Best Tell Me Rune Podcast Podcasts (2024)

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67. Amy Gansell: Dressing Assyria's queens 42:28

23d ago42:28

42:28

Amy discusses the multi-sensory presence of the queens of Assyria. What was queenly dress and what meaning did each part of it convey? How does the evidence from art compare to what we learn from archaeology? Can we identify personal choice? She also talks about what it's like to wear queenly clothes, and what experimental archaeology can tell us. …

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66. Rune Rattenborg, Seraina Nett, Gustav Ryberg Smidt: Geomapping Cuneiform 41:35

2M ago41:35

41:35

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 GLo…

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65. Omar N'Shea: Masculinities in Mesopotamia 36:06

3M ago36:06

36:06

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 In…

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64. Ali Kadhem Ghanem: Managing the site of Ur 29:02

4M ago29:02

29:02

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 tou…

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63: Enrique Jiménez: the electronic Babylonian Library 31:39

5M ago31:39

31:39

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…

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62. Prize-winning assyriology 30:55

6M ago30:55

30:55

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-Elami…

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61. Shigeo Yamada: Yasin Tepe: on the margins of empire 27:53

7M ago27:53

27:53

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 inscri…

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60. Susanne Paulus: Back to School in Babylonia 46:19

9M ago46:19

46:19

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 ho…

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59. Louise Pryke: Ishtar then and now 30:21

10M ago30:21

30:21

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…

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58. Looking back at RAI Leiden: on conferences, and catching up with guests 36:08

11M ago36:08

36:08

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. Sinc…

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57. Looking forward to Leiden 22:55

12M ago22:55

22:55

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 t…

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56. Nicholas Reid: The Big House 30:53

1y ago30:53

30:53

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 sourc…

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55. Agnès Garcia-Ventura: The historiography of assyriology 35:11

1y ago35:11

35:11

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 les…

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54. Eckart Frahm: A new history of Assyria, the world's first empire 47:26

1y ago47:26

47:26

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 k…

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53. Parsa Daneshmand: Consensus decision-making in divination 39:00

1y ago39:00

39:00

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…

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52. Birgül Öğüt: phytoliths in west Asian archaeology 39:04

1+ y ago39:04

39:04

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 limitat…

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51. Ali al-Juboori: Reflections 53:51

1+ y ago53:51

53:51

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 …

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50. Dr Basima Jalil Abed 28:31

1+ y ago28:31

28:31

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 b…

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49. George Smith: the man behind the headlines SHORT VERSION 50:04

1+ y ago50:04

50:04

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 …

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49. George Smith: the man behind the headlines 1:29:54

1+ y ago1:29:54

1:29:54

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 …

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48. Amanda Podany: A New History of the Ancient Near East 39:18

1+ y ago39:18

39:18

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 …

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47. Louise Quillien: Textiles from Babylonia 35:01

2y ago35:01

35:01

Louise introduces us to the fascinating world of Babylonian textiles. How do we know about textiles when almost none survive? What were they made of and what did they look like? Who made them, and who washed them? What would someone's clothing say about them? 2:46 how do we know about textiles? 8:02 what materials were clothes made of? 11:17 how pr…

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46. Laerke Recht: The agency of animals 29:34

2y ago29:34

29:34

Laerke talks about animals in a new way, taking us beyond thinking about animals as sources of products. What was their agency? And how did they influence human behaviour? 6:10 equids not just horses 9:50 animal agency 12:59 human-horse-dog relations 15:36 animal behaviours 22:31 potential of animal studies Laerke's Academia page Laerke's Twitter L…

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45. Victor Klinkenberg: An archaeological approach to tablets 39:23

2y ago39:23

39:23

Victor takes a fresh look at tablets as archaeological objects. Where and how are they found, and what does that mean for how we interpret them? Are we reconstructing archives from ancient office bins? 5:28 an archaeological approach to archives 11:01 in situ or rubbish? 15:28 the story of tablets from Tell Sabi Abyad 23:55 the story of tablets fro…

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44. Sophie Cluzan: Votive statues from Mari 50:21

2y ago50:21

50:21

Sophie reveals the secrets of the votive statues from Mari. How did people choose to represent themselves, and why did they make those choices? Why are the male statues walking? And what do the markings on some them tell us about the life of the statue? 4:42 votive statues 7:21 Mari votive statues 12:43 what did they look like? 17:45 how do statues…

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43. Nadia Ait Said-Ghanem: Iraqi antiquities dealers of 19th century 39:34

2y ago39:34

39:34

Nadia discusses her work on the Iraqi antiquities market of the late 19th and early 20th century. She focuses on two remarkable figures from the trade. Ibrahim Gejou was perhaps the most significant dealer used by European and American collectors. Ferida Antone Shamas is less well-known, but still a fascinating character. Who were they? What was th…

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42. Julian Edgeworth Reade: Reflections 54:10

