Fire Beacons and Message Relays: Staying in Touch in the Ancient Near East
In the ancient world, people were able to communicate messages at the speed of light. That light was provided by fire signals, part of sophisticated communications networks created
From “An” to “The”: The OI at 100
The history of ancient Near Eastern Studies in the United States is closely tied to the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. A new book tells the story of this unique i
What Actually Happened in Syria at the end of the Late Bronze Age?
The Sea Peoples have been accused of destroying sites across Syria at the end of Late Bronze Age. But what if the sites weren’t destroyed and the Sea Peoples weren’t even aroun
Women in Early Mesopotamian Royal Inscriptions
There are few references to women in early Mesopotamian inscriptions. But those that are preserved show that women – especially high status ones – had important social roles.
How Greek is Limestone Sculpture on Cyprus?
Iron Age sculpture from Cyprus is sometimes regarded as ‘debased Greek.’ But what does a closer look at sculpture from an island at the crossroads of empire tell us?
Pickles and Prehistory
Yeast is having a rare moment. Everyone knows about yeast and brewing, but have we been missing the revolutionary role of fermentation in food preservation?
What is a ‘House of a God’?
Ancient Near Eastern temples are frequently described as a ‘house of a God’? But what can we learn when temples do not resemble houses?
The Afterlife of Ships in Thonis-Heracleion: Recycling, Abandonment, and Ritual Sacrifice at an Egyptian Port
What happens to a ship at the end of its life? Underwater archaeology at an Egyptian port near Alexandria provides a vivid picture of very different fates.
Pictures of Restraint: Hunting Carnivores on Mosaics from the Roman and Byzantine Periods
Many cultures hunt with animals. Roman mosaics give us insights about different techniques for restraining animals but also about the ideologies of their patrons.
Non-Semitic Loanwords in the Hebrew Bible: A Lexicon of Language Contact
There are 235 non-Semitic loanwords in the Hebrew Bible from languages ranging from Egyptian, Greek, Hittite, Luvian, Hurrian, Old Indic, to Old Iranian. What do these tell us abou