ASHIPUM · Ancient Spaces of Healing: Integrated Perspectives for the Study of Urukean Medicine (1st millennium BCE)

The overarching goal of the project ASHIPUM is to understand how ancient Mesopotamian healers acted within their spatial, geographical and social contexts. To do this, I will conduct a practice-oriented study - still lacking in Assyriological scholarship - of the archives of the exorcists-healers from Late-Babylonian Uruk (end 5th century-beginning 2nd century BCE), integrating textual and archaeological data. This case study has not been comprehensively analysed from a medico-historical viewpoint. By focusing on its promising features, I will be able to overcome three problems related to the study of Mesopotamian medicine. ASHIPUMs objectives are: 1) to determine what the exorcists-healers of Late-Babylonian Uruk knew, on the basis of their archives; 2) to integrate textual information with archaeological and material data relevant for a medico-historical study; 3) to reconstruct the daily practices and the know-how implied by healing-related activities in Uruk. As designed, the project will be best implemented at Paris 1 University Panthon-Sorbonne under the supervision of Philippe Clancier in the light of his expertise in the archives of the exorcists-healers and their historical, material contextualisation. I will benefit from my integration into his team ArScAn-HAROC, specialized in material culture, and the trainings offered by my host institution in archaeology, anthropology, French language, digital skills, project management and career development. In turn, I will share my experience on Mesopotamian medicine and give impulse to this subject at ArScAn by networking with specialists across the region of Paris and beyond. The action includes dissemination activities through presentations, journal articles, a conference (with related proceedings) and online content for ArScAns projects. Communication will be ensured by online presence, participation at outreach events in the Parisian region, a citizen science program and a poster exhibition.