Ancient Mesopotamian Figurines

[@SillySpaceMonkey]

I can't get enough of this series.

[@equesdeventusoccasus]

When you mentioned the figurines being discarded, it reminds me of a superstition in some Caribbean cultures that if a family is beset by bad luck, they can blacken a penny (usually by the head of the family holding it over a candle with tongs) and the entire family grasps the penny at the same time. They picture their bad luck migrating to the penny they then toss the penny into the street. If someone picks up the penny before the blackening wears all of that family's bad luck will transfer to the new owner of the penny. A friend got angry at a store clerk for attempting to hand me a blackened penny. When asked, he told me about this belief.

[@robinsydney140]

This is fascinating. Thank you for sharing!!! ❤💙❤

[@johannaweichsel3602]

This is a welcome surprise to wake up to, glad to see you've posted again!

[@beckyheydemann1332]

Good to see you again!

[@ValeriePallaoro]

11:24 Even in the mould you can see the 'holder' where you hold it in one hand with your fingers and use the other hand to press the clay into. Pretty brilliant!

[@richardsweeney197]

I missed these, Welcome Back!!

[@standupmoko9618]

Fascinating, please keep it up 😺

[@johannaweichsel3602]

2:53 my good sirs this is obviously a Ferengi

[@lastofmygeneration]

I wonder if they're going to find the rules of acquisition?

[@michellerichardson1427]

Ya know you could be correct, it looks just like Quark's Mother. The ancient astronaut theorists would say YES!😂

[@Bildgesmythe]

Love this channel!

[@Inksmudger]

I was at the Penn museum just a week ago and was so curious about the things I saw in this department. So cool to get more context. It’s a really hidden gem here in Philly. Keep doing what you’re doing it’s really inspiring!

[@artifactuallyspeaking]

Thanks! The museum has a really great collection and I'm always glad to hear that people are seeing it and learning from it. And of course I'm glad you like my videos too!

[@ColdintheMountains]

seems like these items being pressed into a mold would imply that they were essentially commercially mass produced and sold. I imagine a merchant or vendor selling these from a shop or on the street or from a cart. they would be touting the magical or mystical benefits of owning, worshiping, praying to, or praying through, or even ceremonially destroying one of these small effigies.

[@ValeriePallaoro]

Agreed. Mould pressed articles does imply a 'market' for massed produced items. I'd be touting for a shop tho, maybe a shop front with home living in a commercial part of Ur. You pop in and buy your ritual artefact. But, maybe the 'dr' or shaman produces these as part of their ritual, like drs have produced tablets in the past to cure ills. There really needs to be more recognition of economy of scale and what that means as far as ritual and cultural morés in the archaeological record. Millions of broken votives on a trash heap doesn't mean that a culture is extra religious but it does mean someone is churning out artefacts for people to buy and a religious culture that relies on donations ie the votives.

[@peterdrieen6852]

Great video, very informative. One question though: If the male figurine could be a physical aid to memorize a story, couldn't it be the other way around? People knew the stories of great heroes but most were illiterate. By adding hints to their stories to the figurines, maybe that made it possible for the average person to identify them?

[@artifactuallyspeaking]

Yes, it could be a memory device in many ways, for recognizing figures or events or legends/stories. We often don't see the nuance that the original creators of the items would have; in other words, maybe these were much more distinct story references to people back then than seems possible to us when we see them today.

[@andrewbowen2837]

This is an idea pushed by Carlo Severi in his book, The Chimera Principle

[@peterdrieen6852]

@andrewbowen2837 thanks, I'll definitely look into that. I based my reply mostly on the works of Jan and Aleida Assmann.

[@andrewbowen2837]

@@peterdrieen6852 they are both very good too

[@mattl3729]

Hi Dr. Hafford I just found your channel and am enjoying it quite a bit. These plaques are really interesting and another reason that occurs to me as to why they began to be mould-made is it's a lot cheaper than hand-forming and, as we can see, the detail and quality go way up too.

[@BriGuy-ed5dr]

I love this channel

[@NemoA90]

i did not expect the conclusion to be that its basically an ancient power point XD

[@TheDreamtimezzz]

These are always too short. ❤😊

[@BestFriendOfJesus]

God bless

[@lordofuzkulak8308]

I know that it’s not what is actually happening, but in the last one it looks like the figure on the left is heckling the figure on the right. 😅

[@husambotros3958]

Its more likely was used as a diversion to Lamashtu ..i believe it was placed at the mother and child room while real mother and child slept in another room just like when Babylonian king was replaced with another person when the omens were against the king.

[@farkasmactavish]

13:09 Or he might be Captain Morganing a fallen adversary?

[@WeTheLittlePeople]

Hi Professor, some of us could set you up a website where you can post pictures of your expedition and get ideas, input from students and colleagues. Unofficial, "hey look at this, real work, need real funding next time sort of posts"

[@ValeriePallaoro]

Anyone? Who is the 'intern' looking at all the time? Is there a third person, filming?

[@Darisiabgal7573]

Naram Sin promoted himself as a god, so it’s not strange that he would appear striding the mountains, Kur, the symbol for mountains is also the symbol for the underworld. So by striding mountains you might also say he has dominion over the underworld. More or less Akkads reign would be everlasting since his son also promoted himself as god. In the end however Akkad vanished and so Naram Sin’s image as a god is tarnished. The problem with Naram Sin is his legacy would not last, he had a policy of direct rule over city states within Sumer which was unpopular and undermined the power of the city priesthood, the priests were the literal mouths of their tutelary gods and took responsibility for selecting and consecrating local kings when needed. So Naram Sin is sort of usurping their role. His successor continued the process and also deified himself, however upon his death things began to go downhill for Akkad and there was a contentious succession and a brief stabilization followed by the fall of Akkad to a rather unexpected group of conquerors, the Gutians. It is the revival of the city state structure at the end of the Gutian period that eventually convinces the Gutians to leave. Sargon was rather brilliant in the way he takes over Sumer, he promoted himself as someone who promoted the gods by investing a lot of time of conquering new territories, increasing trading outposts, and pushing control beyond the Euphrates well into Canaan and Anatolia which would prove to be vital for Bronze Age mineral and cypress trade. Sargon really paints himself well as a servant of the gods, rather than a godly mouthpiece. This is important because the last high kings before Zagasi had undertook to the expansion in the territories previously under Eblaite trading sphere and this ‘civil war turned dynastic ambition’ undermined that process. Trade is always associated with wealth, if you interfere with the growth of trade eventually the falling of wealth bites you. Sargon promoted himself as expanding this sphere, which meant more trade and thus a promise of more wealth. However if you paint yourself as a god and you are only concerned with consolidating power, eventually the expansion of trading and wealth will decline and the warriors desires to join your cause declines.

[@mausercawley]

*hands Catholic ancient Madonna and child* 😅 "What are these objects used for?"

[@ValeriePallaoro]

even modern madonna and child; heck! what are they going to make of the thousands upon thousands of gaunt bleeding figures in pain on a cross hung up everywhere? Are we barbarians who love pain?