@panktroels
Lū šulmu. Researching ancient Mesopotamian medicine and magic. Associate Professor of Assyriology, University of Copenhagen. https://research.ku.dk/search/result/profile/?id=276392 Member of @theyoungacademydk.bsky.social
Come work with me!
I am looking for a postdoc in Assyriology for my research project Understanding Epidemics in Ancient Mesopotamia. Deadline for applications is February 28, 2026.
Please apply if relevant and spread the word!
employment.ku.dk/all-vacancie...
I am looking to fill a postdoctoral position on my research project Understanding Epidemics in Ancient Mesopotamia for a Near or Middle Eastern Archaeologist for 26 months on full time from February 2026.
Deadline is 16th of November. Read more and apply through employment.ku.dk/faculty/?sho....
Thank you so much, Jon! I will of course make sure to keep you and everyone else interested updated along the way!
Thank you so much, Janine!
Thank you so much for your kind message and words, Andrew!
The project aims to develop this subfield of research at the intersection of Assyriology, ancient medicine, and pandemic history, anchored at @ucph.bsky.social .
Look out for job postings for postdocs in the near future!
Working with the brilliant PandemiX Center of Excellence, we will explore six case studies in the project to reconstruct the earliest epidemic timeline and offer new historical insight into how humans have experienced infectious disease since the dawn of history.
The project will provide the first holistic study of epidemics in Mesopotamia, drawing on cuneiform texts, archaeological evidence, a metastudy of ancient DNA studies, and epidemiological modelling. We will examine how epidemics arose, spread, and impacted societies over 1600 years of history.
I am incredibly proud to share that I have been awarded a DFF Sapere Aude starting grant for my new research project entitled ”From Catastrophe to Culture: Understanding Epidemics in Ancient Mesopotamia”!
Many congratulations Moudhy, and I look much forward to reading it!
In this Danish podcast, Sophie sheds some light on some important and difficult aspects connected with appearing as an early career female researcher in mainstream media💡
Thank you so much, Christopher!
Thank you so much, Erica!
Today I am so very happy to share that I have taken up the position as Associate Professor in Assyriology at the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at the University of Copenhagen!
A cremation burial from Hama in Syria has been shown to include Baltic amber in the same burial that included an amethyst cylinder seal AND an agate bead with cuneiform, which were included in my 2023 monograph as nos. 15-16 (see necklace)! Link to article at the end of thread and to monograph below
The Erra Epic – known from the first millennium BCE – framed warfare, destruction, and epidemics as cosmic chaos, thereby linking disease to myth. This narrative helped people in ancient Mesopotamia understand and ritualize such crises, attempting to prevent their influence. 5/6
Isolation practices date back to at least 1800 BCE, as also shown in previous studies. A letter from the Syrian city Mari show early quarantine measures, including a ban on sharing items like cups or beds with a specific sick person. Practical steps against disease in the ancient world😷 4/6
Rituals and collective prayers were responses to epidemics in ancient Mesopotamia. Some examples show that communities sought to appease the responsible god as a way to stop outbreaks, which is illustrated in an Old Babylonian letter and possibly mirrored in the epic of Atrahasis. 3/6
Ancient Mesopotamians used terms like mūtānu (a plural form of the word for "death"💀) to describe epidemics. Especially this popular term often lacked details on symptoms or causes. A reminder of how societies framed disease in their own cultural context. 2/6
📜I have a new article out on Epidemics in Ancient Mesopotamia! It collects a majority of written sources available for reconstructing epidemics in Mesopotamia, and examine what they reveal about these ancient societies and how they tackled disease through rituals, a form of quarantine, and myths 1/6
