BernBabylon Volume 2 (2025)

Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Urart, Garibin Tepe, Illicit Excavations, Cultural Heritage

Abstract

The important cultural heritage of the Urartians, which is of great importance for Eastern Anatolian Archaeology, has been deprived of systematic scientific excavations for a long time. Unfortunately, this heritage has been destroyed by illicit excavations. A particularly recent and tragic example of these processes is Garibin Tepe. Illicit excavations at this site have led to the decontextualisation of the cultural heritage. However, these unsystematic and unscientific excavations eventually revealed the potential of the settlement. The systematic archaeological excavations initiated in this direction are of great importance in terms of revealing the Urartian features of Garibin Tepe. The present paper aims to discuss the transformation process of an archaeological site from a looted object to a reinterpreted scientific resource through the example of Garibin Tepe. The destructive traces left by illicit excavations will be evaluated within the framework of archaeological methodology, digital documentation and preventive conservation policies. Furthermore, the data obtained from the systematic archaeological excavations and research carried out over the last three years will be discussed within the framework of certain criteria such as location, lifestyle and material culture remains, in order to ascertain whether the settlement was built for military, economic, royal or religious purposes.

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Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Urartian, Ayanis, Temple , Northern Spaces, Haldi

Abstract

The Urartu Kingdom experienced its most brilliant period in the early 6th century BC. One of the most important construction activities carried out during this brilliant period of Rusa son of Argishti is the Ayanis Fortress. Many building groups have been unearthed during the excavations carried out in Ayanis since 1989. The most important and remarkable of these building groups is undoubtedly the “Temple Complex” dedicated to their chief god Haldi. The temple complex consists of the “temple courtyard”, “cella”, “hall with podium”, “temple storage rooms” and “northern spaces”, of which the “northern spaces” are the only unexcavated areas. The ongoing excavations in the northern spaces will shed light on this connection. In 2020, with the new period excavations, excavations started again in this section, which covers an area of approximately 350 square meters. With the studies on the function of the northern spaces, some clues were found in the westernmost space of this space sequence, which is likely to be related to the domestic spaces. Although the excavations of this space sequence, which we define as the “northern spaces”, are still ongoing, this publication will present a preliminary evaluation of this area together with its finds.

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Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Hydrography, Settlement Patterns, Irrigation, Network Analysis, Sassanian Period

Abstract

The Diyala river valley in eastern Iraq is a natural corridor between the Mesopotamian alluvial plain and the Iranian Plateau. Due to its strategic position, it has served as a cultural and commercial route between the southern lowlands of Mesopotamia and the highlands of Zagros mountains. The area has been settled at least since the sixth millennium BC, making it the topic of many studies following the initial surveys and excavations by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago in the 1930s. The pioneering research on settlement systems by Adams (1965, 69) concluded that the Sassanian empire (224–651 AD) developed a complex and unprecedented irrigation system in the Diyala region. Taking R.M. Adams study as a starting point, this paper focuses on the origin of the Diyala irrigation system prior to the Sassanian period by reviewing the settlement patterns of the first and second millennium BC. In our approach, we combine data from archaeological surveys with information on paleo-channels gained through remote sensing and the study of historic maps. By means of geographic information systems and network analysis, we aim at providing new insights into the development of the Sassanian irrigation system. We argue for the Sassanians’ partial reuse of existing hydraulic infrastructures and re-activation of relic channels, at times dating back to the early 2nd millennium BC.

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Bibliography

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Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Emissaries, Cultic Calendar, Ṣīrāni

Abstract

This presentation aims to shed light on the envoys known as ṣīru/ṣīrāni in Akkadian, and the maddattu—a type of tax or tribute collected by the Assyrian kings and closely associated with these figures. Although original sources on the subject are quite limited, the substantial Neo-Assyrian letter corpus offers valuable insights. These letters not only provide information about the envoys and their different roles beyond the simple act of bringing tribute to the Assyrian ruler but also hint at a carefully coordinated system for receiving them and their gifts, clearly outlining both a standardized route and possibly shedding light on when and where the envoys were received by the Assyrian king. For this reason, we must also take a closer look on the cultic calendar of the Neo-Assyrian Empire and the yearly routine of the king.

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Bibliography

Dubovský, Peter. “The Role of Emissaries (ṣīrāni) in the Assyrian Administrative Machinery: What Should an Emissary Learn about Assyria?” In The Intellectual Heritage of the Ancient Near East: Papers Held at the 64th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale and the 12th Melammu Symposium, University of Innsbruck, July 16–20, 2018, edited by R. Rollinger, I. Madreiter, M. Lang, and C. Pappi, 751–782. Austrian Academy of Sciences, 2018.

Harper, Robert F. Assyrian and Babylonian Letters Belonging to the Kouyunjik Collections of the British Museum. University of Chicago Press, 1892–1914.

Kessler, Karlheinz. Das Neuassyrische Reich der Sargoniden (720-612 v. Chr.) und das Neubabylonische Reich (612-539 v. Chr.). Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients, B IV 13. Dr. Ludwig Reichert, 1991.

Lanfranchi, Giovanni B., and Simo Parpola. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. State Archives of Assyria 5. Helsinki University Press, 1990.

Luukko, Mikko, and Greta Van Buylaere. The Political Correspondence of Esarhaddon. State Archives of Assyria 16. Helsinki University Press, 2002.

Luukko, Mikko. The Correspondence of Tiglath-Pileser III and Sargon II from Calah/Nimrud. State Archives of Assyria 19. Helsinki University Press, 2012.

Postgate, John N. Taxation and Conscription in the Assyrian Empire. Studia Pohl: Series Maior 3. Biblical Institute Press, 1974.

Roaf, Michael. Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East. Facts on File, 1990.

Saggs, Henry W. F. The Nimrud Letters, 1952. Cuneiform Texts from Nimrud 5. British School of Archaeology in Iraq, 2001.

Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Emesal, Sumerian, NFT

Abstract

Emesal is a variant of the Sumerian language. It has long been decreed a “women’s language”, but recent research pushes it more in the direction of a poetic dialect. Due to its late occurrence in written sources, however, its true origin has yet to be proven definitively. An interesting starting point for this research are the NFT (Nouvelle Fouilles de Tello) texts, which include the earliest Emesal-texts found. I have analysed their Emesal vocabulary to find discrepancies between these early ones and later versions. I have also compared their geographical origins to see if there is any indication for a regional dialect, and its usage within the text, to further our understand of the ramifications of Emesal usage within sentence and verse structures. Most later texts containing Emesal vocabulary have been composed at a time when the spoken Sumerian language was dead or dying, which leaves us guessing at which parts had been regular usage of Emesal and which had been overcorrections or owed to the author’s creativity. This will give us some insight into how Emesal was used at a time when the Sumerian language – and perhaps even the Emesal-variant – was still aliveand spoken in an everyday context.

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Bibliography

Asyag, Ami. The Corpus of Prayers from Girsu: The Earliest Sumerian Emesal Prayers. Forthcoming.

Delnero, Paul. How to Do Things with Tears: Ritual Lamenting in Ancient Mesopotamia. Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter, 2020.

Cooper, Jerrold S. “Genre, Gender, and the Sumerian Lamentation.” Journal of Cuneiform Studies 58 (2006): 39–47.

Löhnert, Anne. “Manipulating the Gods: Lamenting in Context.” In Cuneiform Culture, edited by Karen Radner and Eleanor Robson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.

Thureau-Dangin, François, and Léon Heuzey. Nouvelles fouilles de Tello. Paris. (pp. 202–211).

Oracc. “ePSD2 Sumerian Dictionary.” Accessed 2026. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/epsd2/sux

Oracc. “OBEL Project.” Accessed 2026. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/obel/

Date of presentation: 24 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In process

Keywords: Caves, Bronze Age, Early Iron Age

Abstract

Temporary camp – this is the most frequently repeated interpretation of Holocene materials discovered in Polish caves. Karst formations attract archaeologists, among others, due to the numerous Paleolithic artifacts found there. Consequently, Holocene materials had previously appeared uninteresting to Polish archaeologists. In recent years, this trend has shifted, and Holocene layers of cave sediment are revealing their long-hidden secrets. In his paper, the author will present the history of research into Polish caves and discuss the phenomenon of using Polish cave sites in the Bronze Age and early Iron Age. Based on artifacts and specialized analyses, including strontium isotope and radiocarbon dating, as well as spatial analyses (GIS), he will offer the latest interpretations of the caves’ function during this period. The results summarized here reflect the research conducted by the author thus far as part of his doctoral dissertation.

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Bibliography

In process

Date of presentation: 24 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Transmission, Knowledge, Funerary

Abstract

This injunction, found in a Paleo-Babylonian text from Tell Haddad, shows the close relationship between the world of the dead and the living. While there is a specific term for burial, it is often referred to by the metaphor of the house. This closeness to death could lead to extensive written documentation; unfortunately, this is not the case. The funerary texts we do have date from the end of the 3rd millennium, and provide no information on funerary practices. We need to note that oral transmission remains important, even dominant, in these communities. The custom of burying the dead under houses has been archaeologically documented at dozens of sites throughout the Syro-Mesopotamian region over several millennia. How can we deduce the existence of the transmission of funerary and mortuary knowledge, in an archaeological context, without any textual trace ? Khafaje’s large number of under-dwelling burials makes it an excellent example for our research. Excavators have identified twelve levels of dwellings, each associated with several tombs, without interruption

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Bibliography

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Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Archaic Ionia, Iron Age Anatolia, Architectural History

Abstract

In the Archaic period, figurative architectural decoration played a far more significant role in Ionia than in other regions of the Greek world. It was applied to parts of temples that would otherwise remain undecorated, particularly load-bearing elements such as walls (including orthostats, antae figures, friezes, and protomes), columns (columnae caelatae, relief cubes), and the entablature (stone friezes, architectural terracottas). These forms of decoration, which were unconventional from a Greek perspective, were influenced both formally and iconographically by Near Eastern architecture, particularly that of the Neo-Hittite and Assyrian cultures, as well as Anatolian traditions. This paper will examine the origins of these decorative forms and the ways in which they found their way to Ionia. While much of the existing scholarship emphasizes the sea route as the primary means of transmitting Eastern influences, this study will focus on the overland route through the Phrygian and Lydian kingdoms. Additionally, the paper will explore the socio-political context of the 7th and 6th centuries B.C. to better understand the reasons behind the distinctly Eastern character of Ionic architecture.

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Bibliography

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Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Brick, Germia, Byzantine architecture

Abstract

During the Byzantine Empire, brick architecture was typical of the capital Constantinople and the coastal areas of Asia Minor. In contrast, the Central Anatolian building tradition is characterised by the use of natural stone. This research opinion was spread over 100 years ago and has persisted to this day. But is this research hypothesis really correct? In the middle of Anatolia, around 100 kilometres southwest of Ankara, the ruins of the Byzantine city of Germia have been preserved, which are still almost unknown to researchers today. The most important ruin, a church in honour of the Archangel Michael, and other buildings in the former city centre, contain next to the limestone as well as bricks. These can be found in the rising masonry and in arched and vaulted constructions. Is Germia just an exception to the traditional research opinion, which is based on a close connection to the upper social class of Constantinople? As a former pilgrimage centre and autocephalous bishop’s see, this would certainly be obvious, but the brick format used in Germia differs significantly from that of the Byzantine capital. The available facts provide a sufficient basis to critically scrutinise the research hypothesis mentioned at the beginning.

Video Recording

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Bibliography

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Date of presentation: 24 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Kārus, Neo-Assyrian control, Phoenicians

Abstract

The main aim of this presentation is to discuss the impact of kāru trading and administrative centres on Phoenician social classes in Neo-Assyrian documentary sources. During the 9th–7th centuries BCE, the Neo-Assyrian Empire re-established the previously existing system of kārus, which operated not only as a commercial network but also as a mechanism of regional control in Phoenicia, accompanied by numerous restrictions. Assyrian policies reduced the control of Phoenician elites, leading to increased black-market activity in response to these Neo-Assyrian regulations. As the topic is quite broad, in this presentation, I will focus on the coastal cities of Phoenicia involved in illegal markets and their maritime trade routes. In addition to examining Assyrian pressure on local social hierarchies, I also aim to highlight how long-distance trade, particularly with regions such as Greece, interacted with and benefited from the underground economies that emerged as a result

Video Recording

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Bibliography

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Date of presentation: 24 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Innana’s Descent, Religion, Cultic practics

Abstract

First referenced in the Ur III period, Innana’s Descent is one of the oldest underworld narratives. The catabasis chronicles Innana’s quest to take over the underworld from Ereškigal, resulting in her subsequent death, after which her handmaid, the goddess Ninšubur, performs a musical lament, plaintively beseeching Enlil, Nanna, and Enki to resurrect the goddess. The narrative ends with the resurrection of Innana through the intercession of the galatur and kurĝara, and the substitution of Dumuzi for the goddess. This research investigates the cultic practices and characters found in Innana’s Descent as well as the narrative’s significance to the religious cult found in Emesal prayers and rituals which reference the story. The performative aspects of Ninšubur’s lament parallels the performance of Emesal laments by temple priests and musicians, while the galatur and kurĝara characters reference cultic personnel such as the gala priests. The methodology is philological and draws on ethnographic and religious comparisons from Emesal liturgy and its performance. The research will yield information on the religious context of Innana’s Descent, the cultic practices it references, and use of the narrative in the Emesal prayers of the gala priests, which were preserved and used up until the late 1st millennium BCE.

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Bibliography

Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Archaeology, Photography, Gertrude Bell

Abstract

This presentation introduces a concept that diverges from the imperial uses of photography, as it has been applied in archaeology. The historical photographs of the British archaeologist Gertrude Bell (1868-1926) from the territory of the Ottoman Empire, serve as the case study. Using current photographs of archaeological sites in Iraq, a contemporary perspective on Bell’s photographs is presented, allowing Bell’s imperial use of photography to be negotiated in the present. The presented concept understands photography as a collaboration in the means of an event, involving both the objects and people in front of and behind the camera as well as the viewers of the photographs. In this way, firstly, Bell’s imperial use of photography can be related to the present situation of the archaeological sites. Secondly, current events in situ can be incorporated to the viewing and interpretation of the archaeological photographs. Bell’s photographic interests will also be placed in affiliation to her political career, as the archaeologist Bell, in her function as Oriental Secretary after the First World War, was significantly involved in the establishment of the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq under British Mandate. She also drafted the first Iraqi antiquities law and initiated the Iraq Museum

Video Recording

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Bibliography

In process

Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Neo-Babylonian domestic architecture, Hellenistic residence architecture, Parthian residence

Abstract

The Hellenistic/Parthian residence of Nippur, first excavated by an American mission of the university of Pennsylvania between 1889 and 1894, has been very early a matter of debate between the scholars, both in terms of chronology as well as the architectural traditions that might have shaped its layout. A series of challenges though, related mostly to its unclear stratigraphy and its poor state of preservation, have brought this monumental building outside the specter of interests of the current research. This paper aspires to re-examine this ambiguous monument and bring its study back to the foreground. By conducting, a triple analysis of typology, accessibility (space syntax) and circulation pattern in the old, published plans of the American team, we can gain an alternative reading of the layout and aKord a new understanding of the complex character of the residence and its architectural models. Moreover, the extracted results of such an approach could also contribute to the still intriguing question, weather we can categorize the residence as a Hellenistic or Parthian building, together with its role in the evolution of the Hellenistic and Parthian palatial architecture. Of major importance is also the role of the residence in the context of the holy city of Nippur, a major religious center in Babylonia even for the later periods.

