In the 1920s, British archaeologist C. Leonard Woolley made a major discovery in southern Iraq, in what was once known as the city of Ur. After excavation, the site was determined to be the palace of a 6th-century B.C. princess; but, indeed, it was so much more than that. With its numerous artifacts that stretched across the millennia, even thousands of years before the time of the princess, Woolley had found what he called the world’s first museum.
‘The Birth of Writing’
Among the artifacts in the palace and the surrounding areas of Ur were jewels, statues, pottery, and human remains. What became the most important find, according to Al-Rashid, was cuneiform. The writing found on clay tablets not only provided a glimpse into the societies of the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and others, but it preserved the earliest form of writing. Humorously, as the book notes, the oldest piece discovered was written by a “middle manager” named Kushim, who “managed the products harvested by the people he oversaw and the payments for those people’s labour in rations.”Similar and Not So Similar
The cuneiform becomes the central focus of the book. As the book demonstrates, these writings presented receipts, which recorded transactions between businesses; works of scholars, like mythological stories, mathematics, and astronomical recordings; and even the studious efforts of young children learning their alphabets, which comically left evidence that doodling has been around since of the dawn of writing.Al-Rashid showed how these ancient civilizations were very similar to societies today. Their peoples had their financial worries, health concerns, and spats with family members.
A Great Intro to Mesopotamia
This narrative of the birth of history is one told by an enthusiastic scholar whose passion for her work shines in every chapter. For such a serious and scientific—though most certainly interesting—subject, Al-Rashid’s humor is a delightful addition. Throughout she found places to insert jokes and humorous anecdotes; these further demonstrate how much she enjoyed her subject.At the end of the book, Al-Rashid listed 40 artifacts mentioned in her book, their current location (such as the Iraq Museum or the Louvre), and how readers can view them online. She also provided a timeline of Ancient Mesopotamia from 3500 B.C. to the 6th century B.C.
For readers interested in the history of Mesopotamia, cuneiforms, or archaeology of the Middle East, “Between Two Rivers” is a wonderful introduction. It is an easy-to-comprehend and entertaining narrative that weaves the history of these ancient cultures, in all their relatability and lack thereof, through archaeological discoveries. I do wish there had been images of these artifacts in the book to give a better sense of what they looked like, but on the whole, that’s hardly a complaint.
