It’s been 10 years since the war in Iraq led to the tragic looting of its national museum, and still the debates surrounding this country’s vibrant history rage on. Ancient Mesopotamia has never ceased to amaze as the “cradle of civilization,” and even now, with archaeological digs on hiatus just resuming, there is no dearth of information to discuss. How did writing develop from simple pictures to complex symbols? Was there really a mass burial at the Royal Tombs of Ur? How do you interpret the art of the Near East?
Luckily, the ROM offers answers to all of these questions and more with its lecture series Explore Mesopotamia, an intellectual companion to its new, more visual exhibit, “Mesopotamia: Inventing Our World.” The lectures feature some of the most influential names in the study of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, including U of T’s own Dr. Clemens Reichel, Paul-Alain Beaulieu, and Dr. Timothy Harrison, as well as professors from Harvard University, University of Chicago and University of California, Berkeley.
Comprising a total of seven events, the lectures cover ground-breaking discoveries made with new technologies, as well as innovative ideas and theories developed about the region. The opening lecture, given by Reichel, tackled the question of how the idea of kingship came to be in Mesopotamia, tracking political leadership from the prehistoric Ubaid period to the Assyrians.
In his lecture, titled “Kings of the Universe: The Rise and Development of Political Leadership in Mesopotamia,” Reichel addressed the misconception prevalent about the ancient Near East that religion and politics were separate entities. In fact, political leadership arose to fulfill a need for religious leaders; the temple served as the epicentre for this civilization. While the lecture was meant for an audience already familiar with Mesopotamian history, Reichel did make an effort to make his information accessible to all, guiding the audience through his thought process — itself strongly grounded in visuals. In his role as the curator of the ROM’s Mesopotamia exhibit, Reichel attempted to talk about as many artefacts on display as possible, providing an informative complement to the exhibit. An engaging and thought-provoking question period rounded off his short, one-hour lecture.
While the exhibit provides a broad overview of the Mesopotamian world, the lecture series is a salient counterpart, providing snippets of an in-depth look at aspects of this civilization. It’s heartening to realize that although the country itself may be ravaged and war-torn, its historical legacy is still intact and continues to be globally explored.
The next lecture in the Explore Mesopotamia series, titled “Lions, Temples and Tablets on the Plain of Antioch: Assyrian Imperialism on the Mesopotamian Periphery,” will be given by U of T’s Dr. Timothy Harrison on September 12.
For more on the ROM’s Mesopotamia series, check out Jesse Hildebrand’s review of “Mesopotamia: Inventing Our World.”
