Dr Jon Taylor on Reading the Library of Ashurbanipal

[@loolylooly81]

Thank you so much for making this lecture accessible for Iraqis like me❤❤❤

[@occamraiser]

As an ex software engineer of 30 years experience I am really rather shocked that these fragments haven't been number-crunched by some software into electronic reconstructions - clearly it must be harder than one imagines; but not beyond a collaboration between a pair of PhD students in Archaeology and AI.

[@scene2much]

And 3D CAD

[@RobertBridges-s1p]

AI deep learning to have the computers look for best matches.

[@CariMachet]

Oh you tripped over yourself in thinking anything British has a grain of intelligence > look up: the history of war

[@edgarhons]

It's already begun. If you google 'AI Cuneiform' you'll get links to some articles about it. It's amazing and I hope we start to get a flood of info soon.

[@matthewmartin5633]

​@CariMachet The British Empire dwarfed Rome as it's height, along with any other empire. If you're going to speak of the history of war, be familiar with any of it.

[@jamesraymond1158]

This is an example of a perfect lecture. Fascinating subject, scholarly presentation and a video dominated by high-resolution photographs, i.e., very little talking heads. The new field of petrography at the end should greatly contribute to piecing the fragments together. AI techniques also have a lot of promise.

[@user-wk1mw9nj3i76]

Very interesting, thank you for making this lecture accessible to Americans.

[@ronaldbender7226]

True, but how many of us Americans are even curious enough to watch it and get anything from it? I am saddened, disgusted and terrified of the entire concept of 'education' in America. Great lecture though!

[@nanphx2038]

Absolutely fascinating. Thank you for sharing your work.

[@TheAnarchitek]

Ashurbanipal was the last "great king" of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the political entity that began about two centuries after the end of the Middle Empire. That state collapsed in the Fall of Empires. The Mycenaean Empire collapsed during the same period, and the Greek city-states did not emerge until the 7th Century BC, when Athens (ca the 9th Century BC) and Sparta (650BC) began the Golden Age of Greece. Mankind had been severely tested, for most of the two millennia before, but some changes were still shaking out. Sumeria was dribbling out, Egypt had entered a period of decline that would last seemingly forever, and many other aggregations went out of business, including the Hittites, the Scythians, the Parmians, and others. What caused the dissolution of all these "empires", the word indicating above-average greatness? Several "somethings" happened, usually separated by a century, or more, but one time sequentially. The Fall of Empires came after three such drastic "world-wrecking" instances in a row, separated by a mere 52 years. Most survived the first two, but none were able to withstand the third. The "Boat People" flooded into the region, after the second, or slightly before the third, seeking refuge, but were seen as threats, rather than refugees. The known world was laid waste (as was the rest of the planet - the Chinese left disturbing accounts of events that beggar description), and organized society, or "government", was reduced to fragments. The gap between Shalmaneser and Tiglath-Pileser III (79 years, 824BC-745BC) suggests the events of Jeremiah/Lamentations (ca 840BC) were so profound the death of Shalmaneser threw the nation-state into chaos that lasted almost a century (generally the minimum recovery time in these instances). The cumulative effect weakened the bonds that held the "empire" together, leading to the "end" following Ashurbanipal's death (a 19-year gap occurred after his demise), a mere 22 years later. The Assyrian Empire would march off into the dusty pages of history, afterward, ending its 1,200-year-long run. It appears Ashurbanipal tried to do what others would do, making the effort to recover the knowledge of the ancients, people who hadn't survived the "dark ages" of the ancient past. The sad thing about that is today's "interpreters" making light of, and discounting the messages, because they "don't believe", or scoff at the descriptions, as "exaggerations", or "mythic". The writers of the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh) would do the same, toning down the "survivor stories" that made up the Exodus, and the other frenetic books of the Old Testament of today, the first of many such "edits". Today's audiences are too separated from the realities of thre-to-four thousand years ago, to be able to relate, and the original versions were probably far more jaw-dropping, and, from a distance, "hard to believe"!

[@gullybull5568]

MONEY destroyed them all. Do not you GSIS KNOW.THIS.

[@gullybull5568]

Isreal . DESTROYED WHERE . NO PROOF .

[@TheAnarchitek]

@@gullybull5568 Not even close. Croesus was richest of all, born long after the Fall of Empires (ca 620BC), betrayed by Cyrus the Great. The FoE was caused by external forces, not human greed or artifice. You should read some more.