2+ y ago54:10

54:10

Julian looks back over his career. He explains how he developed his interests, and his unusual path into the field. He discusses some key moments: from the excavations at Nimrud, to discoveries in museum collections, and his own excavations at Tell Taya. Who influenced him? What does he think about how things are done? Plus news of his latest work.…

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41. Farouk al-Rawi: reflections 1:17:37

2+ y ago1:17:37

1:17:37

Farouk offers his personal story. He describes his family background, his early life, and details of his career. He explains how he became interested in ancient Iraq, and the many people who influenced and helped him develop his career. We learn about life in Iraq during the 20th century, and how political changes affected one man's journey. 3:14 i…

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40. Davide Nadali: Excavating Tell Surghul 44:29

2+ y ago44:29

44:29

Davide recently returned from a season of work at Tell Surghul in southern Iraq. He discusses the site and his team's work there. How did they choose the site and what did they want to achieve there, and what are their results so far? Why is excavation important anyway? He explains what an archaeological team looks like today, what they do, and wha…

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39. Saana Svärd: Digital Assyriology in Helsinki 34:33

2+ y ago34:33

34:33

Saana introduces us to the Centre of Excellence in Helsinki. She explains the new tools her team is developing to help us understand the meaning of Akkadian words. How can they help cuneiform specialists? And how can they make cuneiform resources more accessible to other specialists? 3:45 The Centre of Excellence 6:38 team goals 11:44 what digital …

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38. Tonia Sharlach: The power behind the throne 35:50

2+ y ago35:50

35:50

History isn't just about great men. Tonia introduces us to the complicated family life of King Shulgi. Who were his wives? Did they live in a 'harem'? How did he control his empire while managing the ambitions of his many sons? 2:43 the Ur III period and king Shulgi 5:47 Shulgi's family 9:19 Shulgi's children 13:01 Shulgi's motivation 14:37 the 'ha…

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37. Tim Clayden: The Kassites 34:04

2+ y ago34:04

34:04

Tim introduces us to a dynasty that ruled over Babylonia during one of the periods of its greatest influence. Where did they come from? What were their achievements? And what is their legacy? 2:29 who were the Kassites? 4:57 where did they come from? 9:20 Kassite achievements 18:04 characteristic Kassite material culture 23:13 where to see Kassite …

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36. Amir al-Zubaidi: Nasiriyah Museum, and engaging Iraqi audiences 35:13

2+ y ago35:13

35:13

Amir al-Zubaidi is Director of Nasiriyah Museum, and now SBAH Director of Archaeology for Dhi Qar province. He introduces us to Nasiriyah Museum, and discusses both his achievements so far and his dreams for the future. What interests the people of Nasiriyah, and what role does heritage play in civic life there? This is the first in an experimental…

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35. Małgorzata Sandowicz: Law and order in Babylonia 40:52

2+ y ago40:52

40:52

The abundance of records from Babylonia between the 6th and the 4th century BC shows us how justice functioned. Why was the trial process so intimidating? How could you avoid it? And what happened if you couldn't? 3:05 how we know 5:01 where crime happened 7:58 motives 9:35 white collar crime 11:01 law enforcement 15:53 trials 18:07 judges 22:28 wh…

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34. Tiffany Earley-Spadoni: Urartu and digital public engagement 32:06

3y ago32:06

32:06

Tiffany introduces us to Urartu, Assyria's great neighbour and rival. What can we learn from its network of fortresses? And how can deep maps and digital storytelling help us engage people with our work? 3:48 Urartu and the Urartians 9:36 Vayots Dzor Fortress Landscapes Project 12:56 the fortress network 15:16 fire beacon stations 18:42 digital sto…

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33. How did we get here? 38:33

3y ago38:33

38:33

It's back to school season. So it's story time. In this special episode, we hear the stories of how our guests became interested in the ancient Middle East. 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/We…

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32. András Bácskay: Fever! 29:45

3y ago29:45

29:45

András discusses the medical conditions that showed themselves through heat of some kind. 'Heat' could affect many different body parts, for various reasons. Which medicinal ingredients were used to cure 'heat' and why? András also gives an introduction to his latest work on 'glosses' in medical texts, and what the broader significance of the diffe…

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31. Stefania Ermidoro: Revisiting a Victorian explorer: Layard in the archives 27:18

3y ago27:18

27:18

Stefania introduces us to one of the dominant figures of early assyriology--Austen Henry Layard. She guides us through the archival sources that put his famous publications in context, and reveal the man behind the legend. 3:03 Why was Layard famous? 5:34 Why study Layard? 7:50 Layard's cuneiform skills 9:24 The sources and what we learn from them …

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30. Elynn Gorris: Locating the Neo-Elamite kingdom 29:52

