Critique of colonialism has become a mainstream concern also in the research of ancient Near East. What does decolonizing mean when making museum exhibitions here in Finland? In this episode, the former director of FIME, Raija Mattila discusses the making of the National Museum exhibition “Exploring the Ancient Near East” with experts Rick Bonnie, Sanna Saari and Yasmin Ibrahim. The possession and exhibition of the unique treasures from the ancient Near East found in Finland are discussed from the perspectives of colonialism, orientalism and nationalism. The making of an ethically sustainable exhibition has been an interesting process – you can see the end results for yourself in the National Museum of Finland.

In the previous episodes, we discussed Ancient Near Eastern Empires, their heydays and downfalls as well as ancient languages and the first Finnish study textbook in Akkadian language. This episode was done in cooperation with ANEE- Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Empires.

You can listen to the podcast also in Spotify or i-Tunes.

The transcribed, accessible version of the episode can be found here: Lahi-ita NYT-15

Featured image: Museovirasto /Finnish Heritage Agency, Sketchfab.