Round 2,500 years in the past, a princess dwelling in what’s now modern-day Iraq collected quite a lot of artefacts, together with a statue, a boundary stone and a mace head. The gadgets, which present indicators of preservation, date from round 2100 BCE to 600 BCE. This assortment, it’s usually thought, was the world’s first identified “museum”.
Between Two Rivers, by Oxford scholar Moudhy Al-Rashid, tells the story of historical Mesopotamia, a interval in world historical past typically often known as a “forgotten age”.
Whereas Mesopotamian historical past is innately fascinating, Al-Rashid additionally notes its many historic “world firsts”: the primary identified writing system, the potter’s wheel, the primary file of beer manufacturing and advances in agriculture.
Evaluation: Between Two Rivers: Historical Mesopotamia and the Delivery of Historical past – Moudhy Al-Rashid (Hodder Press)
The primary museum
The world’s first identified museum, and its curator, Ennigaldi-Nanna, are amongst these many firsts. The daughter of the Neo-Babylonian king Nabonidus, Ennigaldi-Nanna was a priestess on the temple of the moon deity, in addition to a princess.
Each Ennigaldi-Nanna and Nabonidus had been keenly fascinated about historical past. Certainly, Nabonidus’ curiosity in excavating previous temples and describing his findings as soon as noticed him described because the “first archaeologist”. This makes these figures effectively suited because the e-book’s central focus.
At its coronary heart, Between Two Rivers is an ode to the ability of historical past. It builds a persuasive case for historical past writing as a very human impulse, and for a way lives of individuals dwelling 1000’s of years in the past can mirror and form our trendy lives in sudden methods.
10 museum objects
The e-book is organised across the ten gadgets from Ennigaldi-Nanna’s assortment. This structural conceit creates a way of unity, regardless of the variety of matters the e-book covers. Every chapter is targeted on one merchandise. For instance, an historical granite mace head introduces a chapter on warfare, violence and demise.
Moudhy Al-Rashid.
Hachette
In chapter one, we’re launched to historical Mesopotamian historical past. We’re additionally launched to the writer herself. Al-Rashid punctuates her prose with private recollections and humour, in addition to touching reflections on her expertise of motherhood. She is our companion, tour information and instructor as we navigate this journey into the previous, serving to the reader really feel a private stake within the scholarly journey forward.
Different chapters discover cuneiform script (the world’s first identified writing), cities, management, schooling (together with a number of the earliest doodles by bored college students), early scientific developments and the gods. The ultimate three chapters take a look at economics, warfare and curator Ennigaldi-Nanna herself.
The e-book gives a helpful timeline, although photos of the ten historical gadgets and a map would have been helpful additions.
Enjoyable historic information
The broad vary of topics, intervals and folks explored on this e-book leads to the inclusion of many dazzling options of Mesopotamian historical past, not often thought of collectively. Certainly, there’s a plethora of enjoyable historic information.
Within the chapter on science, Al-Rashid notes the event of the zodiac and a mathematical precursor to trendy calculus.
5 Amarna letters on show on the British Museum.
Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
We get a short overview of the fascinating diplomatic correspondence between New Kingdom Pharaohs and their West Asian vassals, often known as the Amarna Letters. There may be additionally the cuneiform pill referencing the demise of Alexander the Nice, and an summary of the follow of divination (together with an tried palace coup).
These highlights from historical proof are balanced in opposition to frequent commentary from the writer. She notes the much less glamorous nature of a lot of it, comparable to financial texts and authorized agreements.
Certainly, Al-Rashid is cautious to notice the boundaries of the proof used to construct this vivid image of historical Mesopotamia. She notes the difficulties of studying Sumerian, the world’s first identified language, written within the intricate cuneiform script. In her chapter on management, she notes that additional proof for highly effective girls leaders might but be found, whereas discussing what’s presently identified of those figures.
Sumerian, the world’s first identified language, was written in cuneiform – just like the script on this clay pill.
Louvre, photographed by Gary Todd/Flickr
The writer’s transparency and knowledgeable dealing with of proof places the reader comfy, whereas subtly championing the significance of continued research on this subject. That is well timed, as the tutorial subject of Mesopotamian historical past has seen important cuts within the final decade.
Rediscovering cultural riches
Regardless of the wealthy cultural legacy of this area, Mesopotamian historical past is essentially unknown within the modern-day. Whereas Twenty first-century audiences are sometimes aware of the works of Plato, Homer and Virgil, they might wrestle to establish Enheduanna – a princess, priestess, and poetess who lived over 4,000 years in the past – because the world’s first identified writer, or Sin-leqe-uninni because the editor of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
That is possible as a result of circumstances across the restoration of the Mesopotamian writing script, cuneiform. This fashion of writing light from use across the 1st century CE, and was solely re-deciphered in 1857 CE. This meant that for nearly two millennia, consciousness of the Mesopotamian cultural legacy virtually totally disappeared.
The Normal of Ur mosaic, from round 2500 BCE, exhibits scenes of feasting and combating from historical Mesopotamia.
Wikimedia Commons
This contemporary lack of understanding of Mesopotamian historical past is slowly altering. Between Two Rivers is a part of an rising development within the subject of Assyriology — the examine of the languages, literature, historical past, legal guidelines and sciences of Mesopotamia — for producing accessible works, for non-specialist audiences.
Between Two Rivers additional demonstrates the usefulness of this method in bringing the riches of the traditional Close to East to trendy audiences.
Altering occasions
In recent times, we now have seen new translations of the well-known Mesopotamian epic Gilgamesh, and the primary quantity devoted to the works of the world’s first identified writer, Enheduanna.
There are new books on Mesopotamian faith and the cuneiform script by Irving Finkel, who has been an envoy for the self-discipline for a few years. Certainly, Al-Rashid notes his affect.
To put in writing a e-book like this one, the writer must have each mastery over the topic materials and an interesting fashion of communication. Al-Rashid excels in each areas. For basic audiences, Between Two Rivers is an enchanting, balanced introduction to this complicated – and at occasions elusive – historical world.
