Videos by Laura Battini
Presentation devoted to all audience during the first French lockdown
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Books by Laura Battini
similarities and differences between Mary and mother goddesses/ goddesses of love
Edited books by Laura Battini
Mortals, Deities and Divine Symbols: Rethinking Ancient Imagery from the Levant to Mesopotamia is... more Mortals, Deities and Divine Symbols: Rethinking Ancient Imagery from the Levant to Mesopotamia is dedicated to Tallay Ornan, a scholar who has distinguished herself in ancient Western Asian iconographic studies and has become an undisputed reference in this field. The volume is divided into three parts, which give greater prominence to Tallay Ornan’s major themes: New Discoveries and Approaches in twelve chapters; The Human World in fourteen chapters; The Divine World in eighteen chapters.
Animal Symbolism and Representations in Western Asia, 2024
Introduction to Animal Symbolism and Representations in Western Asia
Médecine et médecins au Proche-Orient ancien, Actes du Colloque International de Lyon, 8-9 novembre 2002, BAR S 1528, Oxford, 2006, 2006
Ce livre est le résultat d’une rencontre féconde entre historiens des textes, historiens des imag... more Ce livre est le résultat d’une rencontre féconde entre historiens des textes, historiens des images et médecins. Différents aspects de l'état sanitaire des populations de l'Antiquité et des pratiques médicales sont ici publiés. Les contributions s'ordonnent autour de la paléo-pathologie, des thérapeutes et pratiques thérapeutiques et des représentations du corps
Il est difficile de parler d'un être humain en quelques lignes. Il nous a semblé offensant pour n... more Il est difficile de parler d'un être humain en quelques lignes. Il nous a semblé offensant pour notre ami Florent de ne mettre que deux lignes à côté de sa photographie. Surtout en raison de sa mort précoce et imprévue, qui a laissé dans le désarroi profond tous ses amis et sa famille.
Maisons urbaines au Proche-Orient ancien
Dossiers d’Archéologie n° 332 mars/avril 2009
COORDINAT... more Maisons urbaines au Proche-Orient ancien
Dossiers d’Archéologie n° 332 mars/avril 2009
COORDINATION SCIENTIFIQUE :
Laura BATTINI, Chercheur au CNRS,
Université Lumière Lyon 2, UMR 5133 Archéorient,
Maison de l’Orient Méditerranéen
02 Maisons urbaines au Proche-Orient ancien
par Laura BATTINI et Pierre LOMBARD
04 Glossaire et carte
06 Les débuts des maisons urbaines
par Jean-Claude MARGUERON
10 La maison urbaine palestienne au Bronze ancien
par Deborah SEBAG
14 Les maisons du Levant au Bronze moyen
par Nicolò MARCHETTI
18 Les villas de marchands de Larsa
par Yves CALVET
22 Les maisons de Terqa au IIIe millénaire av. J.-C.
par Olivier ROUAULT
24 Les maisons d’Ougarit
par Olivier CALLOT
28 Les maisons à l’âge du Fer en Palestine
par Michaël JASMIN
33 Les maisons néo-assyriennes
par Laura BATTINI
34 Les maisons mésopotamiennes vues par les scribes
par Pierre VILLARD
38 Les “constructeurs” anciens
par Philippe ABRAHAMI
41 Plans de maison sur tablettes
par Philippe ABRAHAMI
42 La maison dans les contrats
par Olivier ROUAULT
46 Les contrats immobiliers d’Ougarit
par Carole ROCHE
48 La maison dans l’iconographie
par Béatrice MULLER
52 La maison dans les bas-relief
par Béatrice MULLER
54 Des maisons et des hommes à Ougarit à l’âge du Bronze
par Valérie MATOÏAN
58 La céramique de cuisine
par Valérie MATOÏAN
60 Bricolage antique à Tell Masaïkh (Syrie)
par Maria Grazia MASETTI-ROUAULT
62 Les maisons le jour et la nuit
par Laura BATTINI
69 Ras Shamra-Ougarit (Syrie) : des outils en silex dans les maisons d’une capitale
par Éric COQUEUGNIOT
70 Les cultes domestiques
par Pierre VILLARD
73 Les maquettes de maisons
par Maria Grazia MASETTI-ROUAULT
74 Un caveau à demeure pour les habitants d’Ougarit
par Sophie MARCHEGAY
78 La protection magique de la maison
par Philippe ABRAHAMI
79 Les tombes des enfants
par Laura BATTINI
80 La maison dans la ville
par Paolo MATTHIAE
84 Maisons des villes, maisons des champs
par Olivier AURENCHE
86 Tableau chronologique
Actualités / Brèves / Livres
This book brings together the main discussions that took place at an international conference on ... more This book brings together the main discussions that took place at an international conference on the iconology of war in the ancient Near East, a subject never addressed at an international meeting before.
