The Rassam Cylinder is an ancient clay cylinder containing cuneiform inscriptions that describe the reign and military campaigns of Ashurbanipal, king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. It was discovered in 1854 during excavations at the ancient site of Nineveh, located in present-day Mosul, Iraq. The excavations were led by Hormuzd Rassam, an Iraqi archaeologist appointed by […]
Mesopotamia
Posted inAntiquity
Three Brothers-in-Law Dominated the Near East in the 6th Century BC, Until Cyrus the Great Changed History
In the 6th century BC, the Near East was dominated by three powerful kingdoms: the Median Empire of Astyages, the Neo-Babylonian Empire of Nebuchadnezzar II, and the Lydian Kingdom of Croesus. These three great kings were related by marriage: Astyages had married Arienis, sister of Croesus, while Nebuchadnezzar II had married Amytis, daughter of Astyages, […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology, Culture
The Hittite Version of the Epic of Gilgamesh, Discovered on Tablets in Hattusa, Has Differing Structure and Narrative Details
The Epic of Gilgamesh, considered the oldest literary work of humanity, has been studied for centuries. Its influence has spread across different cultures, and its story has been transmitted over millennia. Recently, studies on a Hittite version of the poem have opened new perspectives on its transmission and adaptation in the ancient world. Recent research […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
Archaeologists Find Evidence That Kurd Qaburstan Could Be the Ancient City of Qabra, Mentioned in Babylonian Inscriptions
The archaeological site of Kurd Qaburstan, located in the Erbil region of northeastern Iraq, has emerged as an invaluable source of knowledge about the Middle Bronze Age Mesopotamian civilization. Recent excavations led by Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, an associate professor of history at the University of Central Florida (UCF), have revealed surprising findings that could redefine our […]
Posted inAntiquity
How Ashurbanipal Destroyed Babylon, Whose King Was His Own Elder Brother
And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen…” Revelation, 14:08 This verse from the Bible likely sounds familiar to many; it refers to the conquest of the Mesopotamian city by Cyrus the Great and the Persians in 539 BCE, the year they ended a period of Babylonian splendor led by Nebuchadnezzar […]
Posted inStone Age Archaeology
Evidence of Early Forms of Pottery Production and 8,000-Year-Old Buildings Discovered in Iraqi Kurdistan
In the vast Navkur plain near the city of Rovia in Iraqi Kurdistan, a team of archaeologists from the University of Udine has made exceptional discoveries at the Asingeran and Kanispan sites. These excavations, carried out as part of the Asingeran Excavation Project in collaboration with the Directorate of Antiquities of Dohuk, have revealed valuable […]
Posted inCulture, History
Analysis of Mesopotamian Texts in Akkadian Reveals How Emotions Were Experienced: Love Was Felt in the Knees
Love and emotions have been universal themes throughout human history, expressed in diverse ways but with commonalities across different cultures and eras. A fascinating recent study reveals that people in ancient Mesopotamia experienced and conceptualized love and emotions in ways that, surprisingly, resonate with our modern understanding of these feelings. Using a multidisciplinary approach, researchers […]
Posted inAntiquity
The Mesopotamian Stele Showing the First Phalanx Formation in History
When we talk about a phalanx in a military context, we automatically think of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian army, with its compact formation of armored infantrymen armed with long sarissas. These were arranged in 64 squares or syntagmas, 16 men across (each in a one-square-meter space) by as many in depth, forming a total of […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
The Zanj Rebellion, when slaves and Bedouins rose against the Abbasid Caliphate
In the year 869 AD, the Great Heathen Army of Danish Viking Ivar the Boneless was conquering the English kingdom of East Anglia, an earthquake followed by a tsunami ravaged the northwest of Japan, Stela 11 was erected in Tikal, and the Byzantine fleet under Emperor Basil I was struggling to expel the Muslims from […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
How ancient cylinder seals gave rise to writing in Mesopotamia discovered
Researchers from the University of Bologna have unveiled how ancient cylinder seals played a key role in the development of writing in ancient Mesopotamia, marking a significant breakthrough in understanding the origins of written language. Their study, published in the journal Antiquity, reveals connections between images engraved on these seals—some dating back about six thousand […]
