{"version":"1.0.0","segments":[{"startTime":13.95,"endTime":17.381,"body":"Hello, and welcome to the Thin"},{"startTime":13.95,"endTime":17.381,"body":"End of the Wedge, the podcast"},{"startTime":17.438,"endTime":20.927,"body":"where experts from around the"},{"startTime":17.438,"endTime":20.927,"body":"world share new and interesting"},{"startTime":20.984,"endTime":24.244,"body":"stories about life in the"},{"startTime":20.984,"endTime":24.244,"body":"ancient Middle East. My name is"},{"startTime":24.301,"endTime":27.675,"body":"Jon. Each episode I talk to"},{"startTime":24.301,"endTime":27.675,"body":"friends and colleagues, and get"},{"startTime":27.732,"endTime":31.05,"body":"them to explain their work in a"},{"startTime":27.732,"endTime":31.05,"body":"way we can all understand."},{"startTime":32.31,"endTime":42.851,"body":"This episode we hear from an"},{"startTime":32.31,"endTime":42.851,"body":"assyriologist who plays a major"},{"startTime":32.416,"endTime":32.435,"body":"I take the opportunity to ask"},{"startTime":32.416,"endTime":32.435,"body":"her about her work, her"},{"startTime":32.435,"endTime":32.457,"body":"interests, and her thoughts"},{"startTime":32.435,"endTime":32.457,"body":"about the future. She explains"},{"startTime":32.457,"endTime":32.477,"body":"her research on an ancient"},{"startTime":32.457,"endTime":32.477,"body":"archive known from texts that"},{"startTime":32.478,"endTime":32.5,"body":"were returned to Iraq, having"},{"startTime":32.478,"endTime":32.5,"body":"been looted in recent years. And"},{"startTime":32.501,"endTime":32.52,"body":"she talks about teaching the"},{"startTime":32.501,"endTime":32.52,"body":"next generation of Iraqi"},{"startTime":32.521,"endTime":32.535,"body":"scholars at the University of Baghdad."},{"startTime":32.535,"endTime":55.563,"body":"The voice you hear in this"},{"startTime":32.535,"endTime":55.563,"body":"English version is that of"},{"startTime":43.027,"endTime":53.393,"body":"role in the Iraqi scholarly"},{"startTime":43.027,"endTime":53.393,"body":"community. She is known for her"},{"startTime":53.569,"endTime":63.233,"body":"early work on tablets from Tell"},{"startTime":53.569,"endTime":63.233,"body":"Harmal, for example (as"},{"startTime":55.998,"endTime":85.11,"body":"translator, Zainab Mizyidawi,"},{"startTime":55.998,"endTime":85.11,"body":"who kindly facilitated the interview."},{"startTime":63.408,"endTime":74.302,"body":"mentioned by Dr Laith in episode"},{"startTime":63.408,"endTime":74.302,"body":"1), but also for so much else"},{"startTime":74.477,"endTime":83.79,"body":"besides. Yet outside of Iraq,"},{"startTime":74.477,"endTime":83.79,"body":"she is less well-known."},{"startTime":85.11,"endTime":88.98,"body":"So get yourself a cup of tea,"},{"startTime":85.11,"endTime":88.98,"body":"make yourself comfortable, and"},{"startTime":88.98,"endTime":90.63,"body":"let's meet today's guest."},{"startTime":99.15,"endTime":102.12,"body":"Hello, and welcome to Thin End"},{"startTime":99.15,"endTime":102.12,"body":"of the Wedge. Thank you for"},{"startTime":102.12,"endTime":107.16,"body":"joining us. Could you tell us"},{"startTime":102.12,"endTime":107.16,"body":"please, who are you and what do"},{"startTime":107.16,"endTime":107.73,"body":"you do?"},{"startTime":108.48,"endTime":114.06,"body":"I am Dr. Basima Jalil Abed. I am"},{"startTime":108.48,"endTime":114.06,"body":"professor in archaeology, and I"},{"startTime":114.06,"endTime":116.91,"body":"am head of the archaeology"},{"startTime":114.06,"endTime":116.91,"body":"department at Baghdad"},{"startTime":116.91,"endTime":121.47,"body":"University. I am teaching the"},{"startTime":116.91,"endTime":121.47,"body":"Akkadian language now and some"},{"startTime":121.47,"endTime":123.03,"body":"Babylonian texts generally."},{"startTime":123.93,"endTime":127.17,"body":"Now, you chose to talk about a"},{"startTime":123.93,"endTime":127.17,"body":"group of unpublished texts that"},{"startTime":127.17,"endTime":130.26,"body":"you've been working on. Could"},{"startTime":127.17,"endTime":130.26,"body":"you give us some background to"},{"startTime":130.26,"endTime":134.7,"body":"those texts, please? What kind"},{"startTime":130.26,"endTime":134.7,"body":"of texts are they? And when and"},{"startTime":134.7,"endTime":135.84,"body":"where do they come from?"},{"startTime":136.47,"endTime":140.82,"body":"These texts were confiscated."},{"startTime":136.47,"endTime":140.82,"body":"That is, they did not come"},{"startTime":140.82,"endTime":144.81,"body":"through archaeological"},{"startTime":140.82,"endTime":144.81,"body":"excavations. And they date back"},{"startTime":144.87,"endTime":152.97,"body":"to the Achaemenid era. That is,"},{"startTime":144.87,"endTime":152.97,"body":"the new Babylonian era. And no"},{"startTime":152.97,"endTime":157.32,"body":"one's studied these texts. So I"},{"startTime":152.97,"endTime":157.32,"body":"am interested in learning these"},{"startTime":157.32,"endTime":163.17,"body":"texts. I first submitted a"},{"startTime":157.32,"endTime":163.17,"body":"proposal to study these texts,"},{"startTime":163.8,"endTime":170.31,"body":"which are about 60 cuneiform"},{"startTime":163.8,"endTime":170.31,"body":"texts. And it appeared that"},{"startTime":170.31,"endTime":175.38,"body":"these texts were only an archive"},{"startTime":170.31,"endTime":175.38,"body":"of one person called"},{"startTime":175.8,"endTime":180.84,"body":"Shamash-zer-ibni. Then I"},{"startTime":175.8,"endTime":180.84,"body":"submitted to study the whole"},{"startTime":180.84,"endTime":188.37,"body":"archive, which [is] around 200"},{"startTime":180.84,"endTime":188.37,"body":"texts. I will publish 60 of them"},{"startTime":188.43,"endTime":193.47,"body":"in a book, and print them in"},{"startTime":188.43,"endTime":193.47,"body":"Germany in a printing press,"},{"startTime":193.8,"endTime":199.53,"body":"Zaphon. Then I will complete the"},{"startTime":193.8,"endTime":199.53,"body":"rest of the texts. So that's"},{"startTime":199.53,"endTime":201.69,"body":"what the proposal was about."},{"startTime":203.1,"endTime":207.75,"body":"This man Shamash-zer-ibni is"},{"startTime":203.1,"endTime":207.75,"body":"engaged in economic activities,"},{"startTime":207.75,"endTime":210.54,"body":"isn't he? What kind of thing is"},{"startTime":207.75,"endTime":210.54,"body":"he doing?"},{"startTime":211.44,"endTime":216.45,"body":"This person or this character,"},{"startTime":211.44,"endTime":216.45,"body":"Shamash-zer-ibni, carries out"},{"startTime":216.48,"endTime":222.09,"body":"economic activities, like family"},{"startTime":216.48,"endTime":222.09,"body":"loan. These families flourished"},{"startTime":222.45,"endTime":226.59,"body":"in the modern Babylonian era."},{"startTime":222.45,"endTime":226.59,"body":"And this person does not have"},{"startTime":226.59,"endTime":232.83,"body":"any texts around him. Still, a"},{"startTime":226.59,"endTime":232.83,"body":"text was found about his"},{"startTime":233.01,"endTime":238.17,"body":"grandsons, published in"},{"startTime":233.01,"endTime":238.17,"body":"specialised books about"},{"startTime":238.5,"endTime":244.77,"body":"Napishtu, which is his grandson,"},{"startTime":238.5,"endTime":244.77,"body":"and Shamash-zer-ibni. There is"},{"startTime":244.77,"endTime":251.67,"body":"nothing available about him. So"},{"startTime":244.77,"endTime":251.67,"body":"we have only this archive, which"},{"startTime":251.7,"endTime":257.28,"body":"we will study. We don't have any"},{"startTime":251.7,"endTime":257.28,"body":"more information about him, but"},{"startTime":257.7,"endTime":262.83,"body":"only about his grandson,"},{"startTime":257.7,"endTime":262.83,"body":"Napishtu. So, as I mentioned."},{"startTime":263.91,"endTime":267.24,"body":"But we want to discover more"},{"startTime":263.91,"endTime":267.24,"body":"about this person."