3y ago29:52

29:52

Elynn introduces the historical geography of the Neo-Elamite kingdom. What do we know about the borderlands and their role in Assyrian-Elamite relations? Why don't we know where so many places are, and why is that so significant? 2:32 who were “the Elamites”? 5:24 the Elamite language, writing, and texts 7:33 about the Elamite kingdom 10:21 relatio…

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29. Elena Devecchi, Stefano de Martino, Walther Sallaberger. Virtual assyriology: RAI 67,Turin 38:01

3y ago38:01

38:01

While the pandemic keeps us apart, colleagues are working hard to find ways to organise virtual conferences. The 67th RAI is hosted by Turin this July. Elena Devecchi and Stefano de Martino explain what to expect this year, and what it means to Turin to host a RAI now. Walther Sallaberger explains the IAA's role in coordinating the RAIs.…

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28. Sophus Helle: 150 years of Gilgamesh 32:39

3y ago32:39

32:39

Sophus explains the most famous piece of literature from ancient Iraq: the Epic of Gilgamesh. He guides us through the many meanings that have been found in it, from antiquity to the present day. Why does it fascinate us, and what can it offer us? 2:21 about the Gilgamesh Epic 6:38 what Gilgamesh meant in antiquity 9:39 meanings in the modern world…

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27. Reinhard Pirngruber: Babylonian astronomical diaries 31:26

3y ago31:26

31:26

Reinhard reveals the wealth of information recorded in the so-called "astronomical diaries". The astronomical component was, and still is, a valuable resource. But there is so much more. The diaries document fascinating historical details, help us understand the Babylonian economy, and offer remarkable details about the ancient environment. 2:32 in…

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26. Müge Durusu-Tanrıöver: Hittite art 28:43

3y ago28:43

28:43

Müge introduces us to the Hittites and their artistic world. We focus on kings, and why there are so few depictions of kings in human form. What do they look like? What are they communicating and who to? What does it tell us about the relationship between human and divine worlds? 3:45 nature and scope of Hittite art 7:22 who is it for? 10:49 relati…

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25. Adelheid Otto, Nicolò Marchetti, Ingolf Thuesen: ICAANE: archaeology coming together 43:22

3y ago43:22

43:22

Adelheid, Nicolò, and Ingolf explain about the ICAANE. Why was it started, and how did it become what it is today? What does it take to organise an ICAANE? What lessons were learned from the recent, virtual ICAANE? And what can we expect from future ICAANEs? What can be done to make them more inclusive? Adelheid: 2:49 About ICAANE 5:10 Scope of ICA…

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24. Ariane Thomas: a curator’s life at the Louvre 40:04

3y ago40:04

40:04

The world’s first Assyrian museum opened in 1847 in Paris, at the Louvre. Since then, the Louvre has curated one of the most important collections of antiquities from the ancient Middle East. What is the modern approach to curation there? Ariane discusses the curatorial role, from displays, research, combatting illegal antiquities, heritage protect…

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23. Heather Baker: Babylonian houses and housing 30:22

3+ y ago30:22

30:22

Many of us have spent a lot of time at home this year. What would that have been like in ancient Babylon? Heather talks about housing in the first millennium BC. What were houses like, who lived in them, and how did they use them? She discusses what houses meant to Babylonians, and how they were split and reconstituted by the family. 2:34 where was…

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22. Jaafar Jotheri: Wonderful waterways: the geo-archaeology of southern Iraq 28:47

3+ y ago28:47

28:47

Jaafar explains his love for the ancient waterways of southern Iraq. He tells us why they are so important, and what they can tell us about life in ancient Iraq. How do you find ancient waterways? And how do you investigate them? 2:44 Jaafar's interest in waterways 4:26 why are they important? 6:35 what they can tell us 11:39 the relationship betwe…

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21. Fabienne Huber Vuillet: Meanings from the mundane 34:26

3+ y ago34:26

34:26

21. Fabienne Huber Vuillet: Meanings from the mundane Fabienne introduces us to the Mesopotamian science of predicting the future based on things that happened during daily life. What might have meaning, and how would you find it? Who used this kind of expertise? And was there anything you could do to change the future predicted for you? 2:34 omens…

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20. Xiaoli Ouyang: Silver in Sumer: money in Mesopotamia? 26:56

3+ y ago26:56

26:56

Xiaoli introduces us to silver in the Sumerian city of Umma. She explains where it came from and how people got hold of it. Who was able to use it and what for? She tells us how we might understand whether it could be called money. And explains the physical form in which silver circulated. 5:42 What is money? 8:46 Who used silver? 13:00 How they go…

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19. Shiyanthi Thavapalan: Colour in Mesopotamia 31:05

3+ y ago31:05

31:05

19. Shiyanthi Thavapalan: Colour in Mesopotamia Shiyanthi throws light on how colour was interpreted in Mesopotamia. What cultural meanings were attached to colours? What was the relation between materials and colours? She explains where they sourced their pigments and how they made paints. 2:26 Mesopotamia as a colourful place 6:01 How they saw co…

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