[@timbob1145]

'the flood' or floods have buried so much, the earth probably more and who knows what's been erased by other forces. There certainly seems to be a lot of very well forgotten, ignored or intentionally surpressed caves and underground systems where it would appear that people took refuge for prolonged periods of time. 12000 years ago seems to be an interesting time. But what 'act of God' is coming next, asteroid, solar flare, volcano, ufos.... A.I? Wish our governments would put more time into encouraging archaeology as a form of entertainment, rather than prn and sitcoms.

[@PopGoesTheology]

What a great talk! My favorite topic. Thank so much!

[@vorynrosethorn903]

I know for a fact that much of the fragments on the site have since been looted, and by tourists as well as locals. I know of one British oil worker who got them back from Iraq in the underdraws of his wife and daughter. Not to mention the many others that have made their way onto the antiques market. A good part will likely never be recovered, and so many tablets will remain fragmentary.

[@44point5]

That's amazing. These tablets were mostly erotica so now with the panties angle they should fetch a good price on the Antiquities Road Show.

[@helveticaneptune537]

This is what KZbin was made for,

[@Dragonsitter]

Simply FASCINATING ‼️

[@aaronfleisher4694]

Fantastic talk. Congratulations to all involved.

[@markdrechsler5660]

Wonderful lecture. Thank you!

[@amazinggrace5692]

So British “I had a good hard think about things”. 🇺🇸💕🇬🇧

[@mireillelebeau2513]

A scholarly presentation. T hank you for sharing your knowledge and passion.

[@occamraiser]

Dr Taylor is erudite and interesting..... but I can't help thinking that he needs a long white beard and ponytail. (I think that he does actually sound really quite like Irving Finkel at times in that presentation)

[@franchesca4961]

I thought exactly the same thing.

[@LadyHawke79]

Me too

[@howardlibauer3021]

Dude be channeling Dr Irving Frankel.

[@FullBeardSk8]

You're eruirritating

[@crobinso2010]

12:00 I wouldn't have expected classified Presidential documents in a bathroom either, but it happened.

[@nanphx2038]

I chuckled :)

[@UnknownPascal-sc2nk]

And now he can steal everything he missed the first time

[@treesab]

On which page of the indictment will I read that classified docs were found in a bathroom? Or were you referring to the Special Counsel report on the docs found unsecured in various rooms/garages of Biden's residences? Not here for a political pissing contest, I've read all of the indictments and do not recall the findings of such documents in an unsecured bathroom. Indeed bathrooms were searched, as was Melania's panties drawer but no classified documents were found to be stored there. They were located in a locked, secure storage room.

[@jaybee9269]

Ex-Presidents are allowed to have secret documents. So are current Presidents. Not Senators like Biden was, however. And soon he’ll be the most “ex” of ex-Presidents.

[@stargatis]

It’s why he’s a traitor.

[@itsanit123]

Why don't you 3d scan all of the material, I imagine that would help immensely for reconstruction

[@NCR-Trooper2]

From what i know, the progress is great and right now a few notches are stil required.

[@scottiboombaloddi]

yes agree

[@Celtic2Realms]

Very interesting and exciting thanks

[@kokolanza7543]

Fascinating and nicely presented. Plenty of commercials. Makes the lecture sort of a series of fragments.

[@johnsnow9714]

I would love to help deciphering this amazing library of ancient literature.

[@DeanMartin-mx2gi]

It's hard to imagine what has been lost!!!

[@dadananda]

Joining the pieces back together sounds like a good project for AI

[@richardzeitz54]

Absolutely fascinating. The question of letters from Ashurbanipal to others begs the question, who else wrote to whom, and do we have any of those tablets? And given that correspondence is sometimes personal, are there any example of personal, casual writing found on clay tablets? I suspect the answer is yes there are examples. What, three thousand years from today, will remain of personal correspondence and personal writing of 21st Century people? Fewer examples than they'll likely have from Ancient Assyria! And if examples of texts from Ancient America and Ancient Europe DO exist 3000 years hence, they'll be digital, so will the means to read them exist? Will they be recognized? It's easy to see that a clay tablet is a document. Will it be as easy to recognize a 21st Century document? 21st Century documents will be tiny refractions and reflections on silvery discs, or electrical differences hidden away within rectangular bits of ceramic and plastic with metal pins along their sides. Paper won't last 3000 years and we do damn little writing on paper anymore. I've heard of them inscribing data onto indestructible slabs of quartz but it'snot human-readable and will it be recognized as data or will it just be weird gems to the eye of the beholder in three millennia? What will the people of tomorrow know of the people of today? Less than they'll know of Ancient Assyria!

[@bardmadsen6956]

They thought the cuneiform tables were geometric designs at first, till Henry Rawlinson and a few predecessors painstakingly deciphered them. I've read a lot of books on the subject and it is really interesting, like women probably had more rights than they did back in the 19th century, slave also, typically they were indentured for only seven years. They had laws, taxes, mail, etc. There are tables with thin clay envelopes and sealed for delivery, some personal between family members.

[@erin6083]

Does Dr Taylor spend so much time with Dr Irving Finkel that he’s totally absorbed his exact accent and speech pattern? I mean it’s uncanny!

[@AncientWildTV]

really enjoyed this video, Dr. Jon Taylor always brings a fresh perspective to ancient history. but honestly, I wonder if we’re putting too much weight on the Library of Ashurbanipal’s influence compared to other sources from that era. what do you think?

[@willsherman1049]

Yes. And then let's turn AI to speeding up the translations. The world deserves to read this.

[@PaulMatulef]

Is Fred Blog a notable Paleographer?

[@polanve]

Very well done. Is Irving Finkel on holiday?

[@davidfryer6509]

In fact he has a similar delivery. Must have spent a lot of time with him.

[@polanve]

No problems with Dr. Taylor, but Irving Finkel is the GOAT.

[@troyfrei2962]

Where can i find them to read? What do they say? Is there a internet website?

[@RobertBridges-s1p]

Several of the tablets were found in what appeared to be bathrooms. Ah... so nothing has changed in several thousand years. Any centerfold tablets found?

[@Mrrossj01]

Haven’t the fragments been scanned in?

[@captainreza1]

Your best video yet. Good job! I am an AMD long, since 2014! Also hold NVDA since 2009. I have seen so many ups and downs with both companies. To be an AMD long takes a lot of patience!

[@44point5]

For god's sake, my good man, take a sip of water now and then!

[@khrysos1180]

I often try to tell people that Irak it's such an important country four our world heritage.. nobody understands me when i say that it's the origin of the west. Biblical refereferences, the calendar, how we address time also during the day and at it's the very core the mith of a people which has been displayed (the sumerian eden). This line of tradition when it fused with the indoeuropeans nomads of the steppes created the grandpa of the Western mind

[@equaliser2265]

Can we not scan all the pieces into a software program and get it to sort them out. The technology exists.

[@jahanshahjavid7874]

Great talk with so much wonderful detail. Thank you. I wonder if you and your team are considering using AI image technology to put together all the 30,000 pieces. They have already been photographed. It should not be difficult to train the AI to do the job a lot quicker than 45 years :)

[@JB-lovin]

How long does it take to get to the point or to anything of interest?

[@christinax1257]

Depends on your level of interest? Immediately.

[@cme1713]

Was Nimrod the Grandson of Cush?

[@RazawHama-r8t]

ئەوانەی کەلە مێژووی هاوچەرخ دا مێژوویان نووسیوەتەوە پڕە لەدرۆ و دەلەسە و چەواشە کردن مرۆڤ مناڵ دەنێرێتە قوتابخانە بۆ ئەوەی بیرو هۆشی بکرێتەوە وببێت بەمرۆڤێک کەبتوانێت خزمەتی خۆی دەوروبەرەکەی بکات بەڵام بەداخەوە زۆربەی زۆری زانیاریەکان هەڵەو هەڵگەڕاوە و گۆڕاوە تەنیا بۆ ئەوەی ڕەچەڵەکی نەتەوەیەک بشارێتەوە یان نەتەوەیەکی تر خۆی بکات بە خاوەنی ئەو میراتە بەجێماوە بەڵام بەشێکی زانستەکان لە ناو زمانەکان و ناوی پیتەکان و شارستانێتیە کۆنەکان کەلەسەر تاشەبەردەکان و شارسانتی سۆمەر و فیرعەونەکانی میسر ئەوان زۆر بە ڕاستی مێژوویان تۆمار کردووە مرۆڤی کۆن زۆر پەیوەست بووە بەیاساکانەوە و بەشێک لە زانست و یاساکان لەرێگەی وێنەکانە وە مرۆڤ ئەتوانێت خوێندنەوەی بۆبکات

[@ian_b]

Wondering if an AI could be trained to reconstruct the tablets... then photograph every fragment, give it a unique designator, and click "start"...?