},{"startTime":268.71,"endTime":271.86,"body":"Shamash-zer-ibni was a"},{"startTime":268.71,"endTime":271.86,"body":"contemporary of Artahishta [="},{"startTime":272.13,"endTime":278.13,"body":"Artaxerxes] the First, in the"},{"startTime":272.13,"endTime":278.13,"body":"eighth year of his rule. And"},{"startTime":278.13,"endTime":281.88,"body":"continued with his family who"},{"startTime":278.13,"endTime":281.88,"body":"continued their rule and"},{"startTime":281.88,"endTime":288.06,"body":"business between 40 to 45 years"},{"startTime":281.88,"endTime":288.06,"body":"until the time of Artahishta the"},{"startTime":288.06,"endTime":292.71,"body":"Second. Or maybe before his"},{"startTime":288.06,"endTime":292.71,"body":"rule, according to the texts"},{"startTime":292.74,"endTime":298.71,"body":"that we are about to study. All"},{"startTime":292.74,"endTime":298.71,"body":"of these texts are confiscated,"},{"startTime":299.07,"endTime":304.53,"body":"and their location is unknown."},{"startTime":299.07,"endTime":304.53,"body":"We were able to determine the"},{"startTime":304.53,"endTime":310.05,"body":"name of the city, which is the"},{"startTime":304.53,"endTime":310.05,"body":"city of Shatir. We think these"},{"startTime":310.05,"endTime":316.53,"body":"texts belong to the city. Shatir"},{"startTime":310.05,"endTime":316.53,"body":"city has yet to be discovered"},{"startTime":316.65,"endTime":322.56,"body":"precisely. Through all sources,"},{"startTime":316.65,"endTime":322.56,"body":"it is not possible to know the"},{"startTime":322.56,"endTime":327.51,"body":"location of Shatir. But it is"},{"startTime":322.56,"endTime":327.51,"body":"believed that it is located"},{"startTime":327.51,"endTime":331.86,"body":"between the city of Warka, which"},{"startTime":327.51,"endTime":331.86,"body":"is ancient Uruk, and Nuffar,"},{"startTime":332.37,"endTime":337.56,"body":"which is ancient Nippur. This is"},{"startTime":332.37,"endTime":337.56,"body":"a brief introduction to this"},{"startTime":337.56,"endTime":342.09,"body":"book project we are about to"},{"startTime":337.56,"endTime":342.09,"body":"study. If you have any"},{"startTime":342.09,"endTime":344.52,"body":"questions, I am happy to answer"},{"startTime":342.09,"endTime":344.52,"body":"them."},{"startTime":346.11,"endTime":350.1,"body":"This is ongoing work. But what"},{"startTime":346.11,"endTime":350.1,"body":"new knowledge have you learned"},{"startTime":350.1,"endTime":351.69,"body":"from this archive so far?"},{"startTime":352.86,"endTime":356.55,"body":"All the families from that"},{"startTime":352.86,"endTime":356.55,"body":"period and their work affairs,"},{"startTime":356.55,"endTime":361.62,"body":"life, and all other families who"},{"startTime":356.55,"endTime":361.62,"body":"work in these businesses, have a"},{"startTime":361.62,"endTime":366.42,"body":"private and public archive"},{"startTime":361.62,"endTime":366.42,"body":"belonging to the temple or city."},{"startTime":366.66,"endTime":371.85,"body":"Still, it seems that this"},{"startTime":366.66,"endTime":371.85,"body":"archive is private. And it's"},{"startTime":371.85,"endTime":379.89,"body":"only lending barley, and dates."},{"startTime":371.85,"endTime":379.89,"body":"This archive enables us to"},{"startTime":379.98,"endTime":385.26,"body":"understand these families and"},{"startTime":379.98,"endTime":385.26,"body":"their businesses. The archives"},{"startTime":385.41,"endTime":389.67,"body":"helped us to have complete"},{"startTime":385.41,"endTime":389.67,"body":"knowledge about families that"},{"startTime":389.7,"endTime":395.34,"body":"inherited businesses from their"},{"startTime":389.7,"endTime":395.34,"body":"ancestors. The evidence is that"},{"startTime":395.49,"endTime":400.92,"body":"his work began, especially for"},{"startTime":395.49,"endTime":400.92,"body":"this family. The father of this"},{"startTime":400.92,"endTime":409.05,"body":"family, for example, began his"},{"startTime":400.92,"endTime":409.05,"body":"work with simple pieces. So he"},{"startTime":409.05,"endTime":415.83,"body":"started with specific resource,"},{"startTime":409.05,"endTime":415.83,"body":"but his grandsons expanded into"},{"startTime":415.83,"endTime":424.05,"body":"homes, buying homes, mortgages"},{"startTime":415.83,"endTime":424.05,"body":"and enslaved people. So sizeable"},{"startTime":424.08,"endTime":430.53,"body":"economic movement was activated"},{"startTime":424.08,"endTime":430.53,"body":"during the Achaemenid era, which"},{"startTime":430.53,"endTime":434.19,"body":"is lead to remarkable economic"},{"startTime":430.53,"endTime":434.19,"body":"prosperity."},{"startTime":435.66,"endTime":439.29,"body":"So these texts were not"},{"startTime":435.66,"endTime":439.29,"body":"excavated, but were confiscated."},{"startTime":439.92,"endTime":442.05,"body":"Do you know when they were"},{"startTime":439.92,"endTime":442.05,"body":"confiscated?"},{"startTime":442.77,"endTime":449.97,"body":"These texts were brought back"},{"startTime":442.77,"endTime":449.97,"body":"from Jordan, in 2017, or 2019."},{"startTime":450.6,"endTime":453.99,"body":"And how did you hear about them,"},{"startTime":450.6,"endTime":453.99,"body":"and choose to work on them?"},{"startTime":454.62,"endTime":459.0,"body":"Usually, we go to the museum."},{"startTime":454.62,"endTime":459.0,"body":"And when we visit the museum, we"},{"startTime":459.0,"endTime":463.35,"body":"usually submit a proposal, and"},{"startTime":459.0,"endTime":463.35,"body":"ask for permission to study"},{"startTime":463.35,"endTime":469.47,"body":"texts. We always ask about"},{"startTime":463.35,"endTime":469.47,"body":"ancient Babylonian texts. And"},{"startTime":469.5,"endTime":477.78,"body":"they tell me when I ask them,\"."},{"startTime":469.5,"endTime":477.78,"body":"I have a postgraduate student,"},{"startTime":477.78,"endTime":483.84,"body":"who took a study of a group of"},{"startTime":477.78,"endTime":483.84,"body":"Achaemenid texts. And also I"},{"startTime":483.84,"endTime":490.35,"body":"have a hobby too of studying all"},{"startTime":483.84,"endTime":490.35,"body":"kinds of texts. I started a"},{"startTime":490.35,"endTime":495.69,"body":"simple research project on"},{"startTime":490.35,"endTime":495.69,"body":"Achaemenid texts. When I found"},{"startTime":495.69,"endTime":500.13,"body":"this group, I started reading it"},{"startTime":495.69,"endTime":500.13,"body":"and submitted a request to"},{"startTime":500.13,"endTime":505.71,"body":"review the 60 texts offered."},{"startTime":500.13,"endTime":505.71,"body":"After knowing that these 60"},{"startTime":505.71,"endTime":511.5,"body":"texts, it actually was 200"},{"startTime":505.71,"endTime":511.5,"body":"texts, I submitted a proposal"},{"startTime":511.5,"endTime":514.65,"body":"again, to study the entire group"},{"startTime":511.5,"endTime":514.65,"body":"later."},{"startTime":515.429,"endTime":518.219,"body":"Do you know of any tablets from"},{"startTime":515.429,"endTime":518.219,"body":"the same archive in other"},{"startTime":518.219,"endTime":521.459,"body":"collections or in Baghdad found"},{"startTime":518.219,"endTime":521.459,"body":"at other times?"},{"startTime":522.78,"endTime":529.77,"body":"Yeah. The whole texts are around"},{"startTime":522.78,"endTime":529.77,"body":"700 texts, including Ur III"},{"startTime":529.8,"endTime":534.21,"body":"period, with some Achaemenid"},{"startTime":529.8,"endTime":534.21,"body":"period tablets within these"},{"startTime":534.24,"endTime":541.38,"body":"texts.And some of the texts are"},{"startTime":534.24,"endTime":541.38,"body":"Akkadian texts. And some of them"},{"startTime":541.44,"endTime":546.09,"body":"various texts. And some actually"},{"startTime":541.44,"endTime":546.09,"body":"literary texts. Around five to"},{"startTime":546.09,"endTime":550.23,"body":"six texts belong to the new"},{"startTime":546.09,"endTime":550.23,"body":"Babylonian era."