Dr. Senta German

About Dr. Senta German

Dr. Senta German, now at the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Oxford, took her Ph.D. at Columbia University in Aegean, Greek and Ancient Near Eastern archaeology and art. She explores the intersection of art and ancient Greek society with specific attention to performance, gender and the impacts of the illicit antiquities trade and forgery. She has taught at Columbia University, New York University, Rutgers University and was Associate Professor of Classics and Art History at Montclair State University.

Ashurbanipal taking aim at a lion (detail), Lion Hunts of Ashurbanipal (ruled 669-630 B.C.E.), c. 645 B.C.E., gypsum,Neo-Assyrian, hall reliefs from Palace at Ninevah across the Tigris from present day Mosul, Iraq (British Museum) — Led by aggressive warrior kings, Assyria dominated the fertile crescent for half a millennia, amassing vast wealth.

Assyria, an introduction

Statuette of a Male Figure (The Palaikastro Kouros) — This ivory statue of a young man bears similarities to both Greek and Egyptian art.

Statuette of a Male Figure (The Palaikastro ...

Kamares ware jug — This delicate type of pottery helps us understand the far-reaching trade networks in the ancient Mediterranean.

Kamares Ware Jug

Hagia Triada sarcophagus — This beautifully painted sarcophagus depicts an elaborate burial ritual—was it made for royalty?

Hagia Triada sarcophagus

Bull's head rhyton from the palace at Knossos — This hollow stone vessel in the shape of a bull's head is both frighteningly realistic and beautifully stylized.

Bull’s Head Rhyton

Harvester Vase from Hagia Triada — The exuberant procession depicted on this small but luxurious object celebrates the fruits of farming the land.

Harvester Vase

Octopus vase from Palaikastro — This vase with a charming image of a writhing octopus was made during the height of the Minoan sea trade.

Octopus vase

Snake goddess from the palace at Knossos — Goddess, priestess, or simply a Minoan woman? Mysteries abound in this small figurine from Knossos.

Snake Goddess

Bull-leaping fresco, palace of Knossos — Athletic youths spring over a powerful bull—who are they, and why are they performing such a dangerous act?

Bull-leaping fresco from the palace of Knossos

La Parisienne, from the Camp Stool fresco, palace of Knossos — This woman's striking profile has long fascinated viewers, but we know surprisingly little about who she is.

Minoan woman or goddess from the palace ...

Knossos — The archaeological site of Knossos (on the island of Crete) —traditionally called a palace—is the second most popular tourist attraction in all of Greece.

The Palace at Knossos (Crete)

Archer (detail), Frieze of Griffins, c. 510 B.C.E., Apadana, west courtyard of the palace, Susa, Iran, glazed siliceous brick, 1.65 x 4.22 m, excavations led by Jacques de Morgan and Roland de Mecquenem, 1908-13 — Despite what their sworn enemies the Greeks would have you believe, the Persians ruled a tolerant multi-ethnic empire.

Ancient Persia, an introduction

Head of Akkadian Ruler, 2250-2200 B.C.E. (Iraqi Museum, Baghdad - looted?) — Founded by the famed Sargon the Great, Akkad was a powerful military empire.

Akkad, an introduction

Standing female worshiper, — Sumer was home to some of the oldest known cities, supported by a focus on agriculture.

Sumer, an introduction

Stonehenge — In the most important development in human history, Neolithic people took the first step toward civilization.

The Neolithic revolution

Should archaeological sites be restored to how we believe they once looked, or conserved and left as is?

Conservation vs. restoration: the Palace at Knossos ...

Warka (Uruk) Vase, Uruk, Late Uruk period, c. 3500-3000 B.C.E., 105 cm high (National Museum of Iraq) — One of the most precious artifacts from Sumer, the Warka Vase was looted and almost lost forever.

Warka Vase

Ishtar Gate and Processional Way (Reconstruction), Babylon, c. 575 B.C.E., glazed mud brick (Pergamon Museum, Berlin) — “I, Nebuchadnezzar … magnificently adorned them with luxurious splendor for all mankind to behold in awe.”

The Ishtar Gate and Neo-Babylonian art and ...

Top level: Mesopotamian Gods in symbolic form, second level: animals and deities playing musical instruments (detail), "Unfinished" Kudurru, Kassite period, attributed to the reign of Melishipak, 1186–1172 B.C.E., found in Susa, where it had been taken as war booty in the 12th c. B.C.E. (Louvre) — The Kassites controlled Babylonia for 400 years—now all that remains are these carved boundary stones.

Kassite art: Unfinished Kudurru

Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi, basalt, Babylonian, 1792-1750 B.C.E. (Musée du Louvre, Paris) — Law is at the heart of modern civilization, and is often based on principles listed here nearly 4,000 years ago.

Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi