Abstract

OPCA 2016
15-16 April 2016, Wolfson College, Oxford
https://oxfordassyriology.wordpress.com/opca-2015/



Gendered approaches to cult and ritual at Mari: the figure of Inanna


This paper will provide an update on my ongoing doctoral research on the
development of the figure of Inanna/Ishtar with specific focus on gender aspects of
her figure, the temples dedicated to her and their associated rituals, and her role in
socio-political development during the 3rd millennium B.C. (Late Uruk to beginning
of the Old Babylonian period).

The presentation will focus on the site of Mari, where a variety of temples from
this period have been uncovered and excavated in the past, with their remains
mainly dating to the Early Dynastic period before a destruction level that coincided
with the end of EDIIIb (end of “Ville 2”, dated to around 2100 B.C. or ECM 6/ESM 6
in the new ARCANE periodization table). The main focus will be on
recontextualising the objects that were found in the INANNA.NITA temple, one of
the temples that I am investigating as a case study. Of particular interest as a case
study is the seeming male aspect of the deity in this specific temple, as expressed
in the name. For the purposes of this presentation, I will further focus on the
evidence of anthropomorphic dedicatory statues and figurines from this temple
and compare the evidence with that from other temples around the town (in
particular the temple dedicated to INANA.ZA.ZA, but also those of Ištarat,
Ninḫursaĝ, Šamaš and Dagān). The aim will be to establish any trends in the
gender associated with the devotees and the gender associated with the deity. In
order to analyse the results, an intersectional framework will be adopted to allow
for distinctions across the socioeconomic parameters of the devotees alongside the
relative position of the deity in the local and regional pantheon and their
relationship to institutionalised cult (that is, cult with the support of the Palace).
The link between the figure of Inanna and the office of kingship is expected to
produce specific results that correlate with her/his position as a cross-regional
deity. Finally, some preliminary conclusions about the role of the relationship
between religion and power in the production of gender norms in ancient
Mesopotamia will be discussed.