Women & Girls in the Ancient World/ PART 3: The Diyala Statues

The Diyala statues
The Edgar and Deborah Jannotta Mesopotamian Gallery, the Oriental Institute Museum 

How did the ancient Mesopotamians worship their gods? What do excavated artifacts tell us about religion in ancient Mesopotamia? What roles did women play in Mesopotamian religious life?
Dr. Kate Grossman, one of the presenters in the Women & Girls in the Ancient World: Their History, Our History May event, is taking us to ancient Mesopotamia. In this post, we will look at the Diyala statues, which are displayed in the Edgar and Deborah Jannotta Mesopotamian Gallery at the Oriental Institute Museum. Dr. Grossman shares her insights into the relationships between these artifacts and ancient religious life (especially that of women) in Mesopotamia.

Male and Female Statues. Gypsum. Early Dynastic period (ca. 2750-2500 B.C.). Iraq, Diyala Region.
Excavated by the Oriental Institute.

Women & Girls in the Ancient World/ PART 2: Cosmetic Containers in Ancient Anatolia

Women and Girls in the Ancient World: Their History, Our History returns! In this post, we are excited to present ancient Anatolian cosmetic containers, exhibited in the Henrietta Herbolsheimer, M.D. Syro-Anatolian Gallery at the Oriental Institute Museum.


Cosmetic Containers
Henrietta Herbolsheimer, M.D. Syro-Anatolian Gallery, Oriental Institute Museum 

Beauty and fashion were significant for women and men in the ancient Near East. High-ranking women in particular did their best to preserve and valorize their beauty. The high quality of clothing and jewelry being worn can be seen in surviving artistic representations. Hairstyle and makeup also played an important role in the lives of ancient Anatolian women. Evidence for hairstyles is found in the archaeological record, but information about makeup is difficult to decipher from artifacts. What can we infer about ancient cosmetics?

The pictures below are ancient cosmetic boxes.

OIM A26986 – Chatal Höyük, 1^st millennium BCE

 

OIM A12634 – Tell Judaidah, 1^st millennium BCE