May 9, 2009

Getting Your Head Stuck In A Sumerian Pot

This feature in McSweeney’s, “It’s All Fun And Games Until Someone Gets Their Head Stuck In A 3,600-Year-Old Sumerian Pot” is hilarious and, in fact, a fairly accurate portrayal of archaeologists.

Beautiful piece. In excellent condition. One of only two complete pots from a pottery works at Larsa, dated to the reign of Rim-Sim I.

I honestly didn’t think my head would fit into it.

But it did, and now I can’t get it out. In addition to my extensive knowledge of the ancient Near East, I am blessed with a near-inexplicable touch-typing ability, so, if you will, picture me sitting at the computer with a pot on my head that dates from roughly the time when the Hittites invented iron-forged weapons.

Although I must point out, the Sumerian king mentioned by the narrator is Rim Sin I, not Rim Sim I, but that could be a typo; typing with a gungy old pot on your head can be disorienting, and that M-key is dangerously close to the N-key.

Edit: Just for the record, Ian Wood (who wrote the piece) says it was an accidental typo. He has since called his editor to have the typo fixed. You can read about it in the comments. In related news, my rarely-useful knowledge of ancient Near Eastern history FTW!


Sumerian artifacts previously.

Posted by karen | Trackback

Comments: 4 So Far

May 11, 2009 3:05 am

Ian Wood said:

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Yep, typo. Damn. Because I’m neurotic that way I actually e-mailed the editor with the correction. But it might remain that way, and then I’ll just have to find some way to live with that.

May 11, 2009 10:28 am

karen said:

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Hi Ian Wood, I loved your piece!

I think the typo is entirely appropriate considering the pot-on-head thing, but it works either way.

May 11, 2009 3:40 pm

Ian Wood said:

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Thanks!

I had actually considered a deliberate (and obvious) typo at the very end once, for that very reason…rattled by what’s about to happen to him. But I decided against it.

And, being somewhat neurotic that way, if it was unintentional, I had to have it fixed. The editor actually made the change :-D . It’ll show up in a few days.

At any rate–I think it’s fabulous that you actually *knew* that.

May 11, 2009 4:19 pm

Karen said:

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I think it’s fabulous that I actually knew that as well! I took a bunch of Near Eastern archaeology classes in undergrad that officially have never been useful for anything, ever.

I think it’s also fabulous that you wrote a story about Sumerian pots. I will note the change to the article in my post!

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