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October 20, 2005
Sex and Archaeology
Two of my favorite things.
Via the ANE news group, I discovered the follow article,
Assante, Julia: "Sex, Magic and the Liminal Body in Erotic Art and Texts of the Old Babylonian Period"; in: S. Parpola / R. M. Whiting (eds.): Sex and Gender in the Ancient Near East. Proceedings of the 47th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Helsinki, July 2-6, 2001 (Helsinki 2002) 27-52.
It is available online in two parts [Assante.Sex(part1).pdf and Assante.Sex(part2).pdf].
Unfortunately, the pictures aren't too clear in the PDFs but the text is very graphic. Here is a sample from an Old Babylonian incantation in which a woman tries to cast a spell to control her wandering lover.
Set your will to my will,
Set your decision to my decision,
I hold you fast as Ishtar held Dumuzi,
(As) beer binds her drinker,
I have bound you with my hairy mouth,
With my vagina (full of) wetness,
With my mouth (full of) saliva.
With my vagina full of wetness.
No female rival shall go near you!
You've got to love those old Babylonians!
The truth is this is a very interesting article that studies a wide range of topics including the relationship between magic and human sexuality as seen in Old Babylonia sculpture and literature.
Posted by Duane Smith at October 20, 2005 10:48 AM | Read more on Archaeology |
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