Video Recording

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Bibliography

In process

Date of presentation: 24 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Bar-Kochba, Pollen-analysis, Environmental History

Abstract

The Bar-Kochba revolt is traditionally regarded as a turning point in Jewish history. Cassius Dio’s „Roman history” gives us one of the few literary testimonies, shedding light on the immediate aftermath of the revolt (Cass. Dio 69,14,1–3). To reconstruct the consequences of the revolt, it is therefore necessary to draw on fragmentary sources. Despite the numerous interdisciplinary approaches, Cassius Dio determines the perspective of scholars in the majority of previous studies. The text, however, has only been preserved by the 11th century Byzantine monk John Xiphilinos and contains various topical elements. Given the challenges of source criticism, the conventional narrative must therefore be called into question. The aim of this project is to analyze the extent of the destruction in Judea after the Bar-Kochba Revolt on the basis of pollen-studies, aiming to provide a more nuanced understanding of the uprising’s impact. This not only introduces a new group of sources to the debate, but also fundamentally challenges the conclusions of previous studies, which were mainly based on Cassius Dio.

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Bibliography

Cassius Dio. Roman History. Vol. 8. Translated by Earnest Cary. Reprint, 1925. Loeb Classical Library 176. Harvard University Press.

Corpus Inscriptionum Iudaeae-Palaestinae. Vols. 1–5. De Gruyter, 2010–2023.

Eck, Werner. “Die Colonia Aelia Capitolina: Überlegungen zur Anfangsphase der zweiten römischen Kolonie in der Provinz Iudaea-Syria Palaestina.” Electrum 26 (2019): 129–139.

Eck, Werner. Judäa – Syria Palästina: die Auseinandersetzung einer Provinz mit römischer Politik und Kultur. Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism 157. Mohr Siebeck, 2014.

Eck, Werner, and Andreas Pangerl. “Die Konstitution für die classis Misenensis aus dem Jahr 160 und der Krieg gegen Bar Kochba unter Hadrian.” Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 155 (2006): 239–252.

Eck, Werner. “The Bar Kokhba Revolt: The Roman Point of View.” The Journal of Roman Studies 89 (1999): 76–89.

Eck, Werner. “Ein Prokuratorenpaar von Syria Palaestina in P. Berol. 21652.” Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 123 (1998): 249–255.

Haensch, Rudolf. “VII. Das Statthalterarchiv.” Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte. Romanistische Abteilung 109, no. 1 (1992): 209–317. https://doi.org/10.7767/zrgra.1992.109.1.209.

Lapin, Hayim. Rabbis as Romans: The Rabbinic Movement in Palestine, 100–400 CE. Oxford University Press, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195179309.002.0008.

Leroy, S. A. G. “Pollen Analysis of Core DS7-1SC (Dead Sea) Showing Intertwined Effects of Climatic Change and Human Activities in the Late Holocene.” Journal of Archaeological Science 37, no. 2 (2010): 306–316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2009.09.042.

Mor, Menahem. The Second Jewish Revolt: The Bar Kokhba War, 132–136 CE. The Brill Reference Library of Judaism 50. Brill, 2016.

Raviv, Dvir, and Chaim Ben David. “Cassius Dio’s Figures for the Demographic Consequences of the Bar Kokhba War: Exaggeration or Reliable Account?” Journal of Roman Archaeology 34, no. 2 (2021): 585–607. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1047759421000271.

Schäfer, Peter. Geschichte der Juden in der Antike: die Juden Palästinas von Alexander dem Großen bis zur arabischen Eroberung. 2nd ed. UTB 3366. Mohr Siebeck, 2010.

Schwartz, Seth. The Ancient Jews from Alexander to Muhammad. Key Themes in Ancient History. Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Schwartz, Seth. Imperialism and Jewish Society: 200 B.C.E. to 640 C.E. Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the Ancient to the Modern World. Princeton University Press, 2004.

Weikert, Christopher. Von Jerusalem zu Aelia Capitolina: die römische Politik gegenüber den Juden von Vespasian bis Hadrian. Hypomnemata 200. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2016.

Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Bronze Age Cyprus, Marine fauna, Legacy data

Abstract

Given the multitude of tombs constructed and used throughout the Bronze Age on Cyprus, the deposition of aquatic animals as burial gifts may at first appear insignificant when compared to more prominent offerings such as pottery or metal objects. Indeed, only a limited number of tombs contain any form of marine material. Nevertheless, from the Philia period through to the later stages of the Bronze Age, depositions of aquatic animals can be found in burials across the island—not only along the coast but also in inland regions. It is a reoccurring, although infrequent, presence that has rarely been explored beyond initial observation in excavation reports. This presentation forms part of my ongoing PhD project, which investigates the utilisation of aquatic animals within the material culture of ancient Cyprus. It highlights how this often-overlooked category of material culture can offer new perspectives on ancient human-marine engagement and shed light on the broader significance of the sea within Cypriot society during the Bronze Age.

