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: [email protected] 

Twitter: @wedge_pod  

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