Did you know that the Ancient Near East can be found also.. in Kentucky? Learn everything about it in this new contribution, sent to us by Christy Spurlock – to whom we are indeed very grateful! She nicely shows us how Universities and Museums can cooperate to create activitites that support university curriculum. Enjoy the reading!
The Ancient Near East in Kentucky
The Ancient Near East in Kentucky is a small teaching exhibit located in the Kentucky Museum’s larger WKU Teaching Gallery. The Kentucky Museum is a mid-sized academic museum located in Bowling Green, Kentucky on the campus of Western Kentucky University.
It is hard to categorize the Museum with its wide-ranging collections and its role within the campus community and the wider region. The Museum has a variety of collections, the most robust being political memorabilia, quilts and historic textiles, art, furniture, and historic toys and games. My colleagues and I describe the Museum as a general history, cultural and art institution.
During its 83 years, the Museum has prioritized different audiences. In the past, exhibit development has focused primarily on local and Kentucky history, while other periods featured exhibits designed to appeal more to area tourists. While we have a variety of both permanent and changing exhibits, increasingly the focus of the Museum in recent years has been working with WKU departments to create exhibits focused on enhancing and supporting university curriculum.
Toward that goal, in 2021 first floor exhibit space was converted into the WKU Teaching Gallery. The 1,300 square foot space was subdivided into “teaching pods” or varying sized exhibit spaces. Museum staff have worked with the WKU Geology, Political Science, and Fashion Merchandising departments to create exhibits utilizing both collection items and course themes.
Idea for Exhibit and Ancient Artifacts
Spring semester 2021, I submitted an exhibit proposal for one of the small spaces in the teaching gallery to exhibit our ancient artifacts. Each semester, the university offers multiple sections of World History I with hundreds of students. I thought it could be a natural tie in to the course’s objectives. Always looking for ways to increase Museum visitation, I envisioned both class visits led by professors, as well as individual student visits for course credit.
While not a robust collection onto itself, over the Museum’s lifespan, ancient items were acquired through donation including: an Egyptian child’s sarcophagus, papyrus fragment, scarab, Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets and cylinder seals.
The child’s sarcophagus came from the collection of the Smithsonian Institution. Six of the cuneiform tablets and one of the cylinder seals were donated by former WKU History professor Dr. Lowell Harrison. Harrison obtained artifacts when he was a faculty member at West Texas State University. One of the tablets was donated by journalist Allen Trout in 1969. We think all of the tablets came via archeologist Edgar Banks.
As stated, the Museum did not hold many ancient items, however we had research associated with some of the items. Collections Curator, Sandy Staebell provided an artifact list and known provenance of the items. Sandy and I filmed a utilitarian video of both the proposed exhibit space and the artifacts. We emailed the video link to the history faculty, just as an initial gauge of interest. With their positive response and willingness to collaborate, we began work in earnest.
The Ancient Near East in Kentucky within the WKU Teaching Gallery
Collaboration
Right to left- Scott French, Marc Eagle, David Serafini at the exhibit opening
I recruited WKU history professors David Serafini, Marc Eagle, and Jeffrey Miner as co-curators. Along with Staebell, together we formed a working group for the exhibit’s development. Our first meeting was held in the small, three walled space within the larger teaching gallery. Although only 27 running feet of space, the group believed the space could be maximized for interest with the combination of artifacts, exhibit panels and graphic design.
Looking at the HIST 101 World History I textbook, and our limited artifact list we worked together to brainstorm themes and sections for the small exhibit. The group ultimately decided to focus on two themes. First, how did these ancient items end up in a mid-sized university museum in Kentucky? Professors believed this question could lead classroom discussion about imperialism and museum and library artifact acquisition. Second, the role of writing in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
With these themes, we began work on exhibit copy for panels, artifact placement and ideas for graphic design. It was at this initial meeting as we were considering possible exhibit title that Professor Serafini suggested The Ancient Near East in Kentucky.
Mesopotamia Objects
The following six cuneiform tablets are displayed together in a case. The tablets and seal were excavated at Nippur Tell Jokha (site of the Sumerian city of Umer) and Drehem. Written between 2061-2039 BCE, they were acquired from early 20th century collector and archeologist Edgar J. Banks, who sold cuneiform tablets to universities, museums, and libraries, across the United States. All translations by Dr. Ron Veenker, Professor Emeritus WKU and scholar of Ancient Near East Languages. I have also included the object numbers for use with our online catalogue, KenCat.
