Thin End of the Wedge

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 ori...

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 terraco...

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 know...

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 staf...

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 2...

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 fro...

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 li...

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...

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...

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...

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 researc...