From colossal human­headed winged bulls at gateways to clay tablets inscribed with incantations and prayers, the world of ancient Mesopotamia was rich with objects and practices that we might categorize as myth and magic, things that we would regard as relatively removed from daily activities and thought. Yet to the people of this ancient land, myth and magic played a fundamental role in all areas of life. Through an exploration of artifacts and ancient texts excavated by archaeologists at sites throughout ancient Mesopotamia, this talk looks at some of the most well-known myths from Assyria and Babylonia, the objects associated with these myths, practices and materials associated with healing and protection, and the lives of the practitioners associated with these crafts.

Short bibliography and/or website on lecture topic:

Curtis, John E., and Dominique Collon. Art and Empire: Treasures from Assyria in the British Museum. London: British Museum Press, 1995.

Said, Miriam. “Mesopotamian Magic in the First Millennium B.C.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/magic/hd_magic.htm (December 2018)

Spar, Ira. “Mesopotamian Creation Myths.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/epic/hd_epic.htm (April 2009)

Spar, Ira. “Mesopotamian Deities.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/deit/hd_deit.htm (April 2009)