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The princess exiled from ancient Mesopotamia - Soraya Field Fiorio

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4,300 years ago in ancient Sumer, the most powerful person in the city of Ur was banished to wander the vast desert. Her name was Enheduanna, and by the time of her exile, she had written forty-two hymns and three epic poems— and Sumer hadn’t heard the last of her. Who was this woman, and why was she exiled? Soraya Field Fiorio details the life of history’s first author.

Eneheduanna’s writing is ancient historically but was only rediscovered by archaeologists and translated in the last 150 years. Her influence can be found in literature that has been studied for millennia, including the Hebrew Old Testament and Homer’s epics. How do you predict that the discovery of Enheduanna’s existence and writing will change the way we think about the history of literature? Should her writing be included in courses about the Western literary canon?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Soraya Field Fiorio
  • Director Laura White
  • Narrator Christina Greer
  • Sound Designer Phil Brookes
  • Music Phil Brookes
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

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