Thin End of the Wedge

Thin End of the Wedge explores life in the ancient Middle East. There are many wonderful stories we can tell about those people, their communities, the gritty reality of their lives, their hopes, fears and beliefs. We can do that through the objects they left behind and the cities where they once lived. Our focus is on the cultures that used cuneiform (“wedge-shaped”) writing, so mostly on ancient Iraq and nearby regions from about 3000 BC to about 100 AD. Thin End of the Wedge brings you expert insights and the latest research in clear and simple language. What do we know? How do we know anything? And why is what we know always changing? Why is any of this important today? We won’t talk to you like you’re stupid. But you won’t need any special training to understand what we’re talking about. This is an independent production by me as an individual. It is not supported by my employer or any other organisation I am involved with, and the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect theirs.

Podcasting since 2020 • 85 episodes

Thin End of the Wedge

Latest Episodes

83. David Kertai: The palaces of Assyria

David Kertai explains all about Neo-Assyrian palaces. What, and who, would we find there? How did they function? What do their design and decoration tell us about how they were used? How visible was the king?

April 11, 2026 • Episode 83 • 37:40

82. IAA prize winners 2025

International Association for Assyriology awards prizes to early career scholars annually. The for 2025 awards went to: Best PhD dissertation in the field of Assyriology and Mesopotamian Arch...

January 28, 2026 • Episode 82 • 35:47

81. Lisa Wilhelmi: Bronze Age Diplomacy

Lisa Wilhelmi discusses the international system in the ancient Middlle East. The 14th century BC tablets from Amarna in Egypt, and tablets from the royal archives in Hattusa (Türkiye), reveal diplomatic exchanges between the great powers that ...

December 03, 2025 • Episode 81 • 33:50

80. Ea-nasir: everyone's favourite copper merchant

Gina Konstantopoulos, Andrew Deloucas, Gabriel Moshenska, and Steven Garfinkle discuss internet favourite, Ea-nasir. What do we know about the Dilmun traders and their role in the supply of copper to the kingdoms of Babylonia? Who were his cust...

November 04, 2025 • Episode 80 • 59:08

79. Rocío Da Riva and Nathan Wasserman: Carnival in Babylon

Rocío and Nathan take us to Babylon in the Late Babylonian period for a remarkable public ritual. The divine love lyrics are one of the most surprising literary survivals from antiquity. Sarpanitu discovers that Marduk has been sleeping with Is...

September 13, 2025 • 45:20

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