New on Esagil!
The Essential Guide to Sumer
Imagine you live in Ancient Near East at the end of the third millennium BCE, precisely during Year 44 of Great King Šulgi’s reign. Like our team of tourists, you decide to go to Ancient Sumer for your holidays. Many questions arise when you prepare your trip: how to get there? What are the places of interests? What to eat? Where to sleep? Where to have fun?
The Essential Guide to Sumer is divided into 12 chapters to cover many aspects of the Sumerian society (diet, religion, entertainments, life in the city, crafts, music etc). It contains 95 interactive images, all packed with illustrations and information within windows, that you discover by exploring the image.
The Essential Guide to Sumer is more than a simple description of the Sumerian civilisation and its achievements. While all information is based upon recent research, including sensory archaeology, to recreate the world of the Sumerian cities, touches of whimsy and “travellers’ tips” (“The best festival” “Where to sleep”?) contribute to make it feel real for the children.
Esagil is also a board game!
The adventure started with a board game, “Esagil, Treasure Hunt in Babylon”, created by Marie.
It is all based upon authentic sources, from the board to the dice.
Old Babylonian divination, Marie’s field of research, inspired the rules of the game.
The game is set in Babylon, during the Seleucid period around 300 BC (just after Alexander the Great). The aim is to bring an offering to the great god Marduk, in his temple Esagil… but bad omens may thwart your plans! Who knows what could happen in the streets of Babylon…
The game was funded and rewarded by the University of Cambridge Public Engagement Seed Fund.
It was presented at the Festival of Ideas 2016 and 2017, and the Science Festival 2017 in Cambridge.
The game is for children but also most appreciated by (young or less young) adults!
Only one copy left of the first edition!
Hello! I'm Iqisha. I live in the city of Uruk, in the south of Mesopotamia.
Welcome to my world! Do you have questions or comments? Please, do get in touch!