Video Recording

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Bibliography

In process

Date of presentation: 24 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Suicide, Mari, Old Babylonian Letters

Abstract

In the ancient Near East, attestations of suicide are scattered and scant. In the second millennium BCE at Mari, Old Babylonian letters are addressed to King Zimri-Lim (ca. 1776–1761), in which senders threaten suicide. Previous scholars have focused on the suicide letters from Kirum, Zimri-Lim’s youngest daughter, who threatens to commit suicide by throwing herself off a roof, primarily to compel her father to return her to Mari after being divorced. However, scholars have not discussed two other suicide letters to Zimri-Lim (ARM 33 102 and 161) sent by Sumu-hadû, who threatens to hang himself or stab himself in the heart with a bronze dagger. In this paper, I explore the socio-political context behind Sumu-hadû’s suicide letters, tracing the reason(s) for his suicidal threats. I also discuss the challenges of translating LÚ ša-GI-i-im, the phrase used to describe a person who stabs themselves. The interpretation of ša-GI-i-im—whether from šaqû (“be(come) elevated”) or šegû (“be(come) wild”)—shapes our understanding of the suicide’s social implications and the nature of the act itself, either as an act of nobility or hysteria. Through an analysis of these letters, I aim to better contextualize suicide and suicidal ideation in the ancient Near East.

Video Recording

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Bibliography

Dietrich, Jan. Der Tod von eigener Hand: Studien zum Suizid im Alten Testament, Alten Ägypten und Alten Orient. Mohr Siebeck, 2016.

Durand, Jean-Marie. Les premières années du roi Zimri-Lim de Mari: Première partie. Peeters Publishers, 2019.

Heimpel, Wolfgang. Letters to the King of Mari: A New Translation, with Historical Introduction, Notes, and Commentary. Penn State University Press, 2003.

Lafont, Bertrand. “Nuit dramatique à Mari.” In Florilegium Marianum: Recueil d’études en l’honneur de Michel Fleury, edited by Jean-Marie Durand, 93–105. Société pour l’Étude du Proche-Orient Ancien, 1992.

Date of presentation: 24 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: anatomical, votive objects, disease

Abstract

« I expel disease (…) I examine the sick, I open the skin sore. (…) I am the physician, I am the seeress, and I am the exorcist. » This extract from the well-known Gula Hymn of Bullussa-rabi is a great introduction to the healing goddesses and diseases in Mesopotamia. It is interesting to note that, with hundreds of studies made and data gathered on such subjects, the data on anatomical votives alone is surprisingly paltry. Yet, so many questions might be answered with a general comparative study: Is there a recurring link between the object represented and the disease’s origin? Between the place of discovery and the type of disease? Could the type of object, added to the characteristics – such as material, size, the presence or lack of inscription, the context of discovery – give us details on whom ordered such objects, their social status, gender, as well as to which healing goddess it was dedicated to? Were some diseases specific to certain goddesses? Crossing all the current data we have, whether it be historiography, archaeology, assyriology, or more recent researches such as gender and social studies could begin to answer those questioning.

Video Recording

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Bibliography

Attinger, Pascal. “La médecine mésopotamienne.” Journal des Médecines Cunéiformes 11–12 (2008): 1–96.

Baqir, Taha M. “Iraq Government Excavations at ‘Aqar Qūf: First Interim Report, 1942–43.” Iraq 6, no. 1 (1944): 3–16.

Böck, Barbara. The Healing Goddess Gula: Towards an Understanding of Ancient Babylonian Medicine. Culture and History of the Ancient Near East 67. Brill, 2014.

Braun-Holzinger, Eva. “Terrakotte eines knieenden Mannes aus Isin.” In Isin – Išān Baḥrīyāt II: Die Ergebnisse der Ausgrabungen 1975–1978, edited by Barthel Hrouda. Verlag der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1991.

Chalendar, Vincent. “Noir et blanc dans la thérapeutique mésopotamienne.” Pallas 117 (2021): 19–35.

Delougaz, Pinhas. The Temple Oval at Khafajah. Oriental Institute Publications 53. University of Chicago Press, 1940. https://oi.uchicago.edu/research/publications/oip/oip-53-temple-oval-khafajah.

Frankfort, Henri, Thorkild Jacobsen, and Conrad Preusser. Tell Asmar and Khafaje: The First Season’s Work in Eshnunna 1930/31. Oriental Institute Communication 13. University of Chicago Press, 1930.

Frankfort, Henri. More Sculpture from the Diyala Region. Oriental Institute Publications 60. University of Chicago Press, 1943.

Heeßel, Nils P. Babylonisch-assyrische Diagnostik. Alter Orient und Altes Testament 43. Ugarit Verlag, 2000.

Herrero, Pablo, Marcel Sigrist, and François Vallat. “La thérapeutique mésopotamienne.” Éditions Recherche sur les civilisations, 1984.

Hrouda, Barthel. Isin – Išān Baḥriyyāt II: Die Ergebnisse der Ausgrabungen 1975–1978. Verlag der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1981.

