Dr. Moudhy Al-Rashid

Well, there was a lot of it. I mean, the silty kind of riverbed where the two rivers meet near the Arabian Gulf, it was quite a rich, fertile soil. For the fertility of the soil, coupled with some agricultural tech advances, made it possible for them to have so much agricultural produce and products to keep track of, which necessitated a writing system.

Well, there was a lot of it. I mean, the silty kind of riverbed where the two rivers meet near the Arabian Gulf, it was quite a rich, fertile soil. For the fertility of the soil, coupled with some agricultural tech advances, made it possible for them to have so much agricultural produce and products to keep track of, which necessitated a writing system.

And since it was everywhere, they thought, let's just try this.

And since it was everywhere, they thought, let's just try this.

So kind of both. And the answer to that depends on the period you're talking about and also the place. So in some periods, professionals, for example, learned a basic kind of repertoire of science to be able to carry out transactions, write letters, and that included women. Overall, it was a kind of highly skilled that you needed to go through specialized training.

So kind of both. And the answer to that depends on the period you're talking about and also the place. So in some periods, professionals, for example, learned a basic kind of repertoire of science to be able to carry out transactions, write letters, and that included women. Overall, it was a kind of highly skilled that you needed to go through specialized training.

And there were also different tiers that you could kind of stop at in a way.

And there were also different tiers that you could kind of stop at in a way.

So some went on to become scribes and administrators and they had to just know like math for the sake of, you know, calculations and field calculations. And then others went beyond that to become, you know, medical professionals or astronomers doing much more highly specialized math, especially in the later period. So yes and no to that. Yeah.

So some went on to become scribes and administrators and they had to just know like math for the sake of, you know, calculations and field calculations. And then others went beyond that to become, you know, medical professionals or astronomers doing much more highly specialized math, especially in the later period. So yes and no to that. Yeah.

Actually, yes. And in the first millennium BCE, so in the kind of later periods of Mesopotamian sciences, there are these phrases at the end of these science texts that basically say, do not show this to the uninitiated. Oh, really? This is the secret knowledge of the, you know, the gods. This is just for us. This is just for us. Exactly.

Actually, yes. And in the first millennium BCE, so in the kind of later periods of Mesopotamian sciences, there are these phrases at the end of these science texts that basically say, do not show this to the uninitiated. Oh, really? This is the secret knowledge of the, you know, the gods. This is just for us. This is just for us. Exactly.

Yeah, isn't that cool?

Yeah, isn't that cool?

Yes, that's right. She's the first named author in history. So not just the first woman author, the first author of this name we know. Wow. Yeah, as a woman. And her name is Elhadwana. And she penned, penned, impressed, whatever. Yeah. The pen is fine, yeah. These incredible hymns, temple hymns, essentially.

Yes, that's right. She's the first named author in history. So not just the first woman author, the first author of this name we know. Wow. Yeah, as a woman. And her name is Elhadwana. And she penned, penned, impressed, whatever. Yeah. The pen is fine, yeah. These incredible hymns, temple hymns, essentially.

The texts that are attributed to her authorship come from a slightly later period, so it's not exactly straightforward, but I still think that's the coolest thing ever. That's amazing.

The texts that are attributed to her authorship come from a slightly later period, so it's not exactly straightforward, but I still think that's the coolest thing ever. That's amazing.

I mean, you could sing them if you wanted to. I guess we don't know the tune, though. Yeah, you can make one up, I guess. We know the lyrics. We know the lyrics, yes.

I mean, you could sing them if you wanted to. I guess we don't know the tune, though. Yeah, you can make one up, I guess. We know the lyrics. We know the lyrics, yes.