Wow! eBook
Fish Imagery and Symbolism in the Art of Mesopotamia
Author(s): Laith A. Jawad (Author)
- Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
- Publication Date: May 13, 2025
- Language: English
- Print length: 204 pages
- ISBN-10: 1036443612
- ISBN-13: 9781036443610
Book Description
Fish imagery and symbolism in Mesopotamian art can be examined from various perspectives. It may be studied in a historical context, exploring the stylistic evolution through different periods; as a social history, analysing how societal conditions shaped the development of artistic forms; or through its symbolic meaning, focusing on its religious, ritualistic, or cultural significance. Representations of fish, along with other Near Eastern fauna, are found on a wide range of artifacts, including pottery, stone vessels, cylinder seals, and reliefs, spanning various eras. This book will present new insights to scholars by providing a unique combination of ichthyological and archaeological analysis, which has not been previously undertaken. Additionally, it will illuminate how the people of ancient Mesopotamia visualized and imagined aquatic life over time. Ultimately, this work will be a valuable contribution to the field of Ancient Mesopotamian studies and its literature.
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Laith A. Jawad obtained his MSc in fish taxonomy from the Zoology Department of the University of Bristol, UK, in 1980. He has published over 570 scientific papers and book reviews in leading scientific journals. He co-authored two papers describing two new fish species from the Omani waters and reported over 90 fish species as a new record to the Omani waters. He wrote a book about the dangerous fishes of the eastern and southern Arabian Peninsula and authored a guide to the fishes of the southern coasts of Oman in 2018. He has also published over 100 papers on the fish fauna of Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
