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How did ancient cultures understand the end of empires? When was the end even considered a possibility, and did they see it coming? When was an end not an end, but a continuity? Shana explores political change through the perspective of the communities who lived through it. 2:09 why the end of empires? 3:41 how to identify the end 5:58 are symbols of office destroyed? 7:48 ends versus natural rhythms 12:50 mythology of end 17:37 do destroyers take on the divine role? 19:14 would people have seen it coming? 24:28 could anyone intervene to prevent disaster? 26:55 what can we learn from ancient ends? 30:21 how much impact would an end have had? Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

Gioele talks about the PlANET Project (Plants in the Ancient Near East Texts). How do texts and archaeobotanical evidence combine to explain the economic and functional roles of plants? And what symbolic values did they have? To what extent did they play active roles? 3:27  the PlANET project 5:23  what do we know about plants? 7:57  combining sources 11:13  project goals 13:35  attitudes to environmental change 15:18  interdisciplinary 17:30  identifying plants 21:07  environmental humanities 26:15  plants as actors 29:06  gender studies in plant studies 32:59  BioANE project and PlANET project 33:49  analogical thinking 37:43  current research 40:59  favourite plant PlANET at La Sapienza  Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

David Kertai explains all about Neo-Assyrian palaces. What, and who, would we find there? How did they function? What do their design and decoration tell us about how they were used? How visible was the king?  David's museum page Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

International Association for Assyriology awards prizes to early career scholars annually. The for 2025 awards went to:  Best PhD dissertation in the field of Assyriology and Mesopotamian Archaeology: Adeline Reynaud, for “Les diagrammes mathématiques paléo-babyloniens : catalogue, propriétés matérielles, rôles dans les raisonnements” Best article in Assyriology and Mesopotamian Archaeology:  Laureate: Jon Beltz, for “Everyday Magic? Four Sumerian zi…pa₃ Incantations on Amulets,” in Journal of Cuneiform Studies 77: 97-121. Runner-up: Andrew Pottorf, for “un-il₂ (“Menials”) as a Serflike Social Stratum during the Ur III Period,” Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History 12/1: 83-113.  Jon and Andrew join us to talk about their prize-winning research.  2:00 What is a zipa incantation? 2:54 amulets and tablets 3:55 practical magic 5:27 main argument 6:29 structures 8:13 place in research 9:10 what's next 11:42 status groups in Ur III 15:52 state of research 20:52 the "people" 22:30 how to become UN.IL2 26:59 social security? 28:50 place in research 30:43 what's next Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

Lisa Wilhelmi discusses the international system in the ancient Middlle East. The 14th century BC tablets from Amarna in Egypt, and tablets from the royal archives in Hattusa (Türkiye), reveal diplomatic exchanges between the great powers that ruled the region. What did they want from each other? Who and what moved around, and why? 2:00 what does "international" mean? 3:09 what sources our sources say? 5:22 were the letters preserved or did they just survive? 6:50 what language do they use? 8:37 were they equal partners? 10:34 do resources buy membership of the great powers club? 12:15 how did they talk to each other? 14:35 what messages are they sending each other? 16:38 political theatre? 18:32 how princesses were chosen 19:40 did princesses take part in the correspondence? 20:13 why was cuneiform the method of communication? 23:51 cultural exchange 26:52 lost in translation? Lisa's university page Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

Gina Konstantopoulos, Andrew Deloucas, Gabriel Moshenska, and Steven Garfinkle discuss internet favourite, Ea-nasir. What do we know about the Dilmun traders and their role in the supply of copper to the kingdoms of Babylonia? Who were his customers and what did they want his copper for? How did he become famous in the 21st century, and what jokes do people make about him? What possibilities does this offer assyriology? Andrew Deloucas's university page Gina Konstantopoulos's university page Gabriel Moshenska's university page Steven Garfinkle's university page Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

Rocío and Nathan take us to Babylon in the Late Babylonian period for a remarkable public ritual. The divine love lyrics are one of the most surprising literary survivals from antiquity. Sarpanitu discovers that Marduk has been sleeping with Ishtar. The two goddesses become embroiled in a very public shouting match, throwing insults at each other. What was this ritual and what did it mean?  3:56  introduction to the Divine Love Lyrics  5:42  one text, a series, or something else? 7:20  content in detail 10:45  reading the text 16:55  making sense of the texts 20:29  literary qualities 22:18  whose perspectives? 26:05  the lyrics in Babylonian theology 32:36  was it shocking? 34:29  who was it for? 37:56  what don't we know? 40:15  about the book Rocío's university page Rocío's Academia Rocío's ResearchGate Nathan's university page Nathan's Academia Nathan's personal website   Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

Mustafa discusses his project to document the condition of the gates of Nineveh, and to plan the sustainable conservation and management. What do the gates mean to Mosulis? What reconstruction work has taken place, what condition are the gates in now, and what might they look like in the future?  2:39  the Gates of Nineveh project 4:46  historic reconstructions 5:40  significance 7:19  current condition 9:51  archaeological park 13:45  displaying finds from the gates 16:04  heritage tourism in Mosul 17:07  heritage restoration 21:03  the Banquet Stela of Ashurnasirpal 24:33  where to learn more Mustafa's Facebook Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