The articles span the 3rd to the 1st millennium, with a special stress on the Neo-Assyrian period. They try to respond to many questions about representations of war:
what is warrior iconography and on what basis it can be defined? Did the war scenes follow a specific directory whereby they adopted the most varied forms? Can we determine the most usual conditions for the creation of pictures of wartime (such as periods of great change)? Were the war scenes referring to specific historical events or were they generic representations? What can a society accept from the representations of war? What did war images silence and why? What is a «just» punishment for enemies and thus the «just» representation of it? Who has control of the representation and therefore also the memory of war? Who is the real subject of war representations?
What emerges from the articles published here is the relevance of textual data in any analysis of iconological material. And this is not only true for iconology, but for all the archaeological material discovered at historical sites.
Ina d marri u qan ṭuppi. Par la bêche et le stylet ! Cultures et sociétés syro-mésopotamiennes. M... more Ina d marri u qan ṭuppi. Par la bêche et le stylet ! Cultures et sociétés syro-mésopotamiennes. Mélanges offerts à Olivier Rouault.
ISBN 978-1-78969-282-2
ISBN 978-1-78969-283-9 (e-pdf)
Image and Identity in the Ancient Near East: Papers in memoriam Pierre Amiet gathers the papers o... more Image and Identity in the Ancient Near East: Papers in memoriam Pierre Amiet gathers the papers of two colloquia-one held in Pierre Amiet's honour in Lyon in 2016 and the other held in Paris in 2017, as well as articles by colleagues who wished to dedicate a fi nal tribute to him. The volume consists of two parts. The studies in the fi rst part analyse the body as a biological entity as well as a social, sexual and cultural identity (persona).They show the emotional power of images, the means and media used to achieve this suggestive power, and the diff erent audiences that are the privileged recipients of the diff erent types of production. They also investigate the emotions as they are expressed through the gestures and attitudes of the characters represented. The second part includes articles that are more closely related to the themes that Pierre Amiet has tackled. Two articles deal with his favourite research theme, glyptics. One article takes up the problem of the formation of the state which Pierre Amiet had dealt with in several of his glyptic studies. Other papers are concerned with the organisation of craftsmen and statuary.
This book addresses key issues such as the perception of spaces, their functionality in relation ... more This book addresses key issues such as the perception of spaces, their functionality in relation to furniture, multi-functionality and the question of floor space. While the answers to these questions are still incomplete, more rigorous analyses that are less guided by preconceptions are needed today. Similarly, archaeological analysis has everything to gain from a comparison with texts, which are at once episodic, rich and complex when it comes to architectural issues.
Papers by Laura Battini
B. Sass and L. Battini (eds), Mortals, Deities and Divine Symbols: Rethinking Ancient Images from the Levant to Mesopotamia · Studies Offered to Tallay Ornan (AANEA 12), 2025
A forgotten seal documents the only representation of a dead god in the arms of the god who kille... more A forgotten seal documents the only representation of a dead god in the arms of the god who killed him. This violent representation can be read on various levels. At the simplest level, it is a divine battle that finds echoes in Mesopotamian cosmogony. At a more complex level, it is about the advent of a new age that coincides with the death of the god and the subjugation of men and is guaranteed by Šamaš. That the seal also alludes to the birth of a new political epoch desired by the Akkadian dynasty seems a triviality. But the seal also has a clear apotropaic value, which results from the choice of the natural colours of the stone for the different subjects: for the dead god, the seal cutter used the black vein of the stone, for the other subjects he used the white vein.
in the series La Nymphe et la Sorcière, 2025
This podcast is about the goddess Ishtar, goddess of love, war, kingship and the star Venus. The... more This podcast is about the goddess Ishtar, goddess of love, war, kingship and the star Venus. The podcast also addresses themes of sexuality, excess and subversion, which challenge death and established order.
