Soundscapes and taskscapes in the ancient Near East Interactions and perceptions

Work and music are two topics of research that have only very rarely been explored together in the framework of ancient Near Eastern studies. This chapter, paying special attention to gender, analyses the important role of music and sound in the creation of an aural and acoustic atmosphere that accompanies the kinetic and tactile rhythms of workers. The study focuses on a sample of four texts classified as work songs or as lullabies and written in Sumerian and in Akkadian, the two main languages registered in cuneiform writing, in an attempt to go beyond the standard economic and social perspectives applied to the study of work and workers.