Karim, S. K., and O. S. M. Amin. “Stroke in Ancient Mesopotamia.” Medical Archives 72, no. 6 (2018): 449–452.

Labat, René. Traité akkadien de diagnostics et pronostics médicaux. 1951.

Legrand, Philippe-Ernest. Hérodote. Vol. 1. Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1932.

Minen, Flavie. “Associations chromatiques entre ingrédients et problèmes de santé dans la thérapie mésopotamienne : laine rouge, plante blanche et réglisse.” Pallas 117 (2021): 37–54.

Mustafa, Mohammed A. “Kassite Figurines.” Sumer 3 (1947): 19–22.

Nett, Sarah. “The Dogs of the Healing Goddess Gula in the Archaeological and Textual Record of Ancient Mesopotamia.” In Fierce Lions, Angry Mice and Fat-tailed Sheep: Animal Encounters in the Ancient Near East, edited by L. Recht and C. Tsouparopoulou, 55–62. McDonald Institute, 2021.

Scurlock, JoAnn. Diagnoses in Assyrian and Babylonian Medicine: Ancient Sources, Translations, and Modern Medical Analyses. University of Illinois Press, 2005.

Sibbing-Plantholt, Inge. The Image of Mesopotamian Divine Healers: Healing Goddesses and the Legitimization of Professional Asûs in the Mesopotamian Medical Marketplace. Cuneiform Monographs 53. Brill, 2022.

Spycket, Agnès. “Ex-voto mésopotamien du IIᵉ millénaire av. J.-C.” In De la Babylonie à la Syrie, en passant par Mari: Mélanges offerts à Monsieur J. R. Kupper à l’occasion de son 70ᵉ anniversaire, 1990.

Steinert, Ulrike. “Disease Concepts and Classifications in Ancient Mesopotamian Medicine.” In Systems of Classification in Premodern Medical Cultures, edited by Lennart Lehmhaus and Antje V. Wiese, 225–265. Routledge, 2020.

The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. “A šir-gida to Ninisina (Ninisina A), t.4.22.1.” The ETCSL Project, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford, 2025. https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.4.22.1#.

Date of presentation: 24 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: City gates, Warfare, Iron Age

Abstract

Ancient city gates and walls are often discussed in regard to either their military function or their impact in the signification and meaning of the people connected to them. As a saliently visible urban feature, gates are a key space for expressing messages and conveying meaning. They are also nodal points for urban circulation and gathering, and may concentrate meaningful imagery and epigraphy. However, this focus on the civic and peaceful aspects of city gates and walls has the risk of falling into what Lawrence Keeley called the “pacification of the past” –a tendency to blur or underrepresent the warring character of past societies. Going beyond the dichotomy between functional military analysis and signification, there is room to explore the possibilities of a more integrated approach. In this sense, military practices occurring in or around gates –such as sieges or assaults– were situated in those spaces and equally influenced by meaning, representation and memory. In this presentation, both archaeological and epigraphic material regarding city gates of Iron Age I–II Syria will be taken into consideration in order to discuss the possible interplays between military practice, meaning and memory. Aspects for discussion will include the spatial and material conditions for military practices posed by specific city gates, the impact of gates in representation of warfare in both local and Assyrian imagery and epigraphy, and the use and influence on war memories of war-related images in urban features connected to defense.

Video Recording

In Process

Bibliography

In process

Date of presentation: 24 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: BMAC-culture, Togolok, Margiana

Abstract

This project investigates Bronze Age settlement structures in the Murghab Delta, located in the historic region of Margiana—the heartland of the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC). The study focuses on the Togolok settlement cluster, which comprises around 30 closely spaced sites. Utilizing a combination of archaeological survey methods, geophysical prospection, and GIS-based spatial analyses, the project aims to reconstruct the organization, connectivity, and hierarchical structure of these settlements. Central research questions include whether the cluster was organized around a dominant central place or consisted of independent, equally ranked settlements, and whether chronological shifts in habitation occurred. The project applies an adapted central place theory to explore the socio-political and economic organization of the region. Special emphasis is placed on the role of natural resources, particularly water, in settlement location and development. The research builds upon prior work conducted within the Togolok Archaeological Project (TAP) and complements earlier studies, which have mainly centered on the major site of Gonur Depe. Planned fieldwork includes a geophysical survey, targeted excavations at Togolok 1 and an extensive survey of additional sites. Ultimately, the project seeks to provide new insights into urbanization processes, interregional trade networks, and political structures within the BMAC culture.

