Thin End of the Wedge

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 Twitter: @wedge_pod Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

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 Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

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 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

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, 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

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

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