Oriental Institute Podcast

OI Podcast Episode 15 Egyptian Influences/Contemporary Music Andrew List Ancient Egypt offers a feast of inspiration. From the mammoth carved temples to the intimate, painted tombs, visitors to these sites often daydream a fantasy of what life must have been like. Earlier this year, composer Andrew List, Berklee College of Music, reached out to the OI for permission to use translations from the Book of the Dead by OI scholar Thomas Allen George in a composition that is influenced by his own recent travels and a lifelong fascination with this ancient religion. Join us as we listen to selections from List's works, The Temple of Dendera and From the Heart of Ra, while exploring how the ancient Egyptian world continues to influence his compositions. This podcast continues our Contemporary Artist/Ancient Voices series, a set of conversations with artists who draw inspiration from the ancient Middle East. These conversations focus on individual artists interpretations of the ancient world, and are not intended to provide historical accuracy. To listen to The Temple of Dendera and From the Heart of Ra visit: https://soundcloud.com/andrewlist/sets/from-the-temple-of-dandera-twelve-etudes-for-piano-inspired-by-the-egyptian-zodiac https://soundcloud.com/andrewlist/from-the-heart-of-ra-for-viola-and-piano-1 A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/aP_TkAuD_JI To support OI research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/join-and-give/become-member 2021, Oriental Institute Music: Andrew List Intro Music: bensound.com

OI Podcast Episode 14 The Lyre Ensemble, Part 2 Playing the Gold Lyre of Ur Contemporary music played on an ancient Lyre. The Lyre Ensemble continues a discussion on the recreation of the Gold Lyre of Ur, focusing on both the possibilities and trappings of creating music on an ancient replica. Andy Lowings, Jennifer Sturdy, Mark Harmer, and Stef Conner sit down with the OI for a look at their project, The Flood, a piece of music that incorporates ancient texts into a speculation on what ancient music might have sounded like. To watch part 1, visit: https://youtu.be/CimbNIhc70E To listen to part 1, visit: https://soundcloud.com/orientalinstitute/oi-podcast-episode-13-the-lyre-ensemble-part-1 Part 2 of the Lyre Ensemble podcast, continues our Contemporary Artist/Ancient Voices series, a set of conversations with artists who draw inspiration from the ancient Middle East. A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/PaWPtHdRV58 To learn more about the Lyre Ensemble, please visit: http://lyre-ensemble.com/admin/ To explore the text used in the Lyre Ensemble's recordings, click on these two dramatic interpretations of the death of Enkidu produced by the Lyre Ensemble, the first video is in Akkadian, the second is in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qlMQtxg-JA&t=58s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUdllauhlvM&t=5s To support OI research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/join-and-give/become-member 2021, Oriental Institute Music: They Lyre ensemble Intro Music: bensound.com

OI Podcast Episode 13 The Lyre Ensemble, Part 1 Recreating the Gold Lyre of Ur What might ancient Mesopotamian music sound like? Inspired by both this question and the 2003 looting at the Baghdad Museum, harpist Andy Lowings set out to recreate a playable replica of the iconic Gold Lyre of Ur. Andy, along with his friend Jennifer Sturdy, enlisted the help of academics, students, artisans, and musicians to faithfully reconstruct the ancient instrument. Their journey resulted in a series of recordings, concerts, and radio broadcasts, all featuring the haunting sounds of the ancient lyre. With part 1 of the Lyre Ensemble podcast, we start our Contemporary Artist/Ancient Voices series, a set of conversations with artists who draw inspiration from the ancient Middle East. A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/CimbNIhc70E To learn more about the Lyre Ensemble, please visit: http://lyre-ensemble.com/admin/ To support OI research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/join-and-give/become-member

OI Podcast Episode 12 Demons in Ancient Egypt Rita Lucarelli From Pazuzu to Baphomet, demons in modern pop culture are figures of dark terror and fear. In the ancient world, the concepts of demons weren't always so simple. The OI's Steven Townshend sits down with Rita Lucarelli, University of California, Berkeley, for a podcast that explores the many different roles and natures of demons in the ancient Egyptian world. A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/68ZXXYEX3Zo To support OI research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/member Please excuse the audio and video, this podcast was recorded at-home.

