Archaeology Now: Explore, Preserve, Transmit Cultural Heritage: Friday Lecture (Hybrid)

International scholar and beloved “superstar” Assyriologist Prof. Irving Finkel, brings the ancient world of Mesopotamia to life for countless thousands of fans. A residency in Houston in November 2025 includes public talks, classes, and educational offerings.

Discover how script began and what people wrote about in their now extinct languages

Generously sponsored by Archaeology Now in partnership with The British Consulate-Houston.

Dr. Irving Finkel, Assistant Keeper of Ancient Mesopotamian Script, Languages, and Cultures in the Middle East Department of the British Museum, curates, reads, and translates cuneiform inscriptions on clay tablets from ancient Mesopotamia. The British Museum has the largest collection of tablets–130,000 pieces–of any museum. In addition to his research on cuneiform, Dr Finkel specializes in ancient Mesopotamian medicine and magic, and he is interested in the literature, religion, and the history of ideas in the Middle East. He is fascinated by the history of board games throughout the world, and especially the preservation of traditional board games in many non-Western societies.
Among the revelations he has divined are the original blueprints for Noah’s Ark and a rulebook to an ancient board game, “The Royal Game of Ur.”

This program is being offered both IN-PERSON and ONLINE. Please select how you will attend when registering. Recordings will be distributed to registered participants only, and will not be available for individual purchase.

All times are CT. Please contact onlinelearning@junghouston.org with any questions.

Please register early. Programs with four or fewer participants are subject to cancellation, 48 hours prior to their start.