Gwendolyn Leick is an anthropologist and Assyriologist whose work delves into the ancient Near East. Her writings explore the rich tapestry of mythology and literary customs of this civilization. Leveraging her deep knowledge, she also guides cultural tours, educating audiences on the region's history, archaeology, and anthropology.
An ABC of a complex love-affair, relating to Gertrude Stein and her friends, her dogs, her hats and her cars - will fascinate readers interested in the history of women's suffrage, literary scholars and readers interested in modernism and Gertrude Stein.
The book offers an in-depth exploration of ancient Near Eastern architecture, tracing the evolution of key architectural styles against their geographical and historical backgrounds. It highlights the cultural significance and contextual influences that shaped these structures, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the architectural advancements and their implications in the ancient world.
Over 7,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, urban living began...Mesopotamia, situated roughly where Iraq is today, was one of the greatest ancient civilizations. It was here that the very first cities were created, and where the familiar sights of modern urban life - public buildings and gardens, places of worship, even streets and pavements - were originally invented.This remarkable book is the first to reveal everyday life as it was in ten long-lost Mesopotamian cities, beginning with Eridu, the Mesopotamian Eden, and ending with Babylon, the first true metropolis: cosmopolitan, decadent, multicultural and the last centre of a dying civilization. Using archaeological fragments of jewellery, textiles and writings Gwendolyn Leick paints a colourful picture of the lives of Mesopotamians - from poets and priests to business-women and divorcees - and the incredible achievements of their advanced and imaginative society.As Leick convincingly shows, Mesopotamian antiquity has as much interest as, and even greater importance than, Egypt; and her welcome book helps redress the balance of knowledge in its direction. - Independent on Sunday
Sex and Eroticism in Mesopotamian Literature is a new contribution to current debates about sex and eroticism. It gives an insight into Mesopotamian attitudes to sexuality by examining the oldest preserved written evidence on the subject - the Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform sources - which were written between the 21st and the 5th centuries B.C. Using these long-neglected and often astonishing data, Gwendolyn Leick is able to anlayse Mesopotamian views of prostitution, love magic and deviant sexual behaviour as well as more general issues of sexuality and gender. This fascinating book sheds light on the sexual culture of one of the earliest literate civilisations.