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Thin End of the Wedge

Thin End of the Wedge

Jon Taylor

Thin End of the Wedge explores life in the ancient Middle East. There are many wonderful stories we can tell about those people, their communities, the gritty reality of their lives, their hopes, fears and beliefs. We can do that through the objects they left behind and the cities where they once lived. Our focus is on the cultures that used cuneiform (“wedge-shaped”) writing, so mostly on ancient Iraq and nearby regions from about 3000 BC to about 100 AD. Thin End of the Wedge brings you expert insights and the latest research in clear and simple language. What do we know? How do we know anything? And why is what we know always changing? Why is any of this important today? We won’t talk to you like you’re stupid. But you won’t need any special training to understand what we’re talking about. This is an independent production by me as an individual. It is not supported by my employer or any other organisation I am involved with, and the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect theirs.
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Top 10 Thin End of the Wedge Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Thin End of the Wedge episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Thin End of the Wedge for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Thin End of the Wedge episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Thin End of the Wedge - 33. How did we get here?

33. How did we get here?

Thin End of the Wedge

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09/08/21 • 38 min

It's back to school season. So it's story time. In this special episode, we hear the stories of how our guests became interested in the ancient Middle East.
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

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Thin End of the Wedge - 60. Susanne Paulus: Back to School in Babylonia
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10/13/23 • 46 min

Susanne pulls back the curtain on how exhibitions are made. She explains how the topic was chosen, and how that vision is translated into reality. How long does it take, how many people are involved, and just what needs to be done?
2:17 about Back to School
3:27 goals
5:37 what's on show?
7:16 star pieces
10:10 recreating an ancient school
11:05 how to display tablets
17:06 why school and why now?
19:10 return to Nippur and the Nippur Tablet Project
23:51 audience testing
25:50 how long it takes
27:37 what does a curator do?
29:33 the wider team
38:40 workshops for children
41:33 souvenirs for the giftshop
Susanne's university page
Susanne's Academia page
Susanne's ResearchGate page
Back to School in Babylonia exhibition
exhibition catalogue
The Adventures of Inanaka and Tuni: Learning to Write in Ancient Babylonia
Augusta McMahon's talk on excavations at Nippur
This special exhibition has been curated by Susanne Paulus, with Marta Díaz Herrera, Jane Gordon, Danielle Levy, Madeline Ouimet, Colton G. Siegmund, and Ryan D. Winters and with support from Pallas Eible Hargro, C Mikhail, Carter Rote, and Sarah M. Ware.
This exhibition has been organized by the ISAC Museum: Susan Allison, Rob Bain, Denise Browning, Laura D’Alessandro, Anne Flannery, Marc Maillot, Helen McDonald, Kiersten Neumann, Josh Tulisiak, and Alison Whyte, with contributions by Erin Bliss and Judy Radovsky.
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

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Carolyne introduces us to the study of ancient plant remains, especially carpology--the study of seeds, fruits, and flowers. In her case study she takes us to the site of Logardan in the Kurdish region, and explains what she could learn from the remains found in kilns. We discuss the role and uses of dung.
2:02 archaeobotany
4:08 how to train
5:09 site of Logardan
6:37 role of archaeobotany
9:47 comparison with results from other fields
12:30 main results from Logardan
14:00 why use dung?
18:28 dung sources and their properties
20:37 plants as evidence for pottery production practices
23:04 where else are you working?
26:18 ideal situation for archaeobotany
Carolyne at Oxford
Carolyne's ResearchGate page
Carolyne's Academia page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

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Thin End of the Wedge - 70. Simo Parpola and the State Archives of Assyria project
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10/11/24 • 29 min

This episode was recorded live at the Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale conference held in Helsinki in July 2024.
Simo Parpola reflects on his long and momentous career. He explains how he became an assyriologist, and how he came to focus on the Assyrians. A key collaboration led to one of the most significant projects in assyriological history. What was it like to study large groups of tablets in the days before bulk digitisation? How did they identify so many joins remotely? Simo then discusses what has brought him satisfaction, and offers advice to younger scholars. He also explains what else he has dedicated his time to.
2:19 why assyriology?
4:38 why study the Assyrians?
7:49 origins of the project
12:24 early digital technology
13:33 joining fragments
17:17 looking back
19:04 dream finds
20:54 reaction to other projects
21:28 finding support for the project
23:32 combining traditional and innovative thinking
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

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Thin End of the Wedge - 44. Sophie Cluzan: Votive statues from Mari
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05/25/22 • 50 min

Sophie reveals the secrets of the votive statues from Mari. How did people choose to represent themselves, and why did they make those choices? Why are the male statues walking? And what do the markings on some them tell us about the life of the statue?
4:42 votive statues
7:21 Mari votive statues
12:43 what did they look like?
17:45 how do statues work?
22:59 walking statues
33:46 women watching from the sidelines?
35:47 end of life
Sophie's Academia page
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

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Thin End of the Wedge - 67. Amy Gansell: Dressing Assyria's queens
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06/05/24 • 42 min

Amy discusses the multi-sensory presence of the queens of Assyria. What was queenly dress and what meaning did each part of it convey? How does the evidence from art compare to what we learn from archaeology? Can we identify personal choice? She also talks about what it's like to wear queenly clothes, and what experimental archaeology can tell us.
2:45 sources for textiles
5:13 experimental archaeology
6:37 tombs of the queens
8:35 art versus archaeology
9:50 queenly dress
14:28 symbolism
17:03 individual choice
20:58 burialwear
21:54 craftsmen for the queen
22:44 smell, sound, and other senses
26:40 international dimension
28:39 new book
30:50 beauty standards
34:55 posture
37:41 colours
Amy’s university page
Amy’s Academia page
Amy’s personal website

Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

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Rune, Seraina, and Gustav discuss their recently completed project on geomapping cuneiform. Where were inscriptions found and where are they now? How many tablets are there? What counts as a tablet anyway? They reveal the challenges of integrating datasets, and explore the potential opened up by knowing where inscriptions really come from.
4:18 GLoW project
7:44 data collection
10:51 how many tablets are there?
13:50 provenance problems
17:06 why 'where' matters
20:50 what distribution tells us
24:20 why this hasn't been done before
27:06 integrating databases
33:56 what can we do now?
GLoW publications
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

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Thin End of the Wedge - 65. Omar N'Shea: Masculinities in Mesopotamia
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04/03/24 • 36 min

Omar discusses the importance of studying gender as part of assyriology. What are the big themes now, and how did we get here? He focuses on two areas of special interest: masculinity, and eunuchism. What can we expect from the conference on gender studies (GeMANE) hosted in Malta this April? And what is the context of assyriology in Malta?
0:37 Introducing Ellie
2:56 the importance of studying gender
5:39 current trends
8:59 gender beyond only women
11:54 masculinities
16:21 eunuchs
23:58 organising GeMANE
27:15 assyriology in Malta
29:38 public engagement
Omar's Academia
Omar's university page
GeMANE 6
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

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Thin End of the Wedge - 64. Ali Kadhem Ghanem: Managing the site of Ur
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03/06/24 • 29 min

The site of Ur is easily one of the most important in Iraq. In this interview, originally recorded in late 2021, we hear from the person responsible for managing that site. Ali talks about Ur's significance, and its role in local life. What are the plans for the development of this key site?
4:18 introducing Lina
7:02 importance of Ur
7:34 what tourists can see
8:39 information for visitors
9:12 what Ur means to Iraqis
10:15 excavations
11:04 site conservation
11:49 future of tourism
12:19 cultural activities
13:41 the Pope's visit
16:42 future projects
18:10 website for Ur
19:00 how Ali became interested in archaeology
20:14 advice for students now
22:12 reasons for optimism
24:24 closing thoughts
This interview was originally recorded in September 2021, in Arabic. The interview was conducted by Lina Meerchyad and translated into English by her. The text is spoken by her and Terry Birkett.
New website for the site of Ur
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @wedge_pod
Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

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Thin End of the Wedge - 71. 2024 IAA Prize winners

71. 2024 IAA Prize winners

Thin End of the Wedge

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11/21/24 • 53 min

This is a special episode presenting the prize-winning research of three early career scholars: William McGrath, Alessia Pilloni, and Christopher Jones. What prizes did they win, and what was their research about? We hear about the latest news from Isin II period history, astrology in the Late Babylonian period, and a military coup in the Neo-Assyrian period.
1:24 William McGrath
2:10 dissertation
6:08 key conclusions
9:10 publication plans
10:48 what's next?

13:45 Alessia Pilloni
14:27 horoscopes
20:03 star signs
22:37 two technical terms identified
26:51 wider context

29:10 Christopher Jones
30:45 whodunnit
35:59 new evidence
41:54 purge
45:48 coup theory
Music by Ruba Hillawi
Website: http://wedgepod.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSM7ZlAAgOXv4fbTDRyrWgw
Email: [email protected]Patreon: http://Patreon.com/WedgePod

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FAQ

How many episodes does Thin End of the Wedge have?

Thin End of the Wedge currently has 73 episodes available.

What topics does Thin End of the Wedge cover?

The podcast is about History, Archaeology, Podcasts and Education.

What is the most popular episode on Thin End of the Wedge?

The episode title '66. Rune Rattenborg, Seraina Nett, Gustav Ryberg Smidt: Geomapping Cuneiform' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Thin End of the Wedge?

The average episode length on Thin End of the Wedge is 36 minutes.

How often are episodes of Thin End of the Wedge released?

Episodes of Thin End of the Wedge are typically released every 15 days, 1 hour.

When was the first episode of Thin End of the Wedge?

The first episode of Thin End of the Wedge was released on Sep 23, 2020.

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