bauplanung und Administration in altbabylonischer Zeit: ein Tonbullen-Archiv aus Tell Harmal (Shaduppum)", in Kaskal 9 (2012), pp. 3-29
A brief report on the 1997-1998 excavations is available in English.
The Iraqi scholars Dr Laith mentions as having worked on tablets from Tell Harmal are:
Basima Jalil Abed, Unpublished Cuneiform Texts from the Old Babylonian Period in the Iraq Museum. Masters dissertation, Baghdad University (in Arabic). 1998
Khalid al-A’dami, Some Old Babylonian Letters in the Iraq Museum. PhD dissertation. 1971
Abdulkarim Abdullah Ahmed, Old Babylonian Loan Contracts in the Iraq Museum from Tell al-Dhiba’i and Tell Harmal. Masters dissertation, Baghdad University (= OBLC). 1964
Saad Salman Fahad, Cuneiform Texts from the Old Babylonian Period, Diyala Region, Tell Harmal. Masters dissertation, Baghdad University (in Arabic). 1996
Ahmad Hamid Majeed, Studies of Unpublished Old Babylonian Cuneiform Texts from the Diyala Region, Tell Harmal. Masters dissertation, Baghdad University (in Arabic). 1990
Ridha al-Hashimi, Some Old Babylonian Purchase Contracts in the Iraqi Museum from Harmal and Dhiba’i (OBPC). Masters dissertation, Baghdad University (in Arabic). 1964
Menshed Mutlaq Menshed, Unpublished Cuneiform Texts from the Old Babylonian Period, Diyala Region, Tell Harmal. Masters dissertation, Baghdad University (in Arabic). 1997
Ahmad Kamil Muhammed, Unpublished Old Babylonian Letters in the Iraq Museum. PhD dissertation, Baghdad University (in Arabic). 1996
Amir Suleiman, A Study of Land Tenure in the Old Babylonian Period with Special Reference to The Diyala Region, Based on Published and Unpublished Texts (= SLTOB). PhD dissertation, University of London. 1966
Amir Suleiman, Harvest Documents and Loan Contracts from the Old Babylonian Period, Sumer 34/I-II (1978), pp. 130-138
Hello! And welcome to Thin End of the Wedge. This episode explains what the podcast is about, and how and why I brought it to life.
Thin End of the Wedge explores life in the ancient Middle East. There are many wonderful stories we can tell about those people, their communities, the gritty reality of their lives, their hopes, fears and beliefs.
We bring you expert insights and the latest research in clear and simple language. We won’t talk to you like you’re stupid. But you won’t need any special training to understand what we’re talking about.
0:12 Welcome! Host Jon Taylor introduces the Thin End of the Wedge podcast
2:08 Why Thin End of the Wedge, and why now?
Music by Ruba Hillawi.
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod
Email: wedgepod@gmail.com
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod