Institute for the Study of the Ancient World

Need a gift for that special someone? Or something unique for a virtual gift exchange? Maybe just a new catalogue to peruse while you bundle up? We’ve got you covered! Enjoy 25% off your purchase in our online gallery store the entire month of December! Use code 25OFF at checkout. Order by December 18th for delivery by Christmas.... Find our online store at the link in our bio #isawnyu #holidaysale #museumstore #museumshop #museumswag #ancientworld #museumsfromhome See more

The ISAW Student Council and the Society for Ancient Studies are collaborating on a new Ancient World Graduate Workshop Series (AWGWS)! There is still time to register for the first session next week and to submit papers for the second session on November 17th. Click the link in our bio for more information and to register!

As deinstallation of #Awondertobehold begins, our last object history post for this exhibition features everyone’s favorite artifact! Do you notice something unusual on this brick? In antiquity, as today, city life included wayward animals scampering across your path! The process of brick-making in ancient Babylonia took place in flat open-air spaces. An irresistible invitation to free roaming cats and dogs. While the clay was still malleable, it was possible to impress roy...al inscriptions and stamps onto the bricks. Yet these are not the only marks that are preserved. Dogs and cats also wandered around the brickyards, as evidenced by paw impressions on some brick faces like this one. This aspect of Babylonian city life may be hinted at in a letter written by the citizens of Babylon to the Assyrian king Esarhaddon (r. 680669 BCE): Whoever enters inside it (Babylon), his privileged status is secured ... Not even a dog that enters inside it is killed. Check out our story to see some contemporary cat pawprints spotted by one of our curators outside a Whole Foods in New Jersey. Chances are you have also seen wild and domestic animal paw prints preserved in concrete-- we invite you to share your photos using the hashtag #isawishtarslionathome and tag us! Fragmentary brick stamped with cuneiform inscription of Nebuchadnezzar II and impressed with a dog’s paw print Neo-Babylonian Period (reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, 604562 BCE) Baked clay Babylon, Iraq H. 22.5 cm; W. 28 cm; D. 8.5 cm Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Vorderasiatisches Museum: VA Bab 04060.005 Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Vorderasiatisches Museum; Photo: Olaf M. Teßmer #objecthistory #isawnyu #isawishtarslion See more

Another small but extremely powerful artifact from #AWondertoBehold is this beautiful Mold for a Female Figurine. Across the ancient Middle East, the medium of clay (synonymous with earth) was associated with fertility and abundance, home and security, and more broadly, settled, urban civilization. This was the material that allowed agriculture to take hold; as bricks, it formed the building blocks of homes, temples, palaces, city walls, and entire cities. According to Meso...potamian cosmologies, clay was one of the earliest materials in existence at the creation of the universe. The first gods, and in turn, the first humans were formed from clay--in many accounts, with the aid of molds. Molds such as the one seen here were widely used across the ancient Middle East to create figurines of nude or semi-nude women. Although the purpose of such images is uncertain, they were likely used to help women through pregnancy, birth, and the post-partum period, and protected newly-born infants--these transitions being the most momentous and dangerous. The magical power of clay figurines lay not only in their composition from clay, but also in the mold-making technology, which re-enacted the original creation. This medium and technology also ensured the powerful vitality of the beasts of the Ishtar Gate. Mold for a female figurine Middle Elamite Period, ca. 15001100 BCE Molded baked clay Susa, Iran H. 19 cm; W. 8.5 cm; D. 3 cm Musée du Louvre, Paris, Département des Antiquités orientales: Sb 7413 #isawnyu #objecthistory #isawishtarslion See more

For today’s #objecthistory post we turn away from building blocks of the monumental to look at the minuscule yet mighty ancient cylinder seal. This cylinder seal is carved in chalcedony--a type of quartz that comes in a variety of colorful shades. This material was especially popular during the late Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods and was imported from abroad, possibly as far as India. As the hardest known material at this time, chalcedony was incredibly difficult to ...carve, requiring expert manipulation of tools such as the drill, cutting wheel, and file. The imagery is not always clearly visible on the seal itself because it was not filled in with pigment. Moreover, the inclusions and patterns of the stone itself often competed visually with the carved image. As such, seals served talismanic, protective functions as jewelry. When pressed and rolled out across a still-soft clay tablet or sealing (closure for a door or vessel), the seal impression functioned as a signature, and the imagery was revealed. Cylinder seal and modern impression with a worshipper or priest before the divine symbols of Marduk (spade) and Nabu (stylus), and a god on a winged animal Neo-Assyrian or Neo-Babylonian Period, ca. 800700 BCE Chalcedony Probably Mesopotamia, Iraq H. 2.8 cm; Diam. 1.3 cm The Morgan Library & Museum, New York: Morgan Seal 692 #isawnyu #isawishtarslion #awondertobehold #museumsfromhome See more

Eye’s forward as we start the new semester! This brick depicting a portion of a deity’s head probably comes from the facade of a palace or temple at the site of Ashur in Assyria (modern-day northern Iraq). This piece is interesting because it shows that similar approaches to architectural decoration were being explored both in Assyria and Babylonia in the mid 1st millennium BCE. Like the divine beasts of the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way, this figure of a deity was assembl...ed from multiple glazed bricks. In contrast to the Babylonian bricks, however, this example from Ashur is two-dimensional--that is, the imagery is painted on the bricks rather than molded. Nonetheless, in both cases, fitters’ marks were required to assemble the final architectural facade. Take a look back at our April 15th post on the fitters’ mark system used at Babylon, as recorded in the watercolor illustrations by architect and archaeologist Walter Andrae. Although different systems of fitters’ marks were used in different cities, there was some overlap in the symbols-- can you match the symbols on top of this brick with some of the ones from Babylon? Brick with part of a god’s face and fitters’ marks Neo-Assyrian Period, ca. 800612 BCE Glazed baked clay Ashur (modern Qal'at Sharqat), Iraq H. 8 cm; W. 34.5 cm; D. 16.5 cm Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Vorderasiatisches Museum: VA Ass 02299 #isawnyu #isawishtarslion #museumsfromhome #awondertobehold See more

What do you see when you look at these fragments? Can you imagine the larger work of art to which these pieces belonged? These fragments of molded and glazed brick originally formed a monumental composition on the walls of the Inshushinak Temple at Susa in modern-day Iran--one of the earliest examples of the techniques later utilized on the Ishtar Gate. This architectural feature consisted of several repeating images of the Middle Elamite king, Shilhak-Inshushinak, king of... Anshan and Susa, and his queen. Although the panels are not completely preserved, it is clear that the figures were depicted in a static, but strong and regal pose: their torsos facing the viewer, hands folded, while their heads and feet were turned in profile. The fragment seen on the right represents the hand of a queen, holding a flower. The piece on the left is a fragment of the royal inscription band that ran across the bodies of the figures at hip-level. Check out our story for an image of the larger work of art. Fragmentary bricks with a cuneiform inscription and with the hand of a queen Middle Elamite Period, Shutrukid Dynasty (reign of Shilhak-Inshushinak, ca. 11501120 BCE) Molded and glazed siliceous material Inshushinak Temple, Apadana Mound, Susa, Iran H. 10.1 cm; W. 13.5 cm; D. 10.5 cm and H. 10.5 cm; W. 11.6 cm; D. 10.4 cm Musée du Louvre, Paris, Département des Antiquités orientales: Sb 11481 and Sb 726 Musée du Louvre, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Raphael Chipault / Art Resource, NY #isawnyu #isawishtarslion #museumsfromhome #awondertobehold #objecthistory See more

For today’s #objecthistory we look at another reconstruction of the designs and colors that decorated Ishtar Gate in antiquity. This beautiful watercolor was painted on-site in Babylon by archaeologist, architect, and artist Walter Andrae. His close attention to detail was instrumental not only for reconstructing the visual programs of Babylon’s architecture, but also ancient construction methods. In this example, he has captured the transition of the remains of a wall from u...nglazed to glazed brick, as well as the bitumen that was used to secure and waterproof rows of bricks. Walter Andrae Portion of glazed brick wall showing rosette decoration and bitumen found in situ 1902 CE Watercolor on paper Babylon, Iraq H. 31.5 cm; W. 20.7 cm Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft, Berlin: ArDOG V.15.24 Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft, Archiv; Photo: Olaf M. Teßmer #isawnyu #isawishtarslion #awondertobehold #museumsfromhome #archaeology See more