},{"startTime":551.52,"endTime":554.31,"body":"Ah-ha, ah-ha. You're talking"},{"startTime":551.52,"endTime":554.31,"body":"about the tablets from Jordan"},{"startTime":554.31,"endTime":554.94,"body":"there, right?"},{"startTime":555.18,"endTime":555.57,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":556.38,"endTime":560.28,"body":"Okay, thanks. That's really"},{"startTime":556.38,"endTime":560.28,"body":"interesting context. What I was"},{"startTime":560.31,"endTime":563.64,"body":"originally trying to ask was"},{"startTime":560.31,"endTime":563.64,"body":"something slightly different. I"},{"startTime":563.64,"endTime":566.64,"body":"was wondering about the"},{"startTime":563.64,"endTime":566.64,"body":"Shamash-zer-ibni archive"},{"startTime":566.64,"endTime":570.69,"body":"specifically, and whether you"},{"startTime":566.64,"endTime":570.69,"body":"knew any other tablets from that"},{"startTime":570.72,"endTime":575.04,"body":"archive already in museum"},{"startTime":570.72,"endTime":575.04,"body":"collections, whether the Iraq"},{"startTime":575.04,"endTime":579.81,"body":"Museum or somewhere else. Did we"},{"startTime":575.04,"endTime":579.81,"body":"know of any traces of this"},{"startTime":579.81,"endTime":583.17,"body":"archive already or is this a"},{"startTime":579.81,"endTime":583.17,"body":"completely new archive?"},{"startTime":584.31,"endTime":587.91,"body":"Oh, there is nothing. There is"},{"startTime":584.31,"endTime":587.91,"body":"nothing actually in the Iraqi"},{"startTime":587.91,"endTime":591.78,"body":"Museum. Only this one I"},{"startTime":587.91,"endTime":591.78,"body":"mentioned earlier."},{"startTime":593.4,"endTime":597.33,"body":"An important question is where"},{"startTime":593.4,"endTime":597.33,"body":"this Shatir city referenced in"},{"startTime":597.33,"endTime":601.59,"body":"the texts actually is. Are there"},{"startTime":597.33,"endTime":601.59,"body":"any plans to visit the area"},{"startTime":601.59,"endTime":605.52,"body":"between Uruk and Nippur to see"},{"startTime":601.59,"endTime":605.52,"body":"if the place can be identified?"},{"startTime":606.15,"endTime":611.4,"body":"We have yet to determine the"},{"startTime":606.15,"endTime":611.4,"body":"exact place for this city. The"},{"startTime":611.4,"endTime":616.92,"body":"city is located between Warka"},{"startTime":611.4,"endTime":616.92,"body":"and Nuffar. So we need a"},{"startTime":616.92,"endTime":621.93,"body":"specific area to search."},{"startTime":616.92,"endTime":621.93,"body":"Regarding the visit to the city"},{"startTime":621.93,"endTime":628.02,"body":"of Shatir, we have yet to learn"},{"startTime":621.93,"endTime":628.02,"body":"much more about the sites of"},{"startTime":628.02,"endTime":634.29,"body":"many archaeological sites"},{"startTime":628.02,"endTime":634.29,"body":"between Nuffar and al-Warka. So"},{"startTime":634.29,"endTime":637.83,"body":"there is an intention to"},{"startTime":634.29,"endTime":637.83,"body":"determine its location through"},{"startTime":637.83,"endTime":643.44,"body":"sources. Then, if we can find a"},{"startTime":637.83,"endTime":643.44,"body":"simple guide to where it is"},{"startTime":643.44,"endTime":649.74,"body":"located, we will visit it. But"},{"startTime":643.44,"endTime":649.74,"body":"in this way, we identified only"},{"startTime":649.74,"endTime":654.87,"body":"a few sites between the two"},{"startTime":649.74,"endTime":654.87,"body":"areas. By studying the texts, we"},{"startTime":654.87,"endTime":660.06,"body":"can locate the place, a specific"},{"startTime":654.87,"endTime":660.06,"body":"location or a specific city"},{"startTime":660.06,"endTime":665.34,"body":"location. However, even from"},{"startTime":660.06,"endTime":665.34,"body":"resources, we are not sure."},{"startTime":666.09,"endTime":671.88,"body":"There is no proof to say that"},{"startTime":666.09,"endTime":671.88,"body":"it's in this place. Even from"},{"startTime":671.88,"endTime":677.37,"body":"sources. The determination of"},{"startTime":671.88,"endTime":677.37,"body":"its location is not accurate, as"},{"startTime":677.37,"endTime":682.32,"body":"the sources believe it is"},{"startTime":677.37,"endTime":682.32,"body":"located either in Warka or"},{"startTime":682.32,"endTime":688.92,"body":"between Warka and Nuffar, which"},{"startTime":682.32,"endTime":688.92,"body":"is Nippur. So we need to find"},{"startTime":688.92,"endTime":693.6,"body":"out which area exactly is"},{"startTime":688.92,"endTime":693.6,"body":"located from sources. But we are"},{"startTime":693.63,"endTime":697.47,"body":"trying to find out about that"},{"startTime":693.63,"endTime":697.47,"body":"through these texts."},{"startTime":699.15,"endTime":703.74,"body":"Let's turn to publication. You"},{"startTime":699.15,"endTime":703.74,"body":"will publish the first 60 in"},{"startTime":703.77,"endTime":707.82,"body":"Germany in the Zaphon series."},{"startTime":703.77,"endTime":707.82,"body":"What about the others from this"},{"startTime":707.85,"endTime":711.51,"body":"archive? Will you publish them"},{"startTime":707.85,"endTime":711.51,"body":"in further volumes in the same"},{"startTime":711.51,"endTime":714.87,"body":"series? How long will the"},{"startTime":711.51,"endTime":714.87,"body":"project last, do you think?"},{"startTime":716.25,"endTime":719.58,"body":"It took nine ... about nine"},{"startTime":716.25,"endTime":719.58,"body":"months and has yet to be"},{"startTime":719.58,"endTime":725.94,"body":"released. I sent the manuscript"},{"startTime":719.58,"endTime":725.94,"body":"last year. Also I was in contact"},{"startTime":725.94,"endTime":731.31,"body":"with them and it has still not"},{"startTime":725.94,"endTime":731.31,"body":"been published yet. And I hope"},{"startTime":731.34,"endTime":735.99,"body":"it will be issued the next"},{"startTime":731.34,"endTime":735.99,"body":"following month. About the other"},{"startTime":735.99,"endTime":742.11,"body":"texts, they have a whole series"},{"startTime":735.99,"endTime":742.11,"body":"that publishes the Achaemenid"},{"startTime":742.14,"endTime":748.89,"body":"texts, and they are working on"},{"startTime":742.14,"endTime":748.89,"body":"it in the form of parts. We will"},{"startTime":748.98,"endTime":754.62,"body":"publish the rest within the next"},{"startTime":748.98,"endTime":754.62,"body":"series, for example 60 or 100,"},{"startTime":755.07,"endTime":760.08,"body":"etc. What I have yet to"},{"startTime":755.07,"endTime":760.08,"body":"determine precisely when it will"},{"startTime":760.08,"endTime":764.16,"body":"be published. As they told me,"},{"startTime":760.08,"endTime":764.16,"body":"it will be by part by part."},{"startTime":765.33,"endTime":769.2,"body":"You mentioned a postgraduate"},{"startTime":765.33,"endTime":769.2,"body":"student. Are you working alone"},{"startTime":769.2,"endTime":772.5,"body":"on this archive? Or will one of"},{"startTime":769.2,"endTime":772.5,"body":"your students publish some of"},{"startTime":772.5,"endTime":773.4,"body":"the texts with you?"},{"startTime":774.57,"endTime":780.81,"body":"No, the student. I am the"},{"startTime":774.57,"endTime":780.81,"body":"supervisor of the student. He"},{"startTime":780.87,"endTime":786.6,"body":"read the texts, and I reviewed"},{"startTime":780.87,"endTime":786.6,"body":"and correct them for him. He has"},{"startTime":786.6,"endTime":792.06,"body":"finished his project now, as a"},{"startTime":786.6,"endTime":792.06,"body":"study now. And he was working on"},{"startTime":792.39,"endTime":797.04,"body":"the archive of"},{"startTime":792.39,"endTime":797.04,"body":"Zababa-shar-utsur. He was"},{"startTime":797.04,"endTime":798.96,"body":"working on this archive"},{"startTime":797.04,"endTime":798.96,"body":"actually."},{"startTime":799.53,"endTime":800.52,"body":"What's his name?"},{"startTime":802.02,"endTime":804.48,"body":"His name is Muhanned Khalaf."