New Perspectives on Monsters, Hybrid Beings and ‘Zwischenwesen’ in the Ancient Near East

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Elisa Roßberger
• Subject Area: Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 572510859

The scientific network aims to strengthen the study of hybrid beings in ancient Mesopotamia and neighboring regions and to deepen it through interdisciplinary exchange. Hybrid beings—composite figures combining human and animal features—are central components of ancient Near Eastern thought, and appear in textual, material and visual sources. Despite numerous individual studies, particularly in the field of demonology, there is still a lack of systematically coordinated, integrative research approaches. The network addresses this desideratum by reviving key research areas within Assyriology and Ancient Near Eastern archaeology, focusing on the definition, classification, origin, transformation, and perception of hybrid figures. This approach is complemented by substantive and methodological impulses from other areas of ancient studies as well as from anthropology, religious studies, sociology, psychology, and art history. At the heart of the initiative are three thematically structured international workshops, which give equal weight to archaeological and philological sources. The three core topics—(1) definition and classification, (2) identification, transmission and transformation, and (3) origins and perception—will be discussed both within and across disciplinary boundaries. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of new research questions and approaches for future individual and collaborative projects. The network brings together twelve core members from Near Eastern archaeology and ancient Near Eastern studies, alongside international guest scholars from adjacent disciplines. The outcomes of the joint work will be presented in a scholarly edited volume, a theory-driven co-authored article, and an internal digital wiki platform. The latter will serve both to structure existing research and to test new systems of classification and analytical tools. The innovative potential of the network lies in its targeted integration of textual, visual, and material sources with cultural theoretical approaches. Hybrid beings are thus not viewed as marginal phenomena, but as central expressions of religious and societal order. Through interdisciplinary exchange, the network will increase the visibility of a previously fragmented field of research and lay the foundation for its systematic development in the future.

• DFG Programme: Scientific Networks
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Geraldina Rozzi