In the Wake of the Phoenicians: Makers of the Mediterranean Presented by David Schloen, OI From olive oil to the alphabet, the Phoenicians left a lasting mark on the Mediterranean. The OI's David Schloen guides us through exciting new research into this ancient civilization and anticipates future excavations of Phoenician colonies in coastal Spain. In the Wake of the Phoenicians: Makers of the Mediterranean **This is an at home lecture, please excuse the audio and video quality. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on November 4, 2020. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/fofxL3WEhZc Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: http://bit.ly/2AWGgF7 2020, OI Music credit: bensound.com

OI Podcast Episode 11 Who Is Medjed? Ilaria Cariddi An obscure Egyptian deity has exploded into Japan's popular culture. Who is this mysterious marshmallow? And why is it becoming more popular than Isis and Osiris? The OI's Steven Townshend sits down with Ilaria Cariddi, research fellow at the University of Florence, to try and make sense of this this enigmatic creature. A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/L5uibTPClJ0 To support OI research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/member Please excuse the audio and video, this podcast was recorded at-home.

Truth or Consequences: The Public Display of Things from the Holy Land Presented by Morag M. Kersel, DePaul University When museums place items on display they take on multiple roles as custodians of sacred relics, shapers of public interpretation, fiduciary institutions, and educational establishments. The public counts on the museum to tell the truth, to act ethically, and to be responsible and transparent in the presentation of the past–they place their trust in the organization. This lecture examines the differing strands of attachment to objects and the consequences created by the desire to “own,” interpret, and display the material remains from the Holy Land. A survey of exhibitions of artifacts from the Holy Land at institutions like the Royal Ontario Museum, the Israel Museum, and the Museum of the Bible allows for the consideration of truth and consequences in these museums. **This is an at home lecture, please excuse the audio quality. To learn more about the Eastern Badia Archaeological Project, click this link: https://oi.uchicago.edu/research/projects/eastern-badia This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on October 14, 2020. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/WwWWQqT6OwQ Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: http://bit.ly/2AWGgF7 2020, Oriental Institute Music credit: bensound.com

OI Podcast Episode 10 Plague Prayers of the Ancient Hittites Part 2 Theo van den Hout Early in the 14th Century BCE, the Hittites faced a twenty year plague. How did these ancient Anatolians deal with pandemics? While the methods may be different, not much has changed. Join Theo van den Hout, the Arthur and Joanne Rasmussen Professor of Anatolian Languages and Cultures, OI, for part two in the discussion on plague prayers and scapegoating rituals used to combat plague in the ancient Hittite world. A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/7rhpDi86xm4 To support this and all of our research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: oi.uchicago.edu/member Please excuse the audio and video, this podcast was recorded at-home.

OI Podcast Episode 9 Plague Prayers of the Ancient Hittites Theo van den Hout Early in the 14th Century BCE, the Hittites faced a twenty year plague. How did these ancient Anatolians deal with pandemics? While the methods may be different, not much has changed. Join Theo van den Hout, the Arthur and Joanne Rasmussen Professor of Anatolian Languages and Cultures, OI, for a discussion on plague prayers and scapegoating rituals used to combat plague in the ancient Hittite world. A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/CNAEjsBYFKE To support this and all of our research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/member Please excuse the audio and video, this podcast was recorded at-home.

Uncovering History Episode 8 Searching the Hittite Skies Emily Smith PhD student in Hittitology, OI Just in time for summer stargazing, Emily Smith joins Steven Townshend for a discussion on comets, eclipses, and other celestial occurrences in the ancient skies. To support this and all of our research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: oi.uchicago.edu/member

Uncovering History Episode 7 Awakening the Dead for Love Part 2 | Robert Ritner, Rowe Professor of Egyptology, and Foy Scalf, OI In this episode Steven talks from home with Robert Ritner, the Rowe Professor of Egyptology, OI, and Foy Scalf, head of the OI research archives to continue the conversation about their recently published, and unique, erotic love spell from ancient Egypt written on papyrus in Demotic. A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/c_tgomCPDcg To support this and all of our research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: oi.uchicago.edu/member