Ash-sharq Volume 7: 165–180, 2023
The Akkadian period saw the emergence of an unusual theme that was to disappear in the following ... more The Akkadian period saw the emergence of an unusual theme that was to disappear in the following periods, that of battles between the gods. The motif is seen on about 70 or so cylinder seals, and is characterised by refined style and execution, designed to stir the emotions. Based on an analysis of seals and inscriptions, this paper aims to understand what audience this theme was intended for, why it appears in this era only to disappear subsequently and what its meanings are.
In L. Battini, A. Brody and S. Steadman (eds), 2022, No Place Like Home (Archaeopress Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology 9): 78-91. Oxford, Archaeopress, 2022
Considering the social aspects of Neo-Babylonian houses at Ur: economic activities, gender/age/st... more Considering the social aspects of Neo-Babylonian houses at Ur: economic activities, gender/age/status spaces, accessibility, socio-economic Dynamics, homeless people
Ash Sharq 9/1; 204-222, 2025
This article looks at the representation of the city of Babylon in a number of comics. Through th... more This article looks at the representation of the city of Babylon in a number of comics. Through the different genres of comics and then the different audiences, some very interesting differences emerge that help us to better understand the contradictory myth of Babylon, an ideal city but also a ‘demonic and sinful city’.
Ash Sharq 8/1, 2024
Editor’s note: This is the publication of a lecture given at the 3rd ICAANE meeting held in Paris... more Editor’s note: This is the publication of a lecture given at the 3rd ICAANE meeting held in Paris (2002). The proceedings of the meeting are, as yet, sadly unpublished, and we feel we can no longer delay the publication of the article. Due to its origin, the text is presented in French, as originally proposed for the unpublished proceedings. The text reflects the 2002 version, revised several times up to 2012.
Abstract. According to general belief, the palace of Adad-Nirari I was the first to create a planimetric typology typical of Neo-Assyrian palaces, i.e. construction based on babanu and bitanu. Yet this palace hasstrong similarities with the palatial architectural tradition of the Middle Bronze Age, especially as regards the official reception complex. The aim of this article is to show the continuity of palace architecture from the Middle Bronze to the Iron Age.
Enfance et jeunesse dans les sociétés de l’Asie, J-M Mouton et N. Grimal (eds), p.81-113, 2024
Analysis of a part of Šumma izbu, especially certain non-viable (Siamese and paralysis) and viabl... more Analysis of a part of Šumma izbu, especially certain non-viable (Siamese and paralysis) and viable malformations (skin blemishes, abnormalities of the genital organs, abnormalities of a non-viable organ, cephalohaematoma, serosanguineous bump, dwarfism) and multiple births.
HIMA 12. Revue internationale d’Histoire Militaire Ancienne, 2023
The Neo-Assyrian documentation is very rich on equids, which from
the Mesopotamian point of view ... more The Neo-Assyrian documentation is very rich on equids, which from
the Mesopotamian point of view include not only horses, donkeys, and hybrids, but also dromedaries, called in Sumerian “the donkeys of the sea countries”. The textual and iconographic documentation is more abundant for the horse, which has a strong symbolic value. However, even for the other equids data are richer than one would think. This article attempts to understand the functions, the ways of supplying, and the cost of equids. Given the quantities, equids were not old in the war. Horse, mule, and dromedary were used in the fights, while the donkeys were rather reserved for the transport of the weapons and provisions of the army. But the functions are not unambiguous: mules and donkeys were also used to transport the deportees. And the donkeys were used to build and repair the Assyrian camp. Finally, a secondary and limited use in case of
shortage could be food: not only milk, very nutritious, but also meat.
AVAR 1/2: 313-358, 2022
Since their discovery, the iconological value of the Neo-Assyrian bas-reliefs has made most resea... more Since their discovery, the iconological value of the Neo-Assyrian bas-reliefs has made most researchers forget their connection with architecture. Looking at the two aspects is necessary because the reliefs are not only a "pure décor": stabilizing the walls of the palace, their materiality helps the architecture. Their context, moreover, gives more meaning to understanding the reliefs. The arrangement of the bas-reliefs was not chosen at random: there is a fundamental interconnection between architecture and iconological choice of reliefs. The location of the reliefs was carefully chosen to arouse the most emotional and psychological effects: it has already been demonstrated that the attention of an observer entering an Assyrian palace is captured by certain reliefs because they demarcate immediately themselves because of light, colour, place, proximity to the king's podium.
