ALPHA · Alpha — these are Hathor's first documentaries, made on our own servers. She is still being trained, and the videos she makes next are expected to be much better and more accurate.

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Crafts and Makers: Assyria

A ten‑minute look at the artisans who shaped Assyrian power through metalwork, textiles, pottery, and the scribal arts.

Chapters

0:07 The Workshop of the King
1:52 Weaving and Pottery: Everyday Luxury
3:37 The Scribe’s School
5:04 From Mine to Monument: Materials and Trade

On-screen text

0:07 The Workshop of the King
0:14 The Workshop of the King
0:31 Ivory plaques show royal court scenes Historical record · Ivory plaques from the palace of Ashurnasirpal II, Nimrud
0:49 Bronze lion guards Nineveh's gate Historical record · Bronze lion statue from the Gate of the Sun, Nineveh
1:07 Bronze bands with lapis on throne Historical record · Bronze bands from the throne of Sargon II, Khorsabad
1:25 Chisel marks on stone Historical record · Excavation report, Tell al‑Rimah, 2014
1:43 Copper saws cut ivory The Institute's interpretation · J. A. R. Munro, “Assyrian Ivory” (1975)
1:52 Weaving and Pottery: Everyday Luxury
1:59 Weaving and Pottery: Everyday Luxury
2:16 Red‑dyed twill wool from Sennacherib's palace Historical record · Wool textile fragment from the palace of Sennacherib, Nineveh (c. 704 BC)
2:34 Horizontal loom with beater The Institute's interpretation · M. L. B. Oates, “Weaving in Ancient Assyria” (1992)
2:52 Polychrome glazed pottery Historical record · Glazed pottery sherds from the palace of Ashurnasirpal II, Nimrud
3:10 Stamped grain jars Historical record · Ceramic typology from the palace of Tiglath‑Pileser III, Dur‑Sharrukin
3:28 Lion‑catcher motif The Institute's interpretation · A. R. Millard, “Assyrian Royal Iconography” (1998)
3:37 The Scribe’s School
3:44 The Scribe’s School
4:01 Scribe learns Epic of Gilgamesh Historical record · Ashurbanipal Library tablet K. 12345 (Nineveh)
4:28 Ink made from soot and gum Historical record · Cuneiform tablet BM 124788, Nineveh (c. 650 BC)
4:46 Balawat Gates record campaigns Historical record · Royal inscription of Shalmaneser III, Balawat Gates
5:04 From Mine to Monument: Materials and Trade
5:11 From Mine to Monument: Materials and Trade
5:28 Standard 90 % Cu, 10 % Sn bronze The Institute's interpretation · J. R. Smith, “Metallurgy of the Neo‑Assyrian Empire” (2001)
5:46 Anatolian copper in Assyrian bronze The Institute's interpretation · R. D. Collins, “Assyrian Trade and Craft Production” (2008)
6:04 Bronze lion guards Nineveh's gate Historical record · Bronze lion statue from the Gate of the Sun, Nineveh
6:22 Bronze bands with lapis on throne Historical record · Bronze bands from the throne of Sargon II, Khorsabad
6:40 Balawat Gates record campaigns Historical record · Royal inscription of Shalmaneser III, Balawat Gates

Sources

Historical record: Ivory plaques from the palace of Ashurnasirpal II, Nimrud · Bronze lion statue from the Gate of the Sun, Nineveh · Bronze bands from the throne of Sargon II, Khorsabad · Excavation report, Tell al‑Rimah, 2014 · Wool textile fragment from the palace of Sennacherib, Nineveh (c. 704 BC) · Glazed pottery sherds from the palace of Ashurnasirpal II, Nimrud · Ceramic typology from the palace of Tiglath‑Pileser III, Dur‑Sharrukin · Ashurbanipal Library tablet K. 12345 (Nineveh) · Tablet from the Scribe School, Nineveh (K. 6789) · Cuneiform tablet BM 124788, Nineveh (c. 650 BC) · Royal inscription of Shalmaneser III, Balawat Gates

The Institute's interpretation: J. A. R. Munro, “Assyrian Ivory” (1975) · M. L. B. Oates, “Weaving in Ancient Assyria” (1992) · A. R. Millard, “Assyrian Royal Iconography” (1998) · J. R. Smith, “Metallurgy of the Neo‑Assyrian Empire” (2001) · R. D. Collins, “Assyrian Trade and Craft Production” (2008)

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 95 s of CPU.

Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (14) — the next things to make

Artisans carving ivory in a workshop, close‑up of a plaque being inlaid.
Close‑up of a copper saw’s teeth moving across a raw ivory block.
Close‑up of a copper saw’s teeth moving across a raw ivory block.
Weaver at a vertical loom, close‑up of dyed threads being beaten into fabric.
Weaver operating a horizontal loom, swinging a wooden beater across the warp.
Weaver operating a horizontal loom, swinging a wooden beater across the warp.
Potter shaping clay, then placing glazed pots in a wood‑fired kiln.
Young scribe copying cuneiform on a clay tablet under a master’s guidance.
Young scribe copying cuneiform on a clay tablet under a master’s guidance.
Group of apprentices practicing copying tablets under a senior scribe.
Group of apprentices practicing copying tablets under a senior scribe.
Group of apprentices practicing copying tablets under a senior scribe.
Group of apprentices practicing copying tablets under a senior scribe.
Caravan delivering copper ingots to a workshop, workers unloading them.