Jon Taylor
Cuneiformist. History of ancient western Asia. Likely to post on assyriology and museums. Hoping to be distracted by dogs, cows, running, zombies. Curator of cuneiform & cylinder seals at British Museum. Host of Thin End of the Wedge podcast. Views my own.
- it was great to chat with @moudhy.bsky.social about her work. Worth a listen if you'd like to hear about how the stories you enjoy reading come to be made.
- There were challenges and joys in my first steps into public history, and I’m so glad I took them because every day I get to share something I love with so many people. It was lovely to get to chat about this process and more with @jonjtaylor.bsky.social www.wedgepod.org/episode-list/
- this exhibition received more than 100,000 visitors, and both the English and Hungarian versions of the catalogue sold out. Very impressive.
- Thin End of the Wedge 73 is out: Zoltán Niederreiter & Erika Roboz: Kingdom of Gods and Demons www.wedgepod.org/episode-list/ First major exhibition of Mesopotamian heritage in Hungary. And a big catalogue in both English and Hungarian versions. I'll do a little virtual tour over the coming days
- enjoyed talking about The Book, Moudhy's work here, and more. You won't have to wait long. The episode will be out later this month. In the meantime, there are a few other things to keep you entertained, like this on cuneiform www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
- So happy to chat with @jonjtaylor.bsky.social about the challenges and delights of bringing ancient Mesopotamia to a broader audience. How to condense 3,000+ years of material into bite-sized stories and make the moving parts clear? While you wait for the episode, there are others to tune in to! 🧵
- Thin End of the Wedge episode 74 is out: Michael Danti and John MacGinnis talk about Nimrud: post-conflict archaeology in the heartland of Assyria. www.wedgepod.org/episode-list/ The Iraq Heritage Stabilization Program--conservation and reconstruction work, excavation, and capacity building.
- Reposted by Jon TaylorIraq returns 27,000 antiquities to national museum: Official www.rudaw.net/english/midd...
- "Mr Woolley disapproved of the existence of women at all but in a few resigned phrases pointed out their superiority to men. Such beings must not, he said, be degraded by politics. Women had no sense of honour nor any appreciation of secrecy. But their capability was not the question so much as..."
- Reposted by Jon TaylorHappy 10th birthday to the Ea-Nasir complaint tablet meme! A glorious decade of memes, mashups, merchandise, erotic fanfic, real-life copper fraud, and pilgrimages to the British Museum. Thread 🧵:
- Reposted by Jon Taylor[This post could not be retrieved]
- Thin End of the Wedge 73 is out: Zoltán Niederreiter & Erika Roboz: Kingdom of Gods and Demons www.wedgepod.org/episode-list/ First major exhibition of Mesopotamian heritage in Hungary. And a big catalogue in both English and Hungarian versions. I'll do a little virtual tour over the coming days
- Reposted by Jon TaylorTwo snapshots into the history of the mouse-catching food industry. While not certain, these mice were likely the short-tailed bandicoot rat (Nesokia bunnii).
- if you have on your mind crime, punishment, and big houses, and you'd like a healthy outlet, why not listen to Thin End of the Wedge: www.wedgepod.org/episode-list/ episode 56. Nicholas Reid: The Big House episode 35. Małgorzata Sandowicz: Law and order in Babylonia
- Reposted by Jon TaylorFinds at Kurd Qaburstan, Iraq by @tiffanyspadoni.bsky.social: "Animal bones found...suggest that residents enjoyed a varied diet, including domesticated meat and wild game. This level of dietary diversity is unexpected for non-elite populations in Mesopotamian cities...." www.ucf.edu/news/ancient...
- this weekend I found a very effective distraction from the news--bardcore. Old English versions of well-known songs www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcKq... watch out for this one (Rīċa Ēastlēah) www.youtube.com/watch?v=cErg...
- Reposted by Jon TaylorIn other great news, the journal KASKAL has re-launched as an online open-access publication! (with a new numbering series for the volumes). edizionicafoscari.it//it/edizioni...
- Reposted by Jon Taylor"When the data were visualized as grayscale images, ghostly outlines emerged of structures as deep as 6 to 10 feet below ground. The data revealed the location of the city’s water gate, possible palace gardens, and five enormous buildings, including a 127-room villa ..." news.agu.org/press-releas...
- Reposted by Jon TaylorWe might feel love in our fingertips ---- but did the Ancient Mesopotamians? | ScienceDaily www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
- Reposted by Jon TaylorI saw someone on Reddit ask if Ur had street names. Yes, Ur had street names and it wasn't the only city to have them. Having street names was essential for economic and legal documentation, ritual instruction, and civic recognition.
- Thin End of the Wedge 71 is live: www.wedgepod.org/episode-list/ Hear from three prize-winning early career assyriologists: William McGrath on a pivotal period in Babylonian history; Alessia Pilloni on Babylonian horoscopes; @cwjones.bsky.social on life (and death!) at the Neo-Assyrian court
- Reposted by Jon TaylorWe have an opening for a Lecturer in Akkadian and/or Sumerian for next term. #Assyriology #AncientBluesky careers.umich.edu/job_detail/2...
- Reposted by Jon TaylorNew followers, I think I'm finally going to do it: Write a long-promised series of threads on my experience with the academic job market and advice to job seekers. Here's what I learned in three years on the job market: 🧵 PART 1: THE BASICS