2001.5.1
The tablet contains an order from temple officials for workmen to remove logs from several locations. It is the 8th year of king Amar-Sin, i.e., 2039 BCE.
2001.5.2
This transaction from the Temple in the city of Puzrish-Dagan involves the transfer of 501 small animals, sheep and goats as payment of taxes in kind to the government. It is dated to the 9th month of Amar-Sin’s 8th year, i.e., 2039 BCE.
2001.5.3
Animals were brought into the Temple for offerings to the gods, in this case, young ducks and turtle doves. The year is Shulgi 45, i.e., 2049 BCE.
2001.5.4
A list of lambs, goats, and sheep delivered to the kitchen (of the palace?). Some for the governor of Ki’an and two for offerings to the gods Nisaba and Ashnam. Amar-Sin year 5, i.e., 2041 BCE.
2001.5.5
Recording an order for workmen to harvest crops in one or two fields, the tablet includes an impression from the cylinder seal belonging to the scribe Enkash, son of Ur-Ishtaran. Amar-Sin 7, i.e., 2039 BCE.
2001.5.6
An order for five workmen from Sharrugin to do earthwork for three days. They also towed a raft for a man named Apisal. Tablet was sealed by Ur-e’e, scribe in the 33rd year of king Shulgi, i.e., 2061 BCE.
Cuneiform tablet with photo enlargement and translation by Dr. Ronald Veenker
1987.89.257
The tablet is displayed by itself, along with an enlarged photograph enlargement and line by line translation. This cuneiform tablet refers to livestock and to officials including MeGum, governor of the city-state of Ebla. Written in 2040 BCE, it was excavated by archeologists from the University of Chicago in 1948. Journalist and folklorist Allen Trout likely acquired the tablet from archeologist Edgar Banks. In 1969, it was included among items he donated to WKU Library Special Collections.
Photo panel from exhibit with translation of cuneiform tablet 1987.89.257
Egyptian Objects
Papyrus fragment and scarab – from WKU Special Collections Library’s collection
1999.112.1.4
An Egyptian scarab with hieroglyphs, likely used as a seal. The scarab, or dung beetle, was sacred to ancient Egyptians, and by the New Kingdom period scarab seals were used for a wide variety of inscriptions. (ca. 1000 BCE)
1999.112.1.1
An Egyptian papyrus with hieroglyphic writing, reportedly from the Book of the Dead, Eighteenth to Twentieth Dynasties. (ca. 1500-1100 BCE)
1974.4.1
Child’s sarcophagus in the shape of a human carved from Ficus Sycomorus (Sycamore fig), likely from New Kingdom period or later. Sarcophagus was originally painted, possibly including writing. (ca. 1300 BCE)
In 2011, Rhonda Wilson, a curious WKU student, initiated a research project to identify the species of wood used for/in the sarcophagus. Wilson had approached Dr. Chris Byrne to conduct evaluative research that might help determine the authenticity of the artifact. The wood is Ficus Sycomorus (sycomore fig). It is a fig tree from the Moraceae family and is unrelated to the European or North American sycamore tree.
Conclusion
WKU graphic designer Scott French has worked with the Museum on a variety of projects. After the group created a layout for artifacts and had written exhibit script, Scott examined the space and developed a visual concept that would work for the limited space, and our small budget.
The exhibit opened on February 10, 2022, and it has been popular with both History 101 professors and students and the general public. While the exhibits within the Teaching Gallery are designed to be changed out approximately every two years, due to its popularity The Ancient Near East in Kentucky will remain up for the foreseeable future.
Special thanks to Brent Stinett, sponsor of the exhibit, WKU history professors David Serafini, Marc Eagle and Jeffrey Minor, WKU graphic artist Scott French, KY Museum Collections Curator Sandy Staebell, Dr. Ron Veenker and WKU Special Collections Library.
For more information about the exhibit,visit The Ancient Near East in KY.
Visitors at the exhibit opening February 10, 2022