Awakening the Dead for Love | Robert Ritner, Rowe Professor of Egyptology, and Foy Scalf, OI In this episode Steven talks from home with Robert Ritner, the Rowe Professor of Egyptology, OI, and Foy Scalf, head of the OI research archives to explore their recently published, and unique, erotic love spell from ancient Egypt written on papyrus in Demotic. A video version of this discussion with images can be viewed on the Oriental Institute YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/VadMR0RW4CY To support this and all of our research, become a member of the Oriental Institute. To explore the benefits of joining, please visit: https://oi.uchicago.edu/member

Joey Cross, PhD candidate in the department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago, presents an at-home lecture that explores the elements of storytelling in the Achaemenid and Hellenistic periods, while shining a light on how scholars reconstruct the world of this art form. Joey is currently writing a dissertation on novellas written in Egypt and Judea during the Achaemenid and Hellenistic periods. This interdisciplinary project explores a new type of storytelling shared uniquely by these two cultures, with remarkably similar literary features, cultural concerns, and social contexts. Joey also teaches online courses for the OI and contributes to the museum's docent training program. This lecture is part of our weekly at-home social media exploration of the ancient Middle East. Join us on OI social media for up-to-date content and themes! Subscribe to our Oriental Institute YouTube channel to receive first notice of all of our future lectures and live streams. Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member of the OI, please visit: http://bit.ly/2AWGgF7 This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on October 3, 2018. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/1d9npCDAbE0

Oriental Institute Membership lecture for Centennial The Rise of Ancient Israel and Other Problematic Entities Ayelet Gilboa, Director of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on October 2, 2019. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/H1FnyQgFNBE. Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: bit.ly/2AWGgF7

Exploring the Roots of the Vine: The History and Archaeology of the Earliest Wines Stephen Batiuk Stephen Batiuk examines new archaeological fieldwork and biomolecular chemistry and genetics that are pushing the origins of wine back to the Neolithic period. Batiuk explores how ancient migration possibly led to the spread of wine culture across the Near East and Mediterranean world. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on October 3, 2018. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/sWVY2g0JyjI . Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: http://bit.ly/2AWGgF7

OI Centennial Year Members' Lecture "On Judicial Violence in Mesopotamia: The Problem of an Eye for an Eye" Martha Roth Chauncey S. Boucher Distinguished Service Professor of Assyriology Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations University of Chicago Oriental Institute This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on March 4, 2020. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/qhlx1CPVRnc. Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member of the OI, please visit: bit.ly/2AWGgF7

Star Wars and Religion Russell Johnson University of Chicago Divinity School Russell Johnson, University of Chicago Divinity School, uses the core episodes of George Lucas's epic vision to explore several of the worlds religious traditions. This lecture is based on Russell's popular University of Chicago course, Star Wars and Religion. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on December 23, 2019. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/wzv7SvY5rWQ. Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member of the OI, please visit: http://bit.ly/2AWGgF7

The Marija Gimbutas Memorial Lecture Anatolians on the Move: From Kurgans to Kanesh Petra Goedegebuure Associate Professor of Hittitology Last year Sir Colin Renfrew opened the Marija Gimbutas lecture series acknowledging that she was essentially right when she said that the Proto-Indo-Europeans came from north of the Black Sea and then dispersed east and west. And you may recall that Colin Renfrew originally said that Indo-Europeans came out of Anatolia. So what he did was, acknowledging that she was correct, and he used very recent ancient DNA research that really show that Proto-Indo-Europeans are from the north of the Black Sea, but he left open what happened in Anatolia. So what I want to talk about is the Hittites who are from Anatolia. They are kind of an outlier. We do not know how and when they arrived from north of the Black Sea. And this is what I want to explore. So I want to look at what do the Hittites say themselves about their origins, what legends do they have, what do models—linguistic models of language contact—tell us about what happened in prehistory in Anatolia. And finally I want to incorporate some very very recent ancient DNA research basically published in 2020, so this month, and see if that can bring this a little bit closer to understand how the Hittites arrived in Kanesh. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on Feruary 5, 2020. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Pe4jnBdVxjw Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: bit.ly/2AWGgF7

A New Irong Age Kingdom in Anatolia James Osborne Assistant Professor of Anatolian Archaeology Michele Massa British Institute at Ankara, Honorary Fellow In 2019, discoveries made by the Konya Regional Archaeological Survey Project, directed by Michele Massa, and the Türkmen-Karahöyük Intensive Survey Project, directed by James Osborne, brought to light exciting new evidence for a hitherto unknown Iron Age kingdom in south-central Anatolia. The site of Türkmen-Karahöyük, newly recognized to be one of the largest Bronze and Iron Age sites in Turkey, is almost certainly the royal seat of King Hartapu, long a mysterious figure in Anatolian history and scholarship, but whose Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription just found at the site describes his exploits across the country. At the same time, archaeological data from the region indicates the likely extent of his kingdom and his extensive fortification system. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on December 4, 2019. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/2p6ROIGt6_Q Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: bit.ly/2AWGgF7

Braidwood Visiting Scholar Lecture What we learned from 25 Years of Research at Catalhoyuk by Ian Hodder Stanford University, Director of the Catalhoyuk Archaeological Project This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on December 4, 2019. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/o70A1VqrxEQ Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: bit.ly/2AWGgF7

Seven Brides with Seven Stingers: The Scorpion Wives of Horus Presented by Robert Ritner, Professor of Egyptology, University of Chicago A lectured delivered on October 9, 1996, in Breasted Hall of the Oriental Institute, introduced by William Sumner. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on May 1, 2013. A video of this lecture with recreated slides is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/OyyOVI25OZk It was originally recorded on audio-cassette tape, which has now been digitized. There are some audio imperfections already present in the original. Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: bit.ly/2AWGgF7

The OI in Iraq McGuire Gibson Professor of Mesopotamian Archaeology This lecture was live streamed on Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at 7 PM Central Time. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/83dfycHdDYA Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: bit.ly/2AWGgF7

David A. Kipper Ancient Israel Lecture Series: How Ancient Israel Began: A New Archaeological Perspective David Ilan, Hebrew Union College; Director, Tel Dan Over the last 100 years , a number of models have been proposed to explain the origins of ancient Israel. Join us as David Ilan examines a new proposal: that Egypt itself instigated Israelite settlement. This lecture was live streamed on Wednesday, June 5 at 7 PM Central Time. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on June 5, 2019. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/SSXmf0fnhMU Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: bit.ly/2AWGgF7

Everything You've Always Wanted to Know about Sex in Babylonia . . . Lecture by Jerry Cooper, W. W. Spence Professor of Semitic Languages Emeritus, The Johns Hopkins University This breezy look at 3000 years of sex in ancient Mesopotamia will cover such fascinating topics as virginity, adultery, rape, prostitution, literary sex, gay sex, ritual sex, marital sex and sexual dysfunction. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on May 1, 2013. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/l2iHAgPV-EQ Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: http://bit.ly/2AWGgF7

Oriental Institute Oral History Project Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution for the Smithsonian Institution Archives Part 2 of an interview with Robert McCormick Adams (1926–2018), former Director of the Oriental Institute and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Interview conducted by Pamela H. Henson in the office of Robert McCormick Adams in the Smithsonian Institution building May 31, 1994

Assyrian Imperial Power and How to Oppose It by Karen Radner Alexander von Humboldt-Professor for Ancient History of the Near and Middle East, LMU Munich Honorary Professor of Ancient Near Eastern History, University College London In the early first millennium BC, the ancient kingdom of Assyria became the dominant power of the Middle East. Attitudes and preferences of the imperial center shaped the lives and lifestyles between the Nile and the Caspian Sea. What made the Assyrian Empire so successful? And was it possible to oppose this exemplary lowland predatory state? This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on May 1, 2019. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/GnRNWyf1Rtw Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: bit.ly/2AWGgF7

Uncovering History Episode 5 Traveling with Brian Muhs In this episode Steven visits Dr. Brian Muhs, Professor of Egyptology, for a celebration of summer road trips and a conversation that takes us from travel in ancient Egypt to lion goddesses and ancient finances. Become a member of the OI to keep up with the latest updates: oi.uchicago.edu/member

Uncovering History Episode 4 In this episode, we wrap up our look at ancient influences on George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. We head to Brian Muhs’ office for a conversation about the Ptolemaic Dynasty. Become a member of the OI to keep up with all the latest updates: oi.uchicago.edu/member

Uncovering History Episode 3 In this podcast, Steven Townshend talks to Tasha Vorderstrasse about the Umayyad sieges of Constantinople, Greek Fire, and their influences on Game of Thrones. Become a member of the OI to keep up with all the latest updates: oi.uchicago.edu/member

Uncovering History Episode 2 In this podcast, Steven Townshend talks to Tasha Vorderstrasse about the Scythians and how they potentially inspired the Dothraki in George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. Become a member of the OI to keep up with all the latest updates: oi.uchicago.edu/member

1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric Cline Professor of Classics and Anthropology Chair of the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations; Director of the Capitol Archaeological Institute at The George Washington University, in Washington D.C. For more than three hundred years during the Late Bronze Age, from about 1500 BC to 1200 BC, the Mediterranean region played host to a complex international world in which Egyptians, Mycenaeans, Minoans, Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Cypriots, and Canaanites all interacted, creating a cosmopolitan and globalized world-system such as has only rarely been seen before the current day. It may have been this very internationalism that contributed to the apocalyptic disaster that ended the Bronze Age. When the end came, as it did after centuries of cultural and technological evolution, the civilized and international world of the Mediterranean regions came to a dramatic halt in a vast area stretching from Greece and Italy in the west to Egypt, Canaan, and Mesopotamia in the east. Large empires and small kingdoms, that had taken centuries to evolve, collapsed rapidly. With their end came the world’s first recorded Dark Ages. It was not until centuries later that a new cultural renaissance emerged in Greece and the other affected areas, setting the stage for the evolution of Western society as we know it today. Blame for the end of the Late Bronze Age is usually laid squarely at the feet of the so-called Sea Peoples, known to us from the records of the Egyptian pharaohs Merneptah and Ramses III. However, as was the case with the fall of the Roman Empire, the end of the Bronze Age empires in this region was not the result of a single invasion, but of multiple causes. The Sea Peoples may well have been responsible for some of the destruction that occurred at the end of the Late Bronze Age, but it is much more likely that a concatenation of events, both human and natural — including earthquake storms, droughts, rebellions, and systems collapse — coalesced to create a “perfect storm” that brought the age to an end. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on February 25, 2015. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/hyry8mgXiTk Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: http://bit.ly/2AWGgF7

Uncovering History Episode 1 In this podcast, Steven Townshend talks to Tasha Vorderstrasse about the queen Semiramis, the connection to the Assyrian queen Shammuramat, and the accounts of classical authors like Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus. Become a member of the OI to keep up with all the latest updates: https://oi.uchicago.edu/member

A Game of Thrones and Coffins: The Death and Resurrection of Osiris by Robert Ritner Professor of Egyptology This particular topic if one of great significance in the Western world. Robert Ritner discusses the primary Egyptian myth that defines many aspects of the ancient Egyptian civilization: the myth of Isis and Osiris, both of whom sit upon thrones and both of whose names are written with the hieroglyph for the throne. This game of thrones begins when Seth schemes to murder his brother Osiris as he coveted the throne of Egypt. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: youtu.be/NWHOIW0ih3Q This lecture was given to accompany the Osiris and Isis Ballet Performance, which can be viewed on YouTube at the following link: https://youtu.be/XdyAwmXIy30 This program has been generously funded by University of Chicago Arts Council.

Oriental Institute Oral History Project Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution for the Smithsonian Institution Archives Part 1 of an interview with Robert McCormick Adams (1926–2018), former Director of the Oriental Institute and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Interview conducted by Pamela H. Henson in the office of Robert McCormick Adams in the Smithsonian Institution building May 26, 1994

Pots from the City of Sin: The Consequences of Buying Holy Land Antique by Morag Kersel Associate Professor and Director of the Museum Studies Minor Program Anthropology Oriental Institute Members Lecture Whatever the motive, the demand for archaeological artifacts from the Holy Land (modern Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories) results in archaeological site destruction, theft from museums, and a compromised understanding of the past. Critical to understanding the mechanics of the antiquities trade and the motivations of the associated actors is the recognition of the commonality of demand – everyone wants to own a piece of the Holy Land. “Who doesn’t want a pot from the city of sin?” declared an interviewee when asked why they were purchasing an Early Bronze Age (3600-2000 BCE) artifact possibly from the site of Bab adh-Dhra’ (identified by some as biblical Sodom). Over 15 years of investigation have led to interesting insights related to why individuals and institutions want to own artifacts from the Holy Land? Tracing how pots move from the mound to the market to the mantelpiece or museum involves archaeological survey, aerial investigations using unpiloted aerial vehicles, archival research, and ethnographic interviews in order to understand better the competing claims for these archaeological objects and the deleterious effects on the landscape. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on March 6, 2019. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/NWHOIW0ih3Q

Oriental Institute Oral History Project Interview with Hervé Reculeau, Associate Professor of Assyriology In the Research Archives of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago December 13, 2018 In this faculty research highlight, Professor Reculeau discusses his work as an Assyriologist and highlights his collaboration in the international project Coping with Changing Climates in Early Antiquity: Comparative Approaches between Empiricism and Theory. This audio recording was originally recorded as a video interview on December 13, 2018. The video of this interview is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/albBUlAielc

Entangled Lives: Intercultural Interactions in the Nubian Borderlands by Stuart Tyson Smith University of California, Santa Barbara Egyptologists have often depicted Nubia as inferior, dominated both militarily and culturally by its northern neighbor. Stuart Smith explores how recent archaeological work in Nubia is breaking the simple Egyptian-Nubian dichotomy. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture on November 7, 2018. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/EKAVLKKGve0 Due to projection and audio issues in the lecture hall, a portion of this lecture is presented with dim lighting and general mic pickup. Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: http://bit.ly/2AWGgF7

Why the West Rules — For Now by Ian Morris Ian Morris, Professor of History at Stanford University, lecture Why the West Rules -- For Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal about the Future at the Oriental Institute on October 2, 2013. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/wnqS7G3LmMo Our lectures are free and available to the public thanks to the generous support of our members. To become a member, please visit: http://bit.ly/2AWGgF7

Former director of the Oriental Institute Gil Stein, Professor of Archaeology, sits down with the oral history project to discuss his life and career. This interview took place in the Research Archives of the Oriental Institute on April 17, 2018.

Highlights the OI’s mission of discovery, preservation, and the dissemination of knowledge through the lens of the OI's three projects in Egypt and global partnerships. This audio recording was originally recorded as a video highlight. The video is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/b-X0sZwce6E

Be My Baby in Babylonia: Girl Meets Boy and Vice Versa Presented by Andrew George, Professor of Babylonian, University of London, SOAS. Wednesday, April 5, 2017 This lecture presents two Old Babylonian incantations in comparative perspective. The language and emotions of new love and sexual attraction are shared in compositions as diverse as Akkadian and Sumerian love incantations and popular music from nearly four thousand years later. The incantations are on tablets newly published in the speaker’s Mesopotamian Incantations and Related Texts. One is completely new, the other strangely familiar. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/xYSqscmp_f0

