Thin End of the Wedge

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...

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 en...

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...

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...

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 b...

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 part...

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...

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...

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-pers...

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 institut...

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 wan...

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...

21. 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...

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:...

19. 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 Mat...

18. 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, Car...

17. 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...

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 tabl...

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 re...

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...

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 archaeolo...

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 a...

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...