},{"startTime":804.84,"endTime":809.13,"body":"Okay, we look forward to seeing"},{"startTime":804.84,"endTime":809.13,"body":"his work. Is the Achaemenid"},{"startTime":809.13,"endTime":811.83,"body":"period your favorite period to"},{"startTime":809.13,"endTime":811.83,"body":"research?"},{"startTime":813.18,"endTime":818.7,"body":"No, it's not just a period,. no."},{"startTime":813.18,"endTime":818.7,"body":"Because I first studied texts"},{"startTime":818.7,"endTime":823.47,"body":"from the ancient Babylonian,"},{"startTime":818.7,"endTime":823.47,"body":"which is a book of Iluni, about"},{"startTime":823.47,"endTime":830.01,"body":"text from Eshnunna. My second"},{"startTime":823.47,"endTime":830.01,"body":"interest is the Akkadian series."},{"startTime":831.15,"endTime":835.83,"body":"I published the first and second"},{"startTime":831.15,"endTime":835.83,"body":"parts of the ancient Akkadian or"},{"startTime":835.86,"endTime":840.78,"body":"Sargon period. And I have"},{"startTime":835.86,"endTime":840.78,"body":"published a book about Ur III"},{"startTime":840.81,"endTime":842.88,"body":"from the city of Irisagrig."},{"startTime":843.54,"endTime":847.02,"body":"Given your wide range of"},{"startTime":843.54,"endTime":847.02,"body":"interest and experience, are you"},{"startTime":847.02,"endTime":847.95,"body":"currently focusing all of your"},{"startTime":847.02,"endTime":847.95,"body":"research time on"},{"startTime":847.95,"endTime":848.73,"body":"Shamash-zer-ibni? Or are you"},{"startTime":847.95,"endTime":848.73,"body":"also working on other things at"},{"startTime":848.73,"endTime":849.48,"body":"the same time?"},{"startTime":849.78,"endTime":857.43,"body":"Yeah, I studied all the"},{"startTime":849.78,"endTime":857.43,"body":"historical periods, except the"},{"startTime":857.49,"endTime":865.68,"body":"Assyrian period. I still need to"},{"startTime":857.49,"endTime":865.68,"body":"check them. But I am willing to"},{"startTime":865.68,"endTime":871.71,"body":"learn them if there is a chance"},{"startTime":865.68,"endTime":871.71,"body":"actually available for me. It's"},{"startTime":871.71,"endTime":876.42,"body":"not the last stop for me. My"},{"startTime":871.71,"endTime":876.42,"body":"last stop is the Achaemenid"},{"startTime":876.45,"endTime":881.7,"body":"texts at the moment. But the"},{"startTime":876.45,"endTime":881.7,"body":"broadest interest is the texts"},{"startTime":881.73,"endTime":887.58,"body":"of the ancient Babylonian era."},{"startTime":881.73,"endTime":887.58,"body":"Because both my master's and"},{"startTime":887.61,"endTime":893.04,"body":"doctoral thesis were on texts"},{"startTime":887.61,"endTime":893.04,"body":"from the Old Babylonian period;"},{"startTime":893.85,"endTime":899.49,"body":"one about Tel Harmal, and the"},{"startTime":893.85,"endTime":899.49,"body":"other about Tel Abu Antiq."},{"startTime":900.39,"endTime":904.38,"body":"I wonder if we could talk a bit"},{"startTime":900.39,"endTime":904.38,"body":"about your teaching next. I'd"},{"startTime":904.38,"endTime":907.17,"body":"like to ask you to reflect on"},{"startTime":904.38,"endTime":907.17,"body":"your career and to give us your"},{"startTime":907.17,"endTime":908.22,"body":"thoughts on the future."},{"startTime":909.36,"endTime":912.3,"body":"During my teaching before I"},{"startTime":909.36,"endTime":912.3,"body":"entered the field of research"},{"startTime":912.3,"endTime":918.45,"body":"and text studies, it was only"},{"startTime":912.3,"endTime":918.45,"body":"grammar. I used to teach that. I"},{"startTime":918.45,"endTime":923.19,"body":"applied in my undergraduate and"},{"startTime":918.45,"endTime":923.19,"body":"postgraduate classes. Through my"},{"startTime":923.19,"endTime":928.92,"body":"many studies of texts, or"},{"startTime":923.19,"endTime":928.92,"body":"encounters, I found that there"},{"startTime":928.92,"endTime":932.4,"body":"is a difference in the grammar"},{"startTime":928.92,"endTime":932.4,"body":"that we study and the grammar"},{"startTime":932.52,"endTime":937.44,"body":"that we find written in"},{"startTime":932.52,"endTime":937.44,"body":"cuneiform texts. So I am"},{"startTime":937.44,"endTime":942.36,"body":"currently focusing on the nature"},{"startTime":937.44,"endTime":942.36,"body":"of the texts itself, and how to"},{"startTime":942.36,"endTime":947.1,"body":"deal with them and the grammar"},{"startTime":942.36,"endTime":947.1,"body":"from the text itself, not just"},{"startTime":947.13,"endTime":952.38,"body":"theoretical grammar. We were"},{"startTime":947.13,"endTime":952.38,"body":"teaching grammar only in the"},{"startTime":952.38,"endTime":957.0,"body":"sources and we found the writers"},{"startTime":952.38,"endTime":957.0,"body":"of this grammar, or these"},{"startTime":957.0,"endTime":963.72,"body":"grammars, did not adhere to this"},{"startTime":957.0,"endTime":963.72,"body":"grammar. So I resorted to"},{"startTime":963.72,"endTime":968.34,"body":"teaching the grammar found in"},{"startTime":963.72,"endTime":968.34,"body":"the text and not in the sources"},{"startTime":968.37,"endTime":973.71,"body":"of books. I teach the subject of"},{"startTime":968.37,"endTime":973.71,"body":"Akkadian grammar, calligraphy"},{"startTime":973.8,"endTime":979.23,"body":"and replication. So I take them"},{"startTime":973.8,"endTime":979.23,"body":"sometimes ... I take my students"},{"startTime":979.23,"endTime":985.17,"body":"sometimes once a week to the"},{"startTime":979.23,"endTime":985.17,"body":"Iraqi Museum to have a practical"},{"startTime":985.2,"endTime":991.17,"body":"lesson. And apply there, and"},{"startTime":985.2,"endTime":991.17,"body":"give them a text, so that they"},{"startTime":991.17,"endTime":997.29,"body":"can use it and extract the"},{"startTime":991.17,"endTime":997.29,"body":"grammar from the text. Sometimes"},{"startTime":997.29,"endTime":1002.03,"body":"you bring natural clay, mud, as"},{"startTime":997.29,"endTime":1002.03,"body":"we have a workshop once a month."},{"startTime":1002.06,"endTime":1006.74,"body":"We would copy a text on a paper."},{"startTime":1002.06,"endTime":1006.74,"body":"And the student copy it on the"},{"startTime":1006.74,"endTime":1013.34,"body":"clay through a wooden pencil or"},{"startTime":1006.74,"endTime":1013.34,"body":"glass pens, we offer them, or we"},{"startTime":1013.34,"endTime":1016.61,"body":"provide them to work with it, or"},{"startTime":1013.34,"endTime":1016.61,"body":"copy on the clay."},{"startTime":1017.48,"endTime":1020.93,"body":"Uh huh. That's really"},{"startTime":1017.48,"endTime":1020.93,"body":"interesting. You mentioned"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1020.93,"endTime":1025.16,"body":"at"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1020.93,"endTime":1025.16,"body":"what point in the student's"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1025.16,"endTime":1029.39,"body":"education do you introduce them"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1025.16,"endTime":1029.39,"body":"to tablets, and how big a role"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1029.42,"endTime":1031.97,"body":"does tablet study play in"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1029.42,"endTime":1031.97,"body":"education?"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1033.47,"endTime":1037.52,"body":"Generally, if the lecture was"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1033.47,"endTime":1037.52,"body":"only a theoretical without these"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1037.52,"endTime":1042.14,"body":"texts, firstly, the student will"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1037.52,"endTime":1042.14,"body":"not learn anything from them."},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1042.98,"endTime":1048.14,"body":"Secondly, the fun when they hold"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1042.98,"endTime":1048.14,"body":"a text and deal with a tangible"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1048.17,"endTime":1054.26,"body":"object, that is very different"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1048.17,"endTime":1054.26,"body":"from what is on the paper. As he"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1054.26,"endTime":1058.79,"body":"or she will not have a passion"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1054.26,"endTime":1058.79,"body":"for learning. But when we take"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1058.79,"endTime":1063.8,"body":"them to the Iraqi Museum, most"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1058.79,"endTime":1063.8,"body":"of the students actually, tend"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1063.8,"endTime":1069.5,"body":"to listen when it is a practical"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1063.8,"endTime":1069.5,"body":"in the museum. They hold the"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1069.5,"endTime":1074.36,"body":"text in their hands. It"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1069.5,"endTime":1074.36,"body":"dramatically impacts learning"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1074.48,"endTime":1078.2,"body":"... their learning speed ... and"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1074.48,"endTime":1078.2,"body":"brings more willingness among"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1078.2,"endTime":1083.45,"body":"students than theoretical"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1078.2,"endTime":1083.45,"body":"lesson. So we intend to increase"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1083.48,"endTime":1088.31,"body":"this practical aspects more than"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1083.48,"endTime":1088.31,"body":"in the classroom, because they"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1088.31,"endTime":1093.05,"body":"learn more quickly. So you can"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1088.31,"endTime":1093.05,"body":"see the massive effect of these"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1093.05,"endTime":1098.24,"body":"valuable lessons on students. I"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1093.05,"endTime":1098.24,"body":"can see that in their progress"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1098.24,"endTime":1100.04,"body":"when I take them there."},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1100.64,"endTime":1103.46,"body":"So this work starts already at"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1100.64,"endTime":1103.46,"body":"undergraduate level?"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1104.78,"endTime":1108.11,"body":"It's their final here, the"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1104.78,"endTime":1108.11,"body":"fourth year of undergraduate"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1108.11,"endTime":1111.5,"body":"study. I'm teaching their fourth"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1108.11,"endTime":1111.5,"body":"year of undergraduate, and"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1111.5,"endTime":1116.24,"body":"postgraduate masters and PhD"},{"speaker":"showing students the tablets","startTime":1111.5,"endTime":1116.24,"body":"students. So that's what I'm"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1116.24,"endTime":1120.41,"body":"their fourth year"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1116.24,"endTime":1120.41,"body":"of undergraduate study. That's"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1120.41,"endTime":1124.22,"body":"how they work when the practical"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1120.41,"endTime":1124.22,"body":"work starts for students."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1124.73,"endTime":1128.84,"body":"Perhaps I could ask a wider"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1124.73,"endTime":1128.84,"body":"question: what are the main"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1128.84,"endTime":1132.65,"body":"challenges and opportunities"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1128.84,"endTime":1132.65,"body":"today for educating the next"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1132.65,"endTime":1134.63,"body":"generation of Iraqi scholars?"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1135.89,"endTime":1139.91,"body":"In general, we have two"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1135.89,"endTime":1139.91,"body":"subjects: Sumerian and Akkadian."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1140.84,"endTime":1144.74,"body":"Students tend to use the"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1140.84,"endTime":1144.74,"body":"Sumerian language, because it is"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1144.74,"endTime":1148.67,"body":"simple. While the Akkadian"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1144.74,"endTime":1148.67,"body":"language is complex and"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1148.67,"endTime":1152.81,"body":"challenging. We face many"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1148.67,"endTime":1152.81,"body":"difficulties, so we work to"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1152.81,"endTime":1157.52,"body":"facilitate them, help them, and"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1152.81,"endTime":1157.52,"body":"encourage them to do their best,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1157.55,"endTime":1163.31,"body":"and resort to methods from other"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1157.55,"endTime":1163.31,"body":"aspects, such as the practical"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1163.31,"endTime":1168.95,"body":"lesson, and going to the museum"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1163.31,"endTime":1168.95,"body":"as a tourist trip. And holding"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1168.98,"endTime":1173.66,"body":"workshops. Generally, I have"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1168.98,"endTime":1173.66,"body":"students who struggle to"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1173.66,"endTime":1177.47,"body":"overcome the Akkadian language"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1173.66,"endTime":1177.47,"body":"class during their study, and"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1177.47,"endTime":1180.35,"body":"fail because of its difficulty."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1180.74,"endTime":1184.34,"body":"Ah, that's quite surprising,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1180.74,"endTime":1184.34,"body":"actually. You know, since"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1184.34,"endTime":1187.82,"body":"Akkadian is related to Arabic,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1184.34,"endTime":1187.82,"body":"often we imagine in the West"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1187.97,"endTime":1191.27,"body":"that Akkadian should be easier"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1187.97,"endTime":1191.27,"body":"to learn for an Arabic speaker"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1191.3,"endTime":1195.17,"body":"than Sumerian is, which is a"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1191.3,"endTime":1195.17,"body":"completely unrelated language."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1196.61,"endTime":1201.14,"body":"Yes, the Akkadian language is"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1196.61,"endTime":1201.14,"body":"indeed close to the Arabic"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1201.14,"endTime":1206.9,"body":"language. Still, the students"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1201.14,"endTime":1206.9,"body":"here must specify. I mean, he"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1206.9,"endTime":1211.61,"body":"has the Sumerian grammar and"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1206.9,"endTime":1211.61,"body":"fixes grammar, and he applies"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1211.67,"endTime":1216.65,"body":"them. But the Arabic language"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1211.67,"endTime":1216.65,"body":"also we have is difficult, if we"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1216.65,"endTime":1219.65,"body":"go into the depth of its"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1216.65,"endTime":1219.65,"body":"details."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1219.92,"endTime":1224.48,"body":"The last couple of years were"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1219.92,"endTime":1224.48,"body":"difficult for everyone. In many"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1224.48,"endTime":1229.52,"body":"universities COVID had a big"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1224.48,"endTime":1229.52,"body":"impact on teaching. Typically,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1229.52,"endTime":1233.63,"body":"there was a switch to remote"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1229.52,"endTime":1233.63,"body":"learning. What was it like in"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1233.63,"endTime":1237.83,"body":"Iraq? How did COVID affect your"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1233.63,"endTime":1237.83,"body":"teaching? Did you switch to"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1237.83,"endTime":1240.86,"body":"remote teaching? Or did you stay"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1237.83,"endTime":1240.86,"body":"in person all the time?"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1242.15,"endTime":1248.3,"body":"Yes, we used remote teaching. We"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1242.15,"endTime":1248.3,"body":"used distance teaching except"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1248.3,"endTime":1253.07,"body":"for the Sumerian and Akkadian"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1248.3,"endTime":1253.07,"body":"languages classes, which were"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1253.1,"endTime":1258.53,"body":"face-to-face teaching. We took"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1253.1,"endTime":1258.53,"body":"an exception from the"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1258.53,"endTime":1263.18,"body":"university, because it was"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1258.53,"endTime":1263.18,"body":"impossible to understand them"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1263.18,"endTime":1264.98,"body":"through distance teaching."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1266.12,"endTime":1269.03,"body":"For the last part of our"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1266.12,"endTime":1269.03,"body":"conversation, I'd like to ask"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1269.03,"endTime":1274.58,"body":"about you yourself. So my first"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1269.03,"endTime":1274.58,"body":"question is, when and how did"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1274.58,"endTime":1277.31,"body":"you become interested in ancient"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1274.58,"endTime":1277.31,"body":"Iraq?"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1278.57,"endTime":1282.53,"body":"Yeah, at the beginning, when I"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1278.57,"endTime":1282.53,"body":"graduated from secondary school,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1282.53,"endTime":1287.06,"body":"my interest was in studying"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1282.53,"endTime":1287.06,"body":"media. So for particular"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1287.09,"endTime":1291.5,"body":"circumstances, I wasn't"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1287.09,"endTime":1291.5,"body":"accepted. So I turned to"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1291.5,"endTime":1298.01,"body":"archaeology. And I loved it,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1291.5,"endTime":1298.01,"body":"which was in 1990. Then I"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1298.01,"endTime":1301.88,"body":"specialised in the cuneiform"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1298.01,"endTime":1301.88,"body":"field for the third and fourth"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1301.88,"endTime":1306.5,"body":"years of my undergraduate"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1301.88,"endTime":1306.5,"body":"studies. With the encouragement"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1306.5,"endTime":1311.21,"body":"and influence of Dr. Khalid"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1306.5,"endTime":1311.21,"body":"al-Adhami, who encouraged me and"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1311.21,"endTime":1317.21,"body":"liked me and, and thus my"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1311.21,"endTime":1317.21,"body":"interests began in this field."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1317.96,"endTime":1322.49,"body":"And I started reading texts in"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1317.96,"endTime":1322.49,"body":"1996."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1322.94,"endTime":1325.88,"body":"That leads very nicely into what"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1322.94,"endTime":1325.88,"body":"was going to be my next"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1325.88,"endTime":1330.44,"body":"question. That was, who was"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1325.88,"endTime":1330.44,"body":"positively influenced your work?"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1331.13,"endTime":1332.96,"body":"You mentioned there Khalid"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1331.13,"endTime":1332.96,"body":"al-Adhami."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1334.04,"endTime":1337.31,"body":"Let me anyone who had a"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1334.04,"endTime":1337.31,"body":"significant impact on me, was"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1337.31,"endTime":1341.06,"body":"Dr. Khalid al-Adhami, who was"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1337.31,"endTime":1341.06,"body":"the first and most encouraging."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1341.33,"endTime":1344.33,"body":"What advice would you give to"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1341.33,"endTime":1344.33,"body":"someone who wanted to make a"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1344.33,"endTime":1346.76,"body":"career in cuneiform studies?"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1347.66,"endTime":1351.74,"body":"Most of the perception about the"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1347.66,"endTime":1351.74,"body":"nature of cuneiform text is that"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1351.74,"endTime":1356.84,"body":"it is difficult and impossible"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1351.74,"endTime":1356.84,"body":"for anyone to be able to or"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1356.99,"endTime":1362.9,"body":"proficient in, especially new"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1356.99,"endTime":1362.9,"body":"graduates. On the contrary, I"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1362.9,"endTime":1367.46,"body":"tell my students, only that you"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1362.9,"endTime":1367.46,"body":"face difficulty during the first"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1367.46,"endTime":1372.56,"body":"two or three months, because you"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1367.46,"endTime":1372.56,"body":"feel internally that you cannot"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1372.56,"endTime":1378.35,"body":"continue. It becomes a common"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1372.56,"endTime":1378.35,"body":"issue later. And you succeed"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1378.44,"endTime":1383.03,"body":"after that and master the"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1378.44,"endTime":1383.03,"body":"materials. So this challenge"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1383.06,"endTime":1387.26,"body":"actually happened to me when I"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1383.06,"endTime":1387.26,"body":"got the Babylonian texts. I"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1387.26,"endTime":1392.57,"body":"began to feel that I was able to"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1387.26,"endTime":1392.57,"body":"read any text. So I read"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1392.57,"endTime":1397.85,"body":"Sumerian, and Babylonian and the"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1392.57,"endTime":1397.85,"body":"Achaemenid. So I reflected my"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1397.85,"endTime":1402.17,"body":"experience ... I reflected my"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1397.85,"endTime":1402.17,"body":"experience on my students."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1402.5,"endTime":1406.01,"body":"Out of everything you've done so"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1402.5,"endTime":1406.01,"body":"far, what would you say are the"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1406.01,"endTime":1408.08,"body":"achievements you are most proud"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1406.01,"endTime":1408.08,"body":"of?"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1409.22,"endTime":1412.7,"body":"The most important achievement"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1409.22,"endTime":1412.7,"body":"I'm proud off is not only"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1412.7,"endTime":1417.92,"body":"reading texts, but changing"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1412.7,"endTime":1417.92,"body":"history. It is my book about the"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1417.92,"endTime":1424.4,"body":"archives of King Iluni, the last"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1417.92,"endTime":1424.4,"body":"king of Eshnunna, because I"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1424.4,"endTime":1430.13,"body":"changed a specific date through"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1424.4,"endTime":1430.13,"body":"the texts. I proved a historical"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1430.19,"endTime":1430.91,"body":"fact."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1431.45,"endTime":1434.99,"body":"Turning to the future, in the"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1431.45,"endTime":1434.99,"body":"years that are left before you"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1434.99,"endTime":1439.34,"body":"retire, what are your main"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1434.99,"endTime":1439.34,"body":"goals? What more would you"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1439.34,"endTime":1440.84,"body":"really like to achieve?"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1441.92,"endTime":1446.3,"body":"The real fun regardless of the"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1441.92,"endTime":1446.3,"body":"reality is that it is part of my"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1446.3,"endTime":1451.55,"body":"routine is reading cuneiform"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1446.3,"endTime":1451.55,"body":"texts. Not to achieve a specific"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1451.55,"endTime":1457.61,"body":"purpose or intention, because I"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1451.55,"endTime":1457.61,"body":"have had professors degree since"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1457.73,"endTime":1464.9,"body":"2010. Still, I have challenges,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1457.73,"endTime":1464.9,"body":"such as the Assyrian texts. I"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1464.9,"endTime":1469.19,"body":"did not study it yet. But if it"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1464.9,"endTime":1469.19,"body":"were available to me now, which"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1469.19,"endTime":1472.25,"body":"I hope will be available for me,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1469.19,"endTime":1472.25,"body":"I would start reading it"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1472.43,"endTime":1473.24,"body":"immediately."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1473.51,"endTime":1477.29,"body":"Are you optimistic about the"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1473.51,"endTime":1477.29,"body":"future of cuneiform studies?"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1477.86,"endTime":1480.11,"body":"Do you mean in Iraq or generally"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1477.86,"endTime":1480.11,"body":"in the world?"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1481.01,"endTime":1483.23,"body":"I'm especially interested in"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1481.01,"endTime":1483.23,"body":"Iraq."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1483.77,"endTime":1489.92,"body":"Okay, in Iraq, a movement began"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1483.77,"endTime":1489.92,"body":"to read cuneiform texts. As it"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1489.92,"endTime":1494.06,"body":"was previously limited in"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1489.92,"endTime":1494.06,"body":"numbers only to some professors."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1494.93,"endTime":1499.07,"body":"Still currently the excellent"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1494.93,"endTime":1499.07,"body":"and the good movement has been"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1499.1,"endTime":1503.51,"body":"active in Iraq. A group of good"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1499.1,"endTime":1503.51,"body":"researchers or intellectual"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1503.51,"endTime":1508.52,"body":"experts appears. So I expect"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1503.51,"endTime":1508.52,"body":"that the study of texts will"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1508.55,"endTime":1513.14,"body":"develop a lot, even if there are"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1508.55,"endTime":1513.14,"body":"some failures from students."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1514.07,"endTime":1517.34,"body":"Still I hope it will be"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1514.07,"endTime":1517.34,"body":"excellent progress, and give an"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1517.34,"endTime":1520.67,"body":"excellent impression and"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1517.34,"endTime":1520.67,"body":"information in the future."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1521.48,"endTime":1524.39,"body":"Thank you very much indeed for"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1521.48,"endTime":1524.39,"body":"taking the time to talk to us"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1524.39,"endTime":1525.44,"body":"about your work today."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1525.59,"endTime":1529.16,"body":"Thank you very much. I'm happy"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1525.59,"endTime":1529.16,"body":"talking with you today. And"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1529.19,"endTime":1534.02,"body":"thanks so much for giving me"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1529.19,"endTime":1534.02,"body":"this opportunity. Thank you."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1535.55,"endTime":1540.716,"body":"I’d also like to thank our"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1535.55,"endTime":1540.716,"body":"patrons:   Tyler Russell,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1540.814,"endTime":1546.566,"body":"Enrique Jimenez, Jana Matuszak,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1540.814,"endTime":1546.566,"body":"Nancy Highcock, Jay C, Rune"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1546.663,"endTime":1552.513,"body":"Rattenborg, Woodthrush, Elisa"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1546.663,"endTime":1552.513,"body":"Rossberger, Mark Weeden, Jordi"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1552.61,"endTime":1558.849,"body":"Mon Companys, Thomas Bolin, Joan"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1552.61,"endTime":1558.849,"body":"Porter MacIver, John MacGinnis,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1558.947,"endTime":1564.309,"body":"Andrew George, Yelena Rakic,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1558.947,"endTime":1564.309,"body":"Mend Mariwany, Zach Rubin,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1564.406,"endTime":1569.671,"body":"Sabina Franke, Shai Gordin,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1564.406,"endTime":1569.671,"body":"Aaron Macks, Maarja Seire,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1569.768,"endTime":1574.74,"body":"Jaafar Jotheri, Morgan Hite,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1569.768,"endTime":1574.74,"body":"Chikako Watanabe, Mark"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1574.837,"endTime":1580.004,"body":"McElwaine,  Heather Baker,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1574.837,"endTime":1580.004,"body":"Jonathan Blanchard Smith,"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1580.102,"endTime":1585.171,"body":"Kliment Ohr,  Christina"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1580.102,"endTime":1585.171,"body":"Tsouparopoulou, TT, Melanie"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1585.269,"endTime":1590.923,"body":"Gross, Claire Weir,  Marc"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1585.269,"endTime":1590.923,"body":"Veldman, Bruno Biermann, Faimon"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1591.021,"endTime":1596.87,"body":"Roberts, Jason Moser, Pavla"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1591.021,"endTime":1596.87,"body":"Rosenstein, as well as those who"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1596.967,"endTime":1599.6,"body":"prefer to remain anonymous."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1600.62,"endTime":1603.948,"body":"I really appreciate your"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1600.62,"endTime":1603.948,"body":"support. It makes a big"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1604.017,"endTime":1607.901,"body":"difference. Every penny received"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1604.017,"endTime":1607.901,"body":"has contributed towards"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1607.97,"endTime":1612.13,"body":"translations. Thanks of course"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1607.97,"endTime":1612.13,"body":"to the lovely people who have"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1612.2,"endTime":1616.291,"body":"worked on the translations on a"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1612.2,"endTime":1616.291,"body":"voluntary basis or for well"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1616.36,"endTime":1620.382,"body":"below the market rate. For"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1616.36,"endTime":1620.382,"body":"Arabic, thanks in particular to"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1620.452,"endTime":1624.682,"body":"Zainab Mizyidawi, as well as"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1620.452,"endTime":1624.682,"body":"Lina Meerchyad and May Al-Aseel."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1624.751,"endTime":1629.05,"body":"For Turkish, thank you to Pinar"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1624.751,"endTime":1629.05,"body":"Durgun and Nesrin Akan. TEW is"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1629.12,"endTime":1633.211,"body":"still young, but I want to reach"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1629.12,"endTime":1633.211,"body":"a sustainable level, where"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1633.28,"endTime":1637.58,"body":"translators are given proper"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1633.28,"endTime":1637.58,"body":"compensation for their hard work."},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1638.84,"endTime":1643.415,"body":"And thank you for listening to"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1638.84,"endTime":1643.415,"body":"Thin End of the Wedge. If you"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1643.491,"endTime":1648.371,"body":"enjoy what we do, and you would"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1643.491,"endTime":1648.371,"body":"like to help make these podcasts"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1648.448,"endTime":1652.566,"body":"available in Middle Eastern"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1648.448,"endTime":1652.566,"body":"languages, please consider"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1652.642,"endTime":1656.15,"body":"joining our Patreon family. You"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1652.642,"endTime":1656.15,"body":"can find us at"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1656.226,"endTime":1660.801,"body":"patreon.com/wedgepod. You can"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1656.226,"endTime":1660.801,"body":"also support us in other ways:"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1660.877,"endTime":1665.682,"body":"simply subscribe to the podcast;"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1660.877,"endTime":1665.682,"body":"leave us a five star review on"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1665.758,"endTime":1670.486,"body":"Apple Music or your favourite"},{"speaker":"talking about","startTime":1665.758,"endTime":1670.486,"body":"podcatcher; recommend us to your"},{"speaker":"friends; follow us on Twitter","startTime":1670.562,"endTime":1674.985,"body":"@wedge_pod. If you want the"},{"speaker":"friends; follow us on Twitter","startTime":1675.061,"endTime":1679.636,"body":"latest podcast news, you can"},{"speaker":"friends; follow us on Twitter","startTime":1675.061,"endTime":1679.636,"body":"sign up for our newsletter. You"},{"speaker":"friends; follow us on Twitter","startTime":1679.713,"endTime":1684.44,"body":"can find all the links in the"},{"speaker":"friends; follow us on Twitter","startTime":1679.713,"endTime":1684.44,"body":"show notes and on our website at"},{"speaker":"friends; follow us on Twitter","startTime":1684.517,"endTime":1688.94,"body":"wedgepod.org. Thanks, and I hope"},{"speaker":"friends; follow us on Twitter","startTime":1684.517,"endTime":1688.94,"body":"you’ll join us next time."}]}