Presented by Lisa Cooper, Associate Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology, University of British Columbia Wednesday, October 5, 2016 Encounters with Ancient Splendors: Gertrude Bell’s Archaeological Discoveries and Research in Mesopotamia, 1909-1914 Recent biographies highlight many aspects of the extraordinary life of Gertrude Bell, an early 20th century Englishwoman known for her bold travels to remote regions in the Middle East and her role in the creation of the country of Iraq. But most of these accounts tend to pass rather quickly over the one thing that drew Bell to the Middle East time and time again, and which continued to be a driving force until the end of her life: archaeology. This lecture attempts to fill that important gap concerning our appreciation of Bell by relating, through her own photographs, journal entries, books and letters, the tremendous effort she made to describe ancient monuments and antiquities, and the breadth to which she gained an understanding of the history and culture of the antique lands through which she passed. Special emphasis is placed on Bell’s travels through Mesopotamia and her investigation of several key Islamic period archaeological sites for which she developed a particular interest and specialization. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Y24fDbtmpzM

Irving Finkel, Assistant Keeper I with responsibility for cuneiform in the Department of the Middle East, British Museum. Wednesday, June 1, 2016 This talk will describe what befell the speaker after one quite remarkable cuneiform tablet was brought for examination to the British Museum in London. The inscription on this four-thousand-year-old tablet led to a series of altogether unexpected discoveries, demanding a whole new look at Noah and his Ark, and culminating in a book and a documentary film. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/s_fkpZSnz2I

The Battle of Kadesh: A Debate between the Egyptian and Hittite Perspectives Wednesday, January 6, 2016 The Battle of Kadesh, ca. 1285 BC, is the earliest military encounter that can be analyzed in detail. This conflict between the Egyptian forces of Ramses II and the Hittite army of Muwatalli was celebrated as a personal victory by Ramses, but is often treated by modern scholars as an Egyptian defeat or as a stalemate. In any case, the battle had profound impact on international politics of the age, with unexpected results. Join us for a lively debate presented from the two sides of the ancient conflict, provided by noted Oriental Institute scholars Robert Ritner, for the Egyptian side, and Theo van den Hout, for the Hittites. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/A1AGe2V0qHo

Josef Wegner, Associate Professor of Egyptian Archaeology from the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Pennsylvania, presents "The Pharaohs of Anubis-Mountain: Archaeological Investigations of a Royal Necropolis at Abydos" Wednesday, September 2, 2015 Recent excavations at Abydos in Upper Egypt have revealed an extensive royal necropolis beside a sacred peak: Anubis-Mountain. Here a series of tombs spanning Egypt’s late Middle Kingdom (ca. 1850-1650 BCE) and Second Intermediate Period (ca. 1650-1550 BCE) are helping to illuminate one of the most shadowy eras of Egyptian history. The lecture discusses the twelve royal tombs currently known at Anubis-Mountain, and the most recent results– the excavation in June this year of a tomb likely belonging to king Sobekhotep IV, as well as the discovery of the previously unknown pharaoh Senebkay. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/H33c9gAqMMQ

Exhibit co-curator Dr. Virginia R. Herrmann explores the themes of "In Remembrance of Me". The exhibit elucidates the means by which the people of the ancient Middle East and Egypt honored and commemorated their deceased ancestors, as illustrated by numerous statues, steles, and inscriptions discovered throughout the region. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/vUtXqIEunxQ

The Long Defeat: The Fall of the Roman Empire by Clifford Ando Wednesday, December 4, 2013 Clifford Ando, David B. and Clara E. Stern Professor; Professor of Classics, University of Chicago speaks at the third lecture in our four-part series: Why Did Civilizations Collapse: Internal Decay or External Forces? The Long Defeat: The Fall of the Roman Empire in East and West. The Roman Empire remains one of the world's longest lived polities. Its collapse has therefore endured as a great historical puzzle. Was it barbarians or internal decay? Or was Christianity to blame? The lecture will explore a range of theories and consider in detail why the two famous theories, those of St. Augustine and Edward Gibbon, have found so little favor. This audio recording was originally presented as an illustrated lecture. The video of this lecture is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/2vSGPHByAZc

Professor of Hittite and Anatolian Languages Theo van den Hout tells us about who scribes in Mesopotamia and Anatolia were. This interview was produced for the OI special exhibit "Visible Language: Inventions of Writing in the Ancient Middle East" which ran from September 28, 2010, through March 6, 2011. This audio recording was originally recorded as a video interview. The video of this interview is available on the OI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/cmZ_3VYWLqU