Augusta talks about the new excavations at Nippur. What are the goals of the new work, and how does she manage the long history of excavations at the site? What are the long term plans for the site? She reveals the first results, including news about the city walls, a huge Neo-Babylonian villa, and a Parthian cemetery. She reflects on how the archaeological situation has changed since she was a student. And she discusses plans for sharing the results of the work. 3:13 why Nippur? 5:26 project goals 8:11 working around previous excavations 12:09 first results 15:39 a Neo-Babylonian villa 19:40 searching for Ur III 22:18 Kassite Nippur 24:06 the dig team 27:14 Neo-Babylonian graves 29:18 challenges 35:19 long term plans 39:11 publication Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

Tina explains what animal teeth and bones can tell us about life in ancient Iraq. What did people eat? And what did those animals eat? How were flocks and herds managed? What does this tell us about status and economy? We learn what new strands of evidence are provided by scientific analyses.  3:12 about zooarchaeology 4:17 state of play 7:33 cow teeth and society 10:35 why the difference between texts and zooarchaeology? 14:43 feeding cattle 19:02 animal movement and management 26:13 how to get this information 32:06 stress in bones 37:15 how to learn Tina's University page Tina's laboratory page Tina's Academia page Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

Moudhy talks about the different kinds of outreach work she has done. How does she excite interest in material that is very unfamiliar for most people? What works well? She discusses the different audiences and formats, the various approaches and possibilities.  2:18  why Mesopotamia? 4:45  attracting interest 8:11  overcoming the unfamiliar 11:19  reliable history versus pseudo-history 13:10  radio and podcasts 17:06  scale and detail 19:47  different audiences 22:03  images 23:52  what didn't work 25:55  favourite fact 27:17  new book 33:30  what's next? Between Two Rivers Moudhy's Bluesky On the Spot: Moudhy Al-Rashid Feb 2019 The Stylus is Mightier than the Sword Feb 2020 You're Dead to Me--Cuneiform: the world’s first writing system You're Dead to Me--The Ancient Babylonians Writing and rewriting history Feb 2025 The Rest is History  RIHC: Mesopotamian Mythology, Cyrus the Great, and The First Museum Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

The Mosul region is the focus of renewed activity by local and foreign teams. Archaeology there inevitably works differently now. Michael and John talk about the Iraq Heritage Stabilization Program, including conservation and reconstruction work, excavation, and capacity building.  2:34Iraq Heritage Stabilization Program 3:39 Nimrud and Nineveh 8:29why those sites? Who sets the goals? 12:56exhibition and online resources 13:47conservation and reconstruction 18:08long term commitment 20:06the dig team 22:38latest results from Nimrud 31:26kudurru 34:46architectural remains 37:01inscriptions 39:34publication, research, collaboration 42:51working in Mosul region 45:52engaging communities 50:26what's next? https://www.penn.museum/about/press-room/press-releases/preserving-assyria https://www.penn.museum/calendar/423/the-deep-dig Michael's Academia page John's Academia page Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

Zoltán and Erika introduce us to their exhibition about gods and demons. This exhibition, and the extensive catalogue that accompanies it, are major landmarks in Hungarian assyriology. What is it about, how did it become a reality, and what impact will it have? 2:40 the exhibition 8:11 key objects 10:47 why this topic, and why now? 12:56 reaction 15:15 preparing an exhibition 21:19 about the displays 23:19 significance for Hungary 24:52 the museum's own collection 27:45 favourite object https://www.mfab.hu/exhibitions/kingdom-of-gods-and-demons-mesopotamia-1000-500-bce/ Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

Christopher discusses new ideas around the murder of King Sennacherib. Who really killed him and why? Was it a coup? Where was Esarhaddon and why wasn't he in Nineveh? [Much of this first section of the episode was published as part of Episode 71.  8:03-10:30 is not found there. And everything from 25:19 is also new] Next he addresses the question of how the kings of this dynasty ran their empire. What does social network analysis reveal about how they coped with information flow? Who was influential and why did that change? 2:09 prize winner 3:09 regicide 8:04 motives for murder 10:21 what's new? 15:21 who was involved? 19:13 a coup 22:24 propaganda 25:20 dissertation 27:54 how the empire functioned 32:30 new power structures 36:16 rise and fall of the scholars 38:38 why reform? 40:42 Ashurbanipal's relationship with scholars(hip) 46:10 where tablets were found 51:56 interpreting palace reliefs Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

This is a special episode presenting the prize-winning research of three early career scholars: William McGrath, Alessia Pilloni, and Christopher Jones. What prizes did they win, and what was their research about? We hear about the latest news from Isin II period history, astrology in the Late Babylonian period, and a military coup in the Neo-Assyrian period.  1:24 William McGrath 2:10 dissertation 6:08 key conclusions 9:10 publication plans 10:48 what's next? 13:45 Alessia Pilloni 14:27 horoscopes 20:03 star signs 22:37 two technical terms identified 26:51 wider context 29:10 Christopher Jones 30:45 whodunnit 35:59 new evidence 41:54 purge 45:48 coup theory Music by Ruba Hillawi Website: http://wedgepod.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw Email: [email protected] Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod