Cultures of the ancient West Asia communicated with divinity in a variety of ways, each determined and supported by an established set of materials, participants, actions, oral recitations, and spatial contexts. The burning of incense was one such avenue of communication, often staged in the vicinity of temples but also domestic spaces. This talk will explore the sensory phenomena of incense in Assyria during the Neo-Assyrian period (934–612 BCE), looking at raw materials and aromatic substances—their origin, manner of acquisition, and production—followed by the types of incense burners used and incense’s place in practice. A focus on the archaeological and textual evidence for what it reveals of connections to the materials, craftsmen, and communities of the Arabian aromatics trade will provide greater insight into the role of incense and olfaction to the Assyrian state and its economy as well as across the social and urban landscape of the land of Aššur.
Short bibliography and/or website on lecture topic:
Kershaw Lectures in Near East Archaeology