Gwendolyn Leick (1951–2022)

'Mesopotamia' was published in 2001 and the spectre of subsequent wars loomed as I read it. For example, 'The ruins of the ancient city of Ur lie fifteen miles south-west of Nasiriyah...' reminded me of where I'd come across that name before: in [b:Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War|543103|Generation Kill Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War|Evan Wright|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441919496l/543103._SY75_.jpg|908023]. The recon marines who invaded Iraq in 2003 got into an intense firefight in Nasiriyah. Fascinating as it was to learn about the excavations of humankind's earliest recorded cities, I dread to think what state these sites are in after the continual conflicts of the past two decades. Nonetheless, there is some comfort in the extraordinary lengths of time that these cities have already survived, despite millennia of warfare, environmental changes, and other upheaval.

The book devotes a chapter to each city, examining the archaeological evidence and how it has been interpreted. A clear theme is Western Europeans, especially representatives of the British Museum, blatantly stealing massive volumes of artefacts in the 19th century. Also, a tendency for American archaeological digs to be funded on the basis that they'd substantiate information from the bible. Leick thoroughly acknowledges the depressing colonialist trappings of how most ancient Mesopotamian cities were excavated. However this does not prevent the book from conveying the excitement and fascination of what was discovered.

The span of time covered by 'Mesopotamia' is quite dizzying, and reminded me of looking through a hefty world history (probably Dorling Kindersley) in the primary school library as a child. I remember reading about Sumerian civilisation and realising with astonishment what a very long time human beings have been living in cities. This book filled me with the same sense of awe and supplied a great many striking details. Leick recounts the architectural and infrastructural innovations of successive cities, as well as what is known and hypothesised about the political, social, and religious life of their inhabitants. The developments of hereditary hierarchies, the changing roles of women, and the treatment of the gods are recurring themes I found especially interesting. The naditu women of Sippar were an especial highlight, also the development of written language and the purposes it was used for. I appreciated the inclusion of photographs and quotes from translated material, which added vividness.

Leick writes clearly and accessibly, while being careful not to project contemporary assumptions onto our distant ancestors. I was left with the impression that we still know relatively little about many of the first cities (including the location of Akkad), yet what we do know and surmise still sheds striking light on how people lived in cities many thousands of years ago.… (more)

A collection of 39 articles that attempt to provide a global picture of Mesopotamian history between 4,000 and about 300 BCE. The title, 'Babylonian world' is a bit misleading, because Mesopotamia covers a larger area than just Babylon or even the Babylonian empire at its height (7th-6th century BCE). And as is the case with these types of collections, the level of the articles is quite uneven: some are extremely dry-academic, others offer a good synthesis that is also accessible. Overall, I think this is a successful book: the breadth of themes covered is impressive.… (more)

This book was nowhere near as dry as I expected it to be. Usually, texts discussing ancient Near Eastern texts read like the nutritional information on the back of a cereal box. This one was different, with a bit of tongue in cheek humour thrown in for good measure. The image of Enkidu 'sticking out' of the rushes made me giggle, perhaps I am weird! The main thing I enjoyed about this book was the author was quick to point out when she thought that previous scholars had imposed their own personal beliefs or the strictures of the society in which they lived on the ancient text. It is extremely hard to be objective and no-one is perfect. The author also acknowledges this. Some parts did drag a little and seem a little repetitive (that may be because a lot of the texts are repetitive!), but overall, it was a well structured analysis and discussion of sexuality in the ancient past. I would recommend to anyone who has an interest in Mesopotamian history or an interest in the history of sexuality/eroticism and its portrayal in ancient society. In the end, it did say a lot without saying anything, which is good, because it means the author allowed the texts to speak for themselves and provided only guidance.… (more)