Travelogue: Yale Peabody Museum

Huwawa, Guardian of the Cedar Forest. Terracotta figurine from the Old Babylonian Period 1900 - 1600 BCE

I recently retired and one of the questions I'm asked most frequently is if I'm going to travel. Yes, I say, however, the type of travel I plan to do is not likely what most people are thinking of when they ask. They might assume cruises, beaches, or European vacations. Instead, the travel I have in mind is more literary, less lounging. As I make my way through the Western Canon, I'd like to visit places associated with each piece of literature I read. Of course, that won't be possible for all destinations, which is where museums will be invaluable.

Yale Peabody Museum, New Haven, Connecticut

In the case of The Epic of Gilgamesh (#ad) and ancient Mesopotamia, my budget doesn't allow for a trip to Iraq. Fortunately, Yale University - a leading institution for the study of Babylonia - is only an hour away. On an early spring day in April, I made the quick trip to visit the Yale Peabody Museum and its Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia exhibit. Yale's Babylonia collection is vast and available to students for study and research. The public can see only a small portion in which a few key pieces associated with Gilgamesh are on display.

The first that caught my eye was a small terracotta figurine of Huwawa. Huwawa was the Guardian of the Cedar Forest who was killed by Gilgamesh and Enkidu in their first misguided adventure. Huwawa is described as having a face made of coiled intestines. These coils can be clearly seen on the figurine at Yale. The smiling face is supposed to be devilish; however, I see something less sinister. I believe Huwawa was not sinister at all and was simply doing his job - to protect the earthly dwelling place of the gods. Therefore, to me, the smile is friendly. I liked the look of this figurine.

Huwawa Tablet from the Old Babylonian Period 1900 - 1600 BCE

The next item that caught my eye was a tablet from an early text about Gilgamesh. This tablet contains the story of Enkidu's and Gilgamesh's trek to find and kill Huwawa. The Old Babylonian period (c. 2004 - 1595 BCE) was several hundred years before the disparate myths about Gilgamesh were consolidated into the cohesive Epic of Gilgamesh that we know today. Seeing an ancient tablet in person was inspiring. I was amazed that early Assyriologists in the 19th century could figure out how to translate the cuneiform script into modern English.

The "World's First Cookbook"

The museum has a 3D-printed replica of one of its displays - the "World's First Cookbook". It felt better to hold than I expected. I assumed that reading from clay tablets would be a physically uncomfortable experience. Even though I couldn't read the cuneiform script, the tablet fit nicely in my hand and there was something comforting about its weight. It was small yet dense and easy to hold and enjoy.

Writing in Ancient Mesopotamia

An exhibit about the Mesopotamian writing system showed the many ways things were documented.

"Envelopes"

Especially interesting were the ancient clay envelopes. Clay tablets were encased in vessels which enabled the contents to remain secret until the receiver broke into the encasement.

Remounted Brontosaurus in the Burke Hall of Dinosaurs

The Yale Peabody Museum is known for its extensive paleontology exhibits. The brontosaurus, which has been recently remounted, is world-famous. The Mesopotamian exhibit may be less well-known, however, seeing it was a meaningful experience for me. It helped me to feel connected to the context and influence of the books I have been reading about Gilgamesh. I'd like to go back someday and see if the curators at Yale will let me see some of the tablets reserved for students and researchers. In the meantime, I highly recommend a visit to those who are interested in ancient history.