Mesopotamia, cuneiform, and the ancient Near East.
You probably picture Babylon when you think of Mesopotamia. Stop. That mistake hides the real story—and the Sumerians, who invented writing, didn't ev...
Cuneiform isn't just history—it's the first software. From Sumerian to Akkadian, these languages shaped civilization. I argue we still live in their s...
We keep teaching Gilgamesh, but the real mythological engine of ancient Mesopotamia was the ziggurat. Here's how to read it.
We debunk the biggest misconceptions about Mesopotamian mythology and religion using actual cuneiform evidence. Did Marduk really slay chaos? Did Gilg...
We compare Uruk and Ur for ancient Near East archaeology: digging, writing, ziggurats, and royal tombs. Which site deserves your attention?
Daily life in ancient Mesopotamia wasn't about pyramids or glory—it was about clay, cuneiform, and the world's first cities. Here's how to see it clea...
Comparing the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Enuma Elish as entry points into Mesopotamian myth—what each offers, who it suits, and why the Enuma Elish win...
Think digging in Iraq is Indiana Jones? It's not. Here's how to actually read the past from Mesopotamian ruins, tablets, and ziggurats, with some hard...
You've been reading Gilgamesh wrong. It's not a hero's journey—it's a brutal lesson in mortality. Here's what the oldest epic actually teaches, and wh...
Forget the Greeks—Babylonian daily life, from law to math to beer, shaped the modern world. Here's why we owe them more credit.
Think myth means fiction? In the Ancient Near East, myth and history blur. I debunk the biggest misconception: that Gilgamesh, Marduk, and the Flood w...
Walk through the facts of Babylon's iconic gate—materials, dimensions, and theology—to see what a real rebuild would take. You'll get blunt advice on ...