[@romusromulus]

we still call books as kitap in modern Turkish

[@jagdeepsandhu9659]

In India, kitab.

[@equaliser2265]

STORY TIME, that's about it.

[@jagdeepsandhu9659]

A small group (tribe?)of people in India with Benipal surname .

[@ChristopherAdams-w4x]

Thanks for the analysis! Just a quick off-topic question: My OKX wallet holds some USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). How can I transfer them to Binance?

[@danstiurca7963]

1. Great lecture. 2. There are computers in the world now, they should use computers.

[@GrandmaTurtle]

AI would be good to work on this kind of stuff

[@ShannonWare]

This video could be subtitled, "How to be a Bad-Ass Academic"

[@jabs9535]

Thanks

[@gullybull5568]

Wheres the facts not speculation

[@Italian_Spiderman]

Ashurbanipal speaks from the grave!!

[@rf7192]

Take pictures of all the pieces. Have AI catalog and analyze them. Let AI work on piecing them together.

[@ghetinknotabush8602]

It is not so much the spread of civilization as it is more and more northerly lattitudes became inhabitable/discovered. Otherwise, Mesopotamia would have remained in dominance longer and been farther reaching.

[@JohnBrown-e5g]

A.I. can scan caturlog and put the jigsaw back together with a bit of work. So get on with it. There's no excuse, sort it out please.

[@jperez7893]

there should be a concerted effort, possibly led by the british museum or some other public museum, to publish into the public domain, high definition photographs, x-ray, multi-sprectral, etc. if possible, and include all their meta data: dimensions, construction, material, discovery, etc. if all this data is published, it would be possible to analyze and translate all these artifacts. moreover, they should enjoin private collectors to allow their data to be published as well for public download and analysis. before the islamists destroy them as they have shown the world of their vandalism and disregard for history

[@jaybee9269]

And the difference between an Islamist and a Muslim is a matter of degree and not kind.

[@Rectum_Rocketboost]

Dr Sam paley

[@jpajpaassi6614]

🕉 Satyameva Jayate: Truth and Honesty and Reality gets created when Good Thoughts, Good Deeds, Good Acts are allowed to achieve the small steps needed for the correct choices and correct decisions to be made. Satyameva Jayate

[@ashcross]

Close your eyes and it is a younger Finkel talking.

[@davissae]

He even has Dr. Finkel’s accent😂

[@jackbailey7037]

might be nice to have some clue as to what the tablets SAY

[@soundofshamash]

Why are you spreading false information? Assyrians are not off the map. We are still here, speaking our 5000+ year old language and facing extreme persecution when the British promised us a country for fighting for them in WW1. Let’s get the facts straight.

[@man_at_the_end_of_time]

These documents can't be released without the needed redactions to preserve national security.

[@gustavderkits8433]

One positive benefit of artificial intelligence might be the recognition of the fragmentary tablet pieces and move the reconstruction effort forward.

[@gustavderkits8433]

Scanning using the multispectral scanner developed by Hewlett Packard and used in, e.g. the Archimedes codex, would provide the input data.😊

[@peterfireflylund]

@@gustavderkits8433clay palimpsests? Really!?

[@FirstCircle-sw2qz]

not sure if the almost 48 minuted were worth the lack of facts presented.

[@mawmiernyalewierny1770]

Keeping important documents in the toilet? Nothing unusual, just look at the Mar-a-Lago

[@christinax1257]

Because they didn't have garages yet? See what I did there? I pointed out a great hypocrisy and an attempt to re-write history. You still lost.

[@hanonomiri]

He was the son of Samiramis, jwesh books changed it as they changed everything about history..... FACT

[@Fredmayve]

" discovered" - such an ambiguous term.

[@patrickbrogan3323]

with off the shelf 3D image scanning for home use they could scan these fragments and let the computer reassemble the tablets, you can buy a home version for under 500.00, what does the university and the British museum have at its disposal : well ill let your understanding of technology answer that! this guy is despicable!

[@Rectum_Rocketboost]

Dr Sam paley