
	popularising the literature of ancient Iraq through the art of oral storytelling

Resources

Resources

Book list—titles recommended for the study of ancient Mesopotamia

Enheduanna—articles, links, poems

Story map—with links to summaries of 12 Mesopotamian stories

Teachers' pack—currently under development

Teach Yourself Cuneiform Although cuneiform script can seem bafflingly complex at first, the Higher Education Academy's website aims to demystify it by explaining how cuneiform developed over three thousand years, how it was used, and how you can learn it. They also provide a short introduction to the Akkadian language, which was written in cuneiform script, and suggest ways to continue learning.

Video on the Gilgamesh epic This link will take you to the Annenberg Media website which provides multimedia resources for teachers and students in American schools. After following the link, click on the VoD button for The Epic of Gilgamesh video.

BBC programmes

The Last Jews of Iraq. Alan Yentob investigates a 2600-year-old community, now almost disappeared. Once they thrived as a third of Baghdad's population; now only seven Jewish people remain.
Programme broadcast on Radio 4 on 4th December 2011. Available to listen online until 11th December.

The activities of the Enheduanna Society were featured on the BBC World Service in an Arabic TV news report by Kifah Arif broadcast on 8th July 2010. Click here for details.

The Radio 4 series A History of the World in 100 Objects (2010), written and narrated by Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, featured several objects from ancient Mesopotamia. Follow the links below to see photos and videos of these objects, listen to the programmes, download podcasts, and read transcripts:

• The Standard of Ur is object number 12. The programme includes contributions from Enheduanna Society patron Dr Lamia al-Gailani.

• A 5000-year-old Mesopotamian clay tablet with cuneiform writing is object number 15. The BBC web page includes a commentary by Enheduanna Society patron Dr Irving Finkel.

• The Flood Tablet is object number 16. This clay tablet from the library of King Ashurbanipal pre-dates the Bible by at least 400 years and tells a flood story similar to the one of Noah's ark.

• The Lachish Relief is object number 21. This stone panel from the palace of King Sennacherib depicts the Assyrian army laying siege in 701 BC to the town of Lachish, about 40 kilometres from Jerusalem.

The Radio 4 series In Our Time, presented by Melvyn Bragg, includes the following programmes in which ancient Mesopotamia is discussed:

• The Library at Nineveh This programme, first broadcast in May 2008, is about King Ashurbanipal's library. Learn all about those amazing clay tablets from Enheduanna Society patrons Professor Andrew George, Dr Karen Radner and Dr Eleanor Robson.

• The links between Archaeology and Imperialism are discussed with reference to Mesopotamia and Egypt. The program was first broadcast in April 2005 and the guests include Enheduanna Society patron Dr Eleanor Robson.

• Babylon This programme, first broadcast in June 2004, seeks to uncover the truth about Babylon. The guests are Enheduanna Society patrons Dr Irving Finkel, Professor Andrew George and Dr Eleanor Robson.

Ancient Mesopotamian myths were discussed on the Radio 4 'Today' programme in December 2004. Guests included Enheduanna Society chairperson Fran Hazelton, and patrons Dr Stephanie Dalley and Dr Irving Finkel. Available to listen (4m 31s).