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Videos by Laura Battini
Books by Laura Battini
Edited books by Laura Battini
Dossiers d’Archéologie n° 332 mars/avril 2009
COORDINATION SCIENTIFIQUE :
Laura BATTINI, Chercheur au CNRS,
Université Lumière Lyon 2, UMR 5133 Archéorient,
Maison de l’Orient Méditerranéen
02 Maisons urbaines au Proche-Orient ancien
par Laura BATTINI et Pierre LOMBARD
04 Glossaire et carte
06 Les débuts des maisons urbaines
par Jean-Claude MARGUERON
10 La maison urbaine palestienne au Bronze ancien
par Deborah SEBAG
14 Les maisons du Levant au Bronze moyen
par Nicolò MARCHETTI
18 Les villas de marchands de Larsa
par Yves CALVET
22 Les maisons de Terqa au IIIe millénaire av. J.-C.
par Olivier ROUAULT
24 Les maisons d’Ougarit
par Olivier CALLOT
28 Les maisons à l’âge du Fer en Palestine
par Michaël JASMIN
33 Les maisons néo-assyriennes
par Laura BATTINI
34 Les maisons mésopotamiennes vues par les scribes
par Pierre VILLARD
38 Les “constructeurs” anciens
par Philippe ABRAHAMI
41 Plans de maison sur tablettes
par Philippe ABRAHAMI
42 La maison dans les contrats
par Olivier ROUAULT
46 Les contrats immobiliers d’Ougarit
par Carole ROCHE
48 La maison dans l’iconographie
par Béatrice MULLER
52 La maison dans les bas-relief
par Béatrice MULLER
54 Des maisons et des hommes à Ougarit à l’âge du Bronze
par Valérie MATOÏAN
58 La céramique de cuisine
par Valérie MATOÏAN
60 Bricolage antique à Tell Masaïkh (Syrie)
par Maria Grazia MASETTI-ROUAULT
62 Les maisons le jour et la nuit
par Laura BATTINI
69 Ras Shamra-Ougarit (Syrie) : des outils en silex dans les maisons d’une capitale
par Éric COQUEUGNIOT
70 Les cultes domestiques
par Pierre VILLARD
73 Les maquettes de maisons
par Maria Grazia MASETTI-ROUAULT
74 Un caveau à demeure pour les habitants d’Ougarit
par Sophie MARCHEGAY
78 La protection magique de la maison
par Philippe ABRAHAMI
79 Les tombes des enfants
par Laura BATTINI
80 La maison dans la ville
par Paolo MATTHIAE
84 Maisons des villes, maisons des champs
par Olivier AURENCHE
86 Tableau chronologique
Actualités / Brèves / Livres
The articles span the 3rd to the 1st millennium, with a special stress on the Neo-Assyrian period. They try to respond to many questions about representations of war:
what is warrior iconography and on what basis it can be defined? Did the war scenes follow a specific directory whereby they adopted the most varied forms? Can we determine the most usual conditions for the creation of pictures of wartime (such as periods of great change)? Were the war scenes referring to specific historical events or were they generic representations? What can a society accept from the representations of war? What did war images silence and why? What is a «just» punishment for enemies and thus the «just» representation of it? Who has control of the representation and therefore also the memory of war? Who is the real subject of war representations?
What emerges from the articles published here is the relevance of textual data in any analysis of iconological material. And this is not only true for iconology, but for all the archaeological material discovered at historical sites.
ISBN 978-1-78969-282-2
ISBN 978-1-78969-283-9 (e-pdf)
Papers by Laura Battini
Abstract. According to general belief, the palace of Adad-Nirari I was the first to create a planimetric typology typical of Neo-Assyrian palaces, i.e. construction based on babanu and bitanu. Yet this palace hasstrong similarities with the palatial architectural tradition of the Middle Bronze Age, especially as regards the official reception complex. The aim of this article is to show the continuity of palace architecture from the Middle Bronze to the Iron Age.
the Mesopotamian point of view include not only horses, donkeys, and hybrids, but also dromedaries, called in Sumerian “the donkeys of the sea countries”. The textual and iconographic documentation is more abundant for the horse, which has a strong symbolic value. However, even for the other equids data are richer than one would think. This article attempts to understand the functions, the ways of supplying, and the cost of equids. Given the quantities, equids were not old in the war. Horse, mule, and dromedary were used in the fights, while the donkeys were rather reserved for the transport of the weapons and provisions of the army. But the functions are not unambiguous: mules and donkeys were also used to transport the deportees. And the donkeys were used to build and repair the Assyrian camp. Finally, a secondary and limited use in case of
shortage could be food: not only milk, very nutritious, but also meat.