Animal Dung and Energy — A View from Mesopotamia
Long before coal or oil, fire depended on whatever you could gather. In the ancient Near East, animal dung was essential fuel. What cultural, political, and legal rules governed it
Dogs as Part of the Social Fabric of Iron Age Settlements
October 2023 | Vol. 11.10 By Lidar Sapir-Hen and Deirdre N. Fulton The interaction of humans with their best friend, the dog, is extensively studied. In historical periods, evidenc
Camels in the Biblical World of the Ancient Near East
September 2022 | Vol. 10.9 By Martin Heide and Joris Peters The question ‘what is a camel’ is more complicated than it seems. Domesticated Old World camels comprise two forms,
Scarabs in Pre-Roman Italy
april 2022 | Vol. 10.4 By Enrico Giovanelli Scarabs are quintessential Egyptian objects. Made from a variety of materials, scarabs depict the dung beetle with folded wings and are
When ‘Dumb’ Beasts Raise Their Voices: Speaking Animals in Ancient Graeco-Roman and Near Eastern Literature
April 2022 | Vol. 10.4 By Hedwig Schmalzgruber A pig, loved by all, a young quadruped, here I lie, having left behind the soil of Dalmatia after being offered as a gift.I walked Dy