A Mesopotamian priestess called Enheduanna was the first person to study the passage of the moon

With the solar eclipse this week a great deal of excitement and interest has been aroused about the moon and its the recurring cycles around the Earth. This is the story of Enheduanna, the first female author and scientist and a lunar priestess who lived over four thousand years ago.

As in other areas of history, there is an absence of written records of women mentioned with their work in science.

As in other areas of history, there is an absence of written records of women mentioned with their work in science. This reflects the fact that women were often regarded as inferior to men in many ancient societies, so their achievements would not have been recognised. In addition, women have often been written out of scientific history because members of the scientific community, professional institutions or organisations, until only relatively recently have been a male only preserve.

From time to time there are women in ancient societies who were mentioned, such as Enheduanna, who did appear above the parapet of male dominance in her lifetime.

The disk of Enheduanna

Enheduanna (c. 2285-2250 BCE) came from the city of Ur in Mesopotamia and was a poet and priestess and daughter of prince Sargon of Akkad. She managed the temple at Ur and the surrounding agricultural lands and organised religious rituals. She also composed poems and hymns dedicated to the moon god Nanna. These are still a focus of interest in current studies of ancient Sumerian literature and culture.

The first named author in history was a woman and Mesopotamian priestess called Enheduanna

Enheduanna’s writings celebrated the gods and the power of the Akkadian empire which existed from about 2350 BCE to 2150 BCE in an area of the middle east in what is now Iraq. Her entire literary output comprising of 42 hymns and three stand-alone poems were passed down after her death by word of mouth and some in written form on stone tablets. When the Akkadian empire collapsed in 2137 BC, Enheduanna’s poems continued to be copied and passed down through history and used as part of the standard training for scribes.

Enheduanna’s works have in recent years gained attention from feminist groups

Enheduanna’s works have in recent years gained attention from feminist groups because of her forthright language and fearless descriptions. For instance, in one of her stories she recounts the sexual harassment at the hands of a male priest called Lugalanne. This piece is unique for the time because it is written in the first person singular and is autobiographical and refers to him in these words: “He has turned that temple into a house of ill-repute. Forcing his way in as if he were an equal, he dared approach me in his lust”. It is this quote which led to Enheduanna, and her works being revised, and herself revered, in the 1970’s as a feminist icon.

Proof of Enheduanna’s existence was confirmed in the 1920’s when archaeological excavations around the site of Ur revealed a stone disc with her image on it, and an inscription written about her on the reverse side.

it would have been necessary for Enheduanna to have studied lunar cycles

In her role as temple manager and as high priestess of the moon god Nanna, it would have been necessary for Enheduanna to have studied lunar cycles. This is perhaps the earliest evidence of a woman studying and interpreting nature in a scientific manner.

Although Enheduanna is a female in ancient history, her story is still significant today and should be told for every solar and lunar eclipse that occurs.

By our history correspondent