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 terracottas used?

17:52 how do discover the meaning of terracottas?

22:51 what was the significance of breaking terracottas?

24:35 how to follow Elisa’s work

University page: https://www.vorderas-archaeologie.uni-muenchen.de/personen/wiss_mitarbeiter/rossberger/index.html 

Academia: https://lmu-munich.academia.edu/ElisaRo%C3%9Fberger 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elisarossberger 

ACAWAI-CS: https://www.acawai-cs.gwi.uni-muenchen.de/ 

https://twitter.com/acawai_cs 

Music by Ruba Hillawi

Website: http://wedgepod.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod 

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @wedge_pod  

Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod  

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 knowledge of Behistun

13:21 why new work is needed

16:16 Saber’s work

20:09 future plans

23:43 Behistun and Elamite in Iran

 You can find Saber here:

Academia: https://independent.academia.edu/SaberAmiriParian 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saaber.pariyaan 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Saber_Parian 

Music by Ruba Hillawi

Website: http://wedgepod.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod 

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @wedge_pod  

Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod 

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 staff page: https://www.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/altorientalistik/team/shehata/ 

Dahlia's Academia: https://wue.academia.edu/DahliaShehata

Music by Ruba Hillawi

Website: http://wedgepod.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod 

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @wedge_pod  

Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod 

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

25:51 Owning the Past: from Mesopotamia to Iraq

28:32 new galleries at the Ashmolean

37:41 skill-sharing with Iraqi colleagues

39:39 how to follow Paul’s work

Ashmolean for All blog: https://ashmoleanforall.blog/ 

Nahrein Networks: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/nahrein/

BISI: http://www.bisi.ac.uk/ 

Paul’s Twitter : https://twitter.com/P_T_Collins 

Music by Ruba Hillawi

Website: http://wedgepod.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod 

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @wedge_pod  

Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod 

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 from Abu Antiq.

11:00 Progress so far.

11:45 “Gardeners”.

17:09 How to connect tablets to archives.

19:49 Importance of archaeological context.

22:44 The end of Pi-Kasi.

25:17 Plans for the future.

Music by Ruba Hillawi

Website: http://wedgepod.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod 

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @wedge_pod  

Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod 

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 live.

15:10 Why demons attack.

18:37 How to fight demons. Exorcists and magic.

28: 49 Plans for the future.

Music by Ruba Hillawi

Website: http://wedgepod.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod   

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @wedge_pod  

Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod 

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 of music do we know about? Are they solo works or were there orchestras? 

15:16 What kinds of instrument did they have?

21:10 the Hurrian hymn

25:17 What do we know about the musicians? Who were they? What training did they have?

27:12 plans for the future

28:47 the cultural festivals at Babylon

Music by Ruba Hillawi

Website: http://wedgepod.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod   

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @wedge_pod  

Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod 

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  

Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod 

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 ancient name?

7:54 what ancient texts have been found there?

13:01 how the archaeological remains and texts relate to each other. The production of huge numbers of bricks.

15:54 what language are the texts in? And what do they talk about?

17:36 what do they tell us about life in ancient Iraq?

21:00 any plans for new excavations?

Music by Ruba Hillawi

Website: http://wedgepod.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod   

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @wedge_pod  

Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod 

The article Dr Laith mentioned is: "Bauplanung und Administration in altbabylonischer Zeit: ein Tonbullen-Archiv aus Tell Harmal (Shaduppum)", in Kaskal 9 (2012), pp. 3-29

A brief report on the 1997-1998 excavations is available in English. 

The Iraqi scholars Dr Laith mentions as having worked on tablets from Tell Harmal are:

Basima Jalil Abed, Unpublished Cuneiform Texts from the Old Babylonian Period in the Iraq Museum. Masters dissertation, Baghdad University (in Arabic). 1998

Khalid al-A’dami, Some Old Babylonian Letters in the Iraq Museum. PhD dissertation. 1971

Abdulkarim  Abdullah Ahmed, Old Babylonian Loan Contracts in the Iraq Museum from Tell al-Dhiba’i and Tell Harmal. Masters dissertation, Baghdad University (= OBLC). 1964

Saad Salman Fahad, Cuneiform Texts from the Old Babylonian Period, Diyala Region, Tell Harmal. Masters dissertation, Baghdad University (in Arabic). 1996

Ahmad Hamid Majeed, Studies of Unpublished Old Babylonian Cuneiform Texts from the Diyala Region, Tell Harmal. Masters dissertation, Baghdad University (in Arabic). 1990        

Ridha al-Hashimi, Some Old Babylonian Purchase Contracts in the Iraqi Museum from Harmal and Dhiba’i (OBPC). Masters dissertation, Baghdad University (in Arabic). 1964

Menshed Mutlaq Menshed, Unpublished Cuneiform Texts from the Old Babylonian Period, Diyala Region, Tell Harmal. Masters dissertation, Baghdad University (in Arabic). 1997 

Ahmad Kamil Muhammed, Unpublished Old Babylonian Letters in the Iraq Museum. PhD dissertation, Baghdad University (in Arabic). 1996

Amir Suleiman, A Study of Land Tenure in the Old Babylonian Period with Special Reference to The Diyala Region, Based on Published and Unpublished Texts (= SLTOB). PhD dissertation, University of London. 1966

Amir Suleiman, Harvest Documents and Loan Contracts from the Old Babylonian Period, Sumer 34/I-II (1978), pp. 130-138

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 research in clear and simple language. We won’t talk to you like you’re stupid. But you won’t need any special training to understand what we’re talking about.

0:12 Welcome! Host Jon Taylor introduces the Thin End of the Wedge podcast

2:08 Why Thin End of the Wedge, and why now?

Music by Ruba Hillawi. 

Website: http://wedgepod.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WedgePod  

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @wedge_pod 

Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod