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82. IAA prize winners 2025

Thin End of the Wedge

Chapters
2:00
What is a zipa incantation?
2:54
amulets and tablets
3:55
practical magic
5:27
main argument
6:29
structures
8:13
place in research
9:10
what's next
11:42
status groups in Ur III
15:52
state of research
20:52
the "people"
22:30
how to become UN.IL2
26:59
social security?
28:50
place in research
30:43
what's next
Thin End of the Wedge
82. IAA prize winners 2025
Jan 28, 2026 Episode 82
Jon Taylor

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 Archaeology: Adeline Reynaud, for “Les diagrammes mathématiques paléo-babyloniens : catalogue, propriétés matérielles, rôles dans les raisonnements”

Best article in Assyriology and Mesopotamian Archaeology: 

Laureate: Jon Beltz, for “Everyday Magic? Four Sumerian zi…pa₃ Incantations on Amulets,” in Journal of Cuneiform Studies 77: 97-121.

Runner-up: Andrew Pottorf, for “un-il₂ (“Menials”) as a Serflike Social Stratum during the Ur III Period,” Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History 12/1: 83-113. 

Jon and Andrew join us to talk about their prize-winning research. 

2:00 What is a zipa incantation?

2:54 amulets and tablets

3:55 practical magic

5:27 main argument

6:29 structures

8:13 place in research

9:10 what's next

11:42 status groups in Ur III

15:52 state of research

20:52 the "people"

22:30 how to become UN.IL2

26:59 social security?

28:50 place in research

30:43 what's next


Music by Ruba Hillawi

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