Video Recording

In Process

Bibliography

In process

Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Tell Jokha, Umma, lootings pits

Abstract

Following the 2003 Iraq War, the ancient cities of Mesopotamia were subjected to extensive looting, leaving many sites heavily damaged and riddled with deep looting pits. As a result, these sites were often neglected by the academic community. In the winter of 2024, the University of Bern, in collaboration with the SAHI (Slovak Archaeological and Historical Institute) Tell Jokha Project, implemented a novel fieldwork approach aimed at investigating these looting pits in detail. The results proved promising: through the analysis of satellite imagery and a detailed investigation of the looting pits after cleaning their profiles, it was possible to identify and interpret architectural features that had previously been thought lost due to the recent heavy destruction. This study demonstrates that even extensively disturbed archaeological landscapes can still yield valuable data through adapted investigative methods. This report presents the new methodological approach developed during the excavation campaign at Tell Jokha, believed to be the location of ancient Umma. By sharing this knowledge and highlighting its successful outcome, the project aims to inspire renewed scholarly engagement with the so-called “lost” cities of Mesopotamia and beyond

Video Recording

In Process

Bibliography

In Process

Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Assyrian Royal Titulary, Divine Ancestry, Legitimacy

Abstract

In the royal inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian kings, the titulary played a key role in asserting legitimacy by highlighting dynastic and, in exceptional cases, divine ancestry. This talk will focus on how Tiglath-pileser III (745–727 BCE) and Sennacherib (705–681 BCE) crafted their royal identities through a unique combination of divine ancestry and connections to ancient cities. Both kings claimed divine origins through the Mother-Goddess, a motif that suggests not only a mythological narrative but also a deliberate political strategy. I will argue that this motif of divine ‘formation and creation’ was a carefully constructed identity, deeply tied to the rulers’ legitimacy and their efforts to position themselves as divinely sanctioned leaders. In addition, I will explore how references to ancient cities and gods in their inscriptions further reinforced their status, linking their rule to a long-standing, sacred tradition. By analysing these elements, I will demonstrate how these kings used their royal titulary to construct a powerful image of leadership that was both divine and rooted in the history of the Assyrian state.

Video Recording

In Process

Bibliography

In process

Date of presentation: 24 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: City Gates, Local Memory, Multifunctionality

Abstract

Many different functions characterized city Gates in the ancient Near East. They were mostly included in the city walls serving primarily as defensive architectural structures. Nevertheless, their value was not limited to their military function. City Gates were highly communicative places whose location was thoroughly planned within the urban layout. They were in dialogue with the other city monuments and reflected precise plans to enter the inner city. Since city Gates were public spaces, they played an important role in connection with many public activities (from legal to political and commercial activities, to mention just a few). Many studies have been devoted to their cultic value and the performing of ritual celebrations at the city Gates. Their multifunctionality combined with their distinctive liminal character made them highly symbolic places, where monumental art and inscriptions frequently interacted to convey political, religious, and ideological messages. Often, city Gates underwent different renovations, changes, and refurbishments over time; these processes could be required either for structural or political/ideological reasons, connected with changes in the social/political milieu of the city. So far, the connection between ancient Near Eastern city Gates and local memory has been only partially investigated. Such a study might shed new light on how rulers and local elites dealt with preserving memory; at the same time, it might contribute to highlighting the cultural, political, and ideological history of the civilizations involved. Which elements were selected to be displayed at the Gates? How did texts and images interact in conveying messages? To what extent could the employment of specific languages and scripts be considered connected to local memory? Papers addressing the question of the relationship between city Gates and local memory from archaeological, epigraphical, and historical perspectives are welcome. Case studies from different ancient Near-Eastern historical contexts are also welcome, as a starting point for discussing the topic from a broad range of perspectives and comparing the results from different cultural and historical backgrounds.

Video Recording

In Process

Bibliography

In process

Date of presentation: 25 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Sedimentology, Göbekli Tepe, Neolithic Lifeways

Abstract

The Neolithic settlement of Göbekli Tepe (ca. 9500–8000 calBCE) in Upper Mesopotamia is renowned for its oval special buildings with monolithic T-shaped pillars. While these features have been widely published, much less is known about the everyday and ritual practices that occurred at the site. Repetitive activities over extended periods such as food preparation, waste disposal, and sleeping leave distinct geochemical signatures in the ground, for example in floors, installations, room fills, or outdoor areas. To uncover these traces, geoarchaeological methods are essential, as they provide access to the otherwise invisible-microarchaeological–record, even in the absence of artefacts. As part of my PhD, I conducted sedimentological analyses of selected contexts using a multi-proxy approach, including geochemical analysis using ICP-OES, mineralogical analysis using X-ray diffraction, and grain size measurements, among others. In this talk, I will discuss my results and demonstrate how comparative sedimentology contributes to understanding patterns of spatial use, ruin interactions, concepts of hygiene, and site formation processes. In addition, I highlight the significance of systematic sampling strategies in the field, the practical challenges they present to archaeologists, as well as the possibilities and limitations of different methods for addressing archaeological research questions

Video Recording

In Process

Bibliography

Abell, Jordan T., Jay Quade, Güneş Duru, et al. “Urine Salts Elucidate Early Neolithic Animal Management at Aşıklı Höyük, Turkey.” Science Advances 5, no. 4 (2019): eaaw0038. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw0038

Breuers, Jonas, and Moritz Kinzel. “‘[…] but It Is Not Clear at All Where the […] Debris Had Been Taken from […]’: Chipped Stone Artefacts, Architecture and Site Formation Processes at Göbekli Tepe.” In Tracking the Neolithic in the Near East: Lithic Perspectives on Its Origins, Development and Dispersals, edited by Yoshihiro Nishiaki, Osamu Maeda, and Makoto Arimura. Sidestone Press, 2022

