ANE Today, 9 Jan 2025
Inventing Writing in South-west Asia, Brewing and Building in Bronze-Age Cyprus, our Object of the Week, plus the usual round-up of news, books, and other media.
Inventing Writing in South-west Asia
By Kathryn Kelley, Mattia Cartolano, and Silvia Ferrara
The shift from pre-writing symbols to actual writing represents a major advancement in human cognitive technology, as the invention of writing marks the boundary between prehistory and history. The INSCRIBE team at the University of Bologna has published some recent findings that help bridge that gap by showing how certain late prehistoric images became part of one of the earliest writing systems ever invented. We have elucidated connections between cylinder seal motifs (c. 4400–3400 BCE) and later proto-cuneiform symbols from Uruk (southern Iraq, first documented c. 3350–3000 BCE), casting new light on the early stages of writing in this region.
In the News:
Archaeologists present bold new theory for why Israel has no cave art (Haaretz)
‘Aida’ returns to the Met Opera through archaeologists’ eyes (NY Times)
Rare trove of ancient coins found in Israel: “archaeological Hanukkah miracle” (CBS News)
New Books to Explore:
Landscapes of Warfare: Urartu and Assyria in the Ancient World, by Tiffany Earley-Spandoni
Society and the Individual in Ancient Mesopotamia, ed. by Laura Culbertson and Gonzalo Rubio
Ancient Egyptian Portraiture: History of an Idea, by Alessio Delli Castelli
Nilus of Ancyra: Byzantine Theologian and Ascetic, by Clair McPherson
Origen, the Philosophical Theologian, by Ilaria L. E. Ramelli
Latest Podcasts:
Court politics in the Neo-Assyrian Empire, with Christopher Jones (Thin End of the Wedge)
Tomb of King Herod, with Jodi Magness (The Ancients)
Historical Geography with John Monson (OnScript: Biblical World)
Health and Medicine in Ancient Egypt with Prof. Anne Austin (Ancient/Now)
Latest YouTube:
2 Hours of Archaeological Mysteries from Ancient Egypt (Unearthed History – Archaeological Documentaries)
Exhibition Tour–Flight Into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876-Now (The Met)
Hammamet, the thousand tombs of the Roman necropolis (Imineo Documentaries)
Object of the Week:
In Case You Missed It:
Ten Fascinating Discoveries in Near Eastern and Mediterranean Archaeology in 2024
By Jessica Nitschke
Another year done and dusted! We’ve been sharing news stories about archaeological breakthroughs and discoveries all year. In case you missed any, here are some of the highlights. Read More...
FOA Webinar: Lindy Crewe on January 22
Register now for the upcoming FOA Webinar: "Thirsty Work: Building and Brewing on Bronze Age Cyprus," presented by Dr. Lindy Crewe on Wednesday, January 22nd at 2:00pm ET. The last phase of the Middle Bronze Age on Cyprus (c. 1750–1650 BC) saw a number of dramatic changes, both in settlement patterns and structure, with many sites abandoned and new sites founded near the coast. At the exceptional long-lived coastal Bronze Age site of Kissonerga-Skalia, ongoing excavations are revealing a number of large pyrotechnical features and associated finds within this "monumental" complex dating to the transition from the Middle–Late Bronze Age, a period during which we see the first moves towards urbanism and the integration of Cyprus into eastern Mediterranean trading networks. This lecture will explore how we can interpret this evidence for large-scale production and construction and consider how these features may relate to the desire of all or part of the community at Kissonerga-Skalia to take part in wider Mediterranean social interactions and trade. Read more about Dr. Crewe's talk and register here.
Apply for 2025 Fieldwork Scholarships and Project Grants
ASOR is now accepting applications for fieldwork participation scholarships and project grants. Fieldwork scholarships of $2,000 each offer recipients the chance to participate in fieldwork on ASOR-affiliated archaeological projects. A number of the scholarships are reserved for BIPOC scholars and active/reserve military or veterans. Project grants range from $2,500-$5,000 and support research on ASOR-affiliated projects. Email programs@asor.org with questions. The deadline for fieldwork scholarships and project grants is February 24, 2025.
Published with the assistance of The Lanier Theological Library and Stevan Dana