In August 2017, she joined our Ancient History team in Basel In May 2018, she successfully attained her PhD from NYU's Institute for the Study of the Ancient ...World on "The Economic Integration of a Late Roman Province: Egypt from Diocletian to Anastasius" In October 2019, she started as PI of the Forschungsfonds Project "Nomismation: Measuring Monetary Integration in the Late Roman Empire" (https://altegeschichte.philhist.unibas.ch//fo/nomismation/) This fall, our Institute's PostDoc Assistant Dr. Irene Soto Marín will join the University of Michigan as Assistant Professor of Classical Studies and Assistant Curator of Numismatics at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology! Our Institute could not be more proud to see Dr. Soto Marín continue her research at Ann Arbor https://lsa.umich.edu//the-kelsey-museum-and-the-departmen #ancienthistory #classicalstudies #classics #numismatics #lateantiquity #assistantprofessor #michigan #basel

The AIA is pleased to announce a series of three webinars addressing issues of race, diversity and inclusion in teaching archaeology, classics, ancient history,... museums, and cultural heritage. The seminars aim to provide concrete strategies for educators to incorporate new approaches and resources that promote inclusivity in courses on the ancient Mediterranean. The webinars are free, but registration is required https://www.archaeological.org/aia-seminars-critical-conve/ See more

For today’s Object History post we offer up our second curator-led short talk to wade into the waters of understanding the use of color and material in ancient Babylonia. In this video, curator Anastasia Amrhein looks closely at several objects in the exhibition to answer a question that has been raised by many visitors to A Wonder to Behold-- "Why is the Ishtar Gate blue? #isawnyu #isawishtarslion #awondertobehold #museumsfromhome #objecthistory

This 1912 watercolor offers a beautiful look at how the Ishtar gate façade would have looked in antiquity. It was certainly a visual highlight of Babylon’s architecture. Using molded and glazed bricks, the Gate itself featured rows of white and yellow marching bulls and dragons against a blue background. As symbols of the gods and ferocious wild and imaginary animals, these figures protected Babylon’s sacred inner city from mortal as well as supernatural foes. Friedrich Wac...htsmuth Reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate façade 1912 CE Watercolor on paper H. 51.4 cm; W. 69 cm Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft, Berlin: ArDOG V.29.100 Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft, Archiv; Photo: Olaf M. Teßmer #isawnyu #isawishtarslion #museumsfromhome #awondertobehold See more

For today's object history post we take a step further and look at the people who help bring these objects to light. Stories told through exhibitions develop through the collaborative efforts of curators, researchers, conservators, and collection managers. To celebrate the connections between people across institutions, ISAW is featuring Katy Blanchard, Fowler/Van Santvoord Keeper of Collections at the Penn Museum. Katy's deep knowledge of the Penn Museum's collection was i...nstrumental to ISAW's exhibit, A Wonder to Behold. When curators visited the collections storage at Penn, Katy pulled objects that didn't have much of an online presence and were therefore unknown to the curators. Katy's unexpected and delightful finds included these two hand-modeled terracotta figurines from domestic residences at Billa (Iraq). These objects had never been on display before, and the possibility of placing them in the spotlight after thousands of years spent underground and followed by decades in museum storage was thrilling. The hand-made nature of the lion and bull figurines offers an especially poignant link to the ancient past in ISAW's exhibit, as they show how the imagery of the Ishtar Gate was meaningful to people of all social levels in their daily lives. In contrast to objects typically seen in museums (that originate from elite contexts such as palaces and temples), these objects were manufactured for use in personal magical rituals and perhaps also doubled as toys or teaching tools. #ConnectingCollections #isawnyu #isawishtarslion #awondertobehold #museumfromhome See more

New video to go with our NEW BOOKSTORE! The Ishtar Gate of Babylon is explored as never before in an exhibition catalog from the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in New York. Find out what you can look forward to behind the cover!

Babylon’s Ishtar Gate comprised a 200 meter long Processional Way leading up to a 50 meter long Gate which intersected two city walls. To create this drawing, Alfred Bollacher used surviving archaeological evidence, found by archaeologists working at Babylon beginning in 1899. Combining fragments of molded bricks found scattered across the site with the Gate’s foundation levels--which were found intact--Bollacher imagines what the superstructure of this famous monument migh...t have looked like. Alfred Bollacher Reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate 1918 CE Ink on paper H. 33.7 cm; W. 46.9 cm Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft, Berlin: ArDOG V.29.60 Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft, Photo: Olaf M. Teßmer #isawnyu #isawishtarslion #awondertobehold #museumsfromhome #objecthistory See more