Brönnimann, David, Sabine Fiedler, Kristina Reetz, Philippe Rentzel, Hannele Rissanen, and Norbert Spichtig. “Basel-Gasfabrik (Switzerland) – A Late Iron Age Proto-Urban Settlement Under the Microscope.” In Urban Geoarchaeology, edited by Quentin Borderie and Ferréol Salomon. CNRS Éditions, 2024

Holliday, Vance T., and William G. Gartner. “Methods of Soil P Analysis in Archaeology.” Journal of Archaeological Science 34, no. 2 (2007): 301–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2006.05.004

Hübert, Thore. Studien zur Lithik am Göbekli Tepe, Südostanatolien. PhD diss., Universität zu Köln, in preparation

Middleton, William D., and Douglas T. Price. “Identification of Activity Areas by Multi-Element Characterization of Sediments from Modern and Archaeological House Floors Using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy.” Journal of Archaeological Science 23, no. 5 (1996): 673–687. https://doi.org/10.1006/jasc.1996.0064

Öğüt, Birgül, Moritz Kinzel, Robert Sobott, et al. What Tied the Room Together: A Multidisciplinary Perspective on the Floors of Neolithic Göbekli Tepe. In preparation

Pollock, Susan, Reinhard Bernbeck, and Birgül Öğüt, eds. Looking Closely: Excavations at Monjukli Depe, Turkmenistan, 2010–2014. Vol. 1. Sidestone Press, 2019

Rummel, Michael, Julia Schönicke, and Ilia Heit. “Invisible to the Eye – Comparative Multi-Elemental Analyses Using p-Ed-XRF, XRD, and ICP-OES in Archaeological Contexts from Monjukli Depe.” In Looking Closely: Excavations at Monjukli Depe, Turkmenistan, 2010–2014, edited by Susan Pollock, Reinhard Bernbeck, and Ilia Heit. Vol. 4. Sidestone Press, 2025

Schönicke, Julia. “There and Back Again – Towards a New Understanding of Abandonment Practices at the Neolithic Settlement Göbekli Tepe.” In Bridging the Gap: Disciplines, Times, and Spaces in Dialogue, edited by Christian W. Hess and Federico Manuelli. Vol. 1. Archaeopress Access Archaeology, 2022

Schönicke, Julia. All Places Are Temporary Places – Wiederverwendung, Auflassung und Ruineninteraktionen im Neolithikum und Anthropozän am Beispiel der Siedlung Göbekli Tepe. PhD diss., Freie Universität Berlin, 2025

Shillito, Lisa-Marie, Wendy Matthews, Matthew J. Almond, and Ian D. Bull. “The Microstratigraphy of Middens: Capturing Daily Routine in Rubbish at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey.” Antiquity 85, no. 329 (2011): 1024–1038. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00068460

Date of presentation: 24 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Sphinx Gate, Alacahöyük, Imperial Power

Abstract

Scholars have been debating the Sphinx Gate in Alacahöyük for over a century yet many questions remained unanswered. Even recently, Alacahöyük was the focus of an comprehensive exhibition in İstanbul. Despite extensive research, a new reconstruction of the gate reveals that many discoveries are still to be made. This paper first presents a new reconstruction attempt and then examines the gate and its sculpted blocks within their immediate environment. Since the iconography and arrangement of the sculpted blocks changed over at least three phases, it is crucial to explore the processes behind the monument’s construction. What powers and motivations influenced its development? The new reconstruction also highlights the space in front of the gate, likely a large courtyard between two gates, and another building with sculpted blocks might be reconstructed within this space. The visual and symbolic impact of the entire ensemble on the viewer is to be examined. The reconstruction allows for new perspectives, leading to insights beyond previous interpretations. Together, we will explore the ensemble in front of the Sphinx Gate, envisioning how it may have been perceived by participants in a religious procession

Video Recording

In Process

Bibliography

In process

Date of presentation: 24 October 2025

DOI of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Date of publication on Zenodo: In Process

Keywords: Pisidia, Tiered structure, Open-Air-Place

Abstract

Tiered structures represent a rare and still under-researched building type, although belong to the public and representative buildings of ancient cities. The oldest known examples date back to the Geometric period and consist either of seating tiers or so-called standing tiers, which are mainly arranged in a single linear row. Like theaters, they utilize the natural terrain and are often linked to cultic contexts. Due to formal design and similarities to theater buildings, they are referred as ‘Theatron’. In the ancient city of Kapıkaya in Pisidia, such a tiered structure could be found and ranks among the largest of its kind. Located at an elevation of 1,300 -1,400 meters on a southern slope, the city is surrounded trilaterally by steep high mountains. The tiered structure of Kapıkaya is situated at the northwest end of its agora. Given the urban context suggesting cultic use, it is interpreted – unlike other Pisidian tiered structures – not as an open-air meeting place, but as a ‘Theatron’. Dissimilar the comparison buildings, it consists of three stepped tiers arranged in a trapezoidal shape, against the natural slope of the southern hillside. This presentation will thoroughly discuss its location, structural implementation, form and function.

Video Recording

In Process

Bibliography

In process