Assyriology Blog now available in EnglishLetters from Mesopotamia

24 February 2022

Photo: X. Faivre, C. Michel

Left: A scribe of Til Barsip (eighth century; drawing by X. Faivre) Right: Cuneiform tablet production

Hardly anyone knows the culture of ancient Mesopotamia better than Cécile Michele. In her blog 'Mesopotamian Bulletins', now published for the first time in English, she reflects on the significance of this culture for the present and addresses the manifold dangers facing its preservation today.

What do the Panama Papers have to do with Assyrian merchants from the nineteenth century BCE? The history of tax fraud goes a long way back, and the motives of the fraudsters, although in an entirely different setting of course, were not so different in ancient Mesopotamia from what they are today. In order to sell their tin and high-quality textiles in Kültepe, merchants from the city of Aššur had to travel a dangerous route through foreign kingdoms. Based on an agreement between the King of Aššur and the rulers of these territories, the local authorities would protect them and insure their goods against theft along the way. In return, they demanded a fee that the merchants had to pay to them. As we know from private archives discovered in central Anatolia, the traders soon developed an ingenious system to save themselves this, in their view, unjustified fee, and shamelessly recorded their tricks in writing, which they passed on to their colleagues.

Cecile Michel’s blog ‘Mesopotamian Bulletins’ is full of stories that show that the history and culture of ancient Mesopotamia and the people who populated it are much closer to us than we might think. This blog, which has been published in French since 2015, is now accessible in English for the first time. Almost 40 of the best texts are now available on the CSMC website, to be continued.

The reason for the launch of the blog was a very serious one: for many years, cultural treasures in Syria and Iraq have been acutely threatened by war and destruction. In addition to historical anecdotes and instructions on how to write cuneiform, for example, Michel reflects in detail on the precarious situation in these countries, its consequences for her discipline, and its ethical implications for researchers in her blog.

For many of the Assyrian merchants, the story did not end well, by the way. The authorities soon became aware of their activities and sanctioned them rigorously. Whether or not this can be seen as another parallel with the present remains subject to debate.

For a recent comprehensive interview with Cécile Michel, click here.