ISAW PhD Student, Soraya Field Fiorio, Writes Animated Scripts for TED

ISAW PhD Student, Soraya Field Fiorio, writes animated scripts for TED-Ed about the ancient Near East. The scripts undergo rigorous fact-checking; TED draws on the same independent pool of fact-checkers as the NY Times, the New Yorker magazine, and the Washington Post.  Additionally, Soraya connects with an expert in the subject to ensure her interpretation is sound. The scripts are directed toward a public rather than academic audience and have received over 2.5M views. 

Find the published videos below:

1. The Epic of Gilgamesh: The King Who Tried to Conquer Death: Dive into the Epic of Gilgamesh, and follow the king of Uruk on a series of dangerous quests as he searches for immortality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV9t3Cp18Rc

2. A Day in the Life of an Ancient Babylonian Business Mogul: Follow Beltani, a Babylonian priestess and businesswoman, as she investigates who is undermining her barley fields and tavern: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsiHrK9DvvQ&t=1s

3. The Rise and Fall of History's First Empire: Discover history’s first empire: Sumer, located in Mesopotamia, which built the world’s first cities and created the first writing system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBk9KywTIgk

4. Who Was the World's First Author? Travel back in time to ancient Mesopotamia and meet Enheduanna, a high priestess and the world’s first author: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhNw1BhV6sw