Enheduanna: The World's First Author

Enheduanna: The World's First Author

It's hard to imagine a time when we didn't write things down- on stone, papyrus or parchment. Who was the first to actually put 'pen to paper' and write. Well, her name was Enheduanna. She was an Akkadian poet, writer and high priestess, remembered as the first named author in recorded history. She lived in the 3rd millennium BCE in the city-state of Ur, and was a figure of immense significance in the Mesopotamian world. As the high priestess of the moon god Nanna, she would help to cement ties between the newly merged Sumerian and Akkadian civilisations. She would also pen the first authored literary works, and her poems on womanhood and faith hold great meaning through to this day. Dan speaks to Sidney Babcock, the Jeannette and Jonathan Rosen Curator at the Morgan Library and Museum, to find out how we know so much about her, and what her significance is today.


Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.


If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe to History Hit today!


Download the History Hit app from the Google Play store.

Download the History Hit app from the Apple Store.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(1490)

Britain's Secret Expedition to Antarctica

Britain's Secret Expedition to Antarctica

In 1943, just as the Second World War was raging across the globe, the British government launched a top-secret mission to the Antarctic. Code-named Operation Tabarin, its goal was to gather scientifi...

21 Helmi 202436min

Harold Godwinson: The Last Anglo-Saxon King

Harold Godwinson: The Last Anglo-Saxon King

Dr Eleanor Janega and Matt Lewis uncover the stories of the protagonists and events that led up to the Battle of Hastings. There’s Harold Godwinson, the Anglo-Saxon Lord who became the king of a peopl...

20 Helmi 202434min

Greek Myths: The Furies

Greek Myths: The Furies

The gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece have been written about for thousands of years. From their home atop Mount Olympus, they reigned over the land, sea and sky. The course of human history was sh...

19 Helmi 202420min

The Last Gay Men Executed in Britain

The Last Gay Men Executed in Britain

Why was Georgian Britain's penal code so bloodthirsty when it came to homosexuality? Was Britain unusually cruel in this regard? And does this animosity persist to the present day? For LGBT+ History M...

18 Helmi 202425min

Life and Death in Greco-Roman Egypt

Life and Death in Greco-Roman Egypt

In its final centuries, Ancient Egypt was conquered by the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans, beginning with the invasion of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. But these new arrivals didn't squash the E...

14 Helmi 202434min

The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza

Built by Pharaoh Khufu some 4,500 years ago, the Great Pyramid was the first ancient wonder to be built and is the only one still standing. Towering above the Giza Plateau, this stone behemoth was to ...

13 Helmi 202428min

Rameses The Great

Rameses The Great

Was Rameses really that great or just an excellent self-promoter? Well, as Dan learns in this episode, a little bit of both. He reigned for 66 years and marked a golden era of prosperity, architectura...

13 Helmi 202422min

The Origins of Ancient Egypt

The Origins of Ancient Egypt

All this week Dan is delving into the history, mystery and legacy of Ancient Egypt. Discover how this mighty empire grew from nomadic settlers to the Nile and how its magnificent wonders were built. D...

11 Helmi 202429min

Suosittua kategoriassa Historia

olipa-kerran-otsikko
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
mayday-fi
huijarit
mystista
totuus-vai-salaliitto
konginkangas
tsunami
rss-ikiuni
rss-subjektiivinen-todistaja
rouva-diktaattori
rss-kirkon-ihmeellisimmat-tarinat
rss-i-dont-like-mondays-2
sotaa-ja-historiaa-podi
tiedetta-ja-sirkushuveja-vanhojen-aikojen-podcast
historiaa-suomeksi
rss-iltanuotiolla
rss-sattuu-sita-suomessakin
historian-nurkkapoyta
rss-kuningashuone