Ancient Middle East Gallery

Open from 21 Jun 2024 to 15 Jun 2025 Guest Curated by Professor Maria Misra, Keble College In ancient and medieval societies, gods and goddesses were central to how people saw the world. In this display you will discover a group of female divinities of the ancient world offering a glimpse into the many surprising forms of their power, from motherhood, love and fertility, to being fiercely violent and asserting political authority. Each has many different roles and functions in war, battle and death, politics, intelligence, and even navigation. Many scholars in the late Victorian period saw these goddesses as evidence of an ancient ‘Great Goddess’ cult, which they mistakenly interpreted as evidence of matriarchy – a society led by women. These ideas, though useful to feminists, were used by their critics to argue that female power was ‘primitive’ and ‘uncivilised’.

FREE DISPLAY

Open from 21 Jun 2024 to 15 Jun 2025

Ancient Middle East Gallery

Guest Curated by Professor Maria Misra, Keble College

In ancient and medieval societies, gods and goddesses were central to how people saw the world. They shaped everything from personal experiences to the running of the state.

This display brings together a group of female divinities of the ancient world, offering a glimpse into the many surprising forms of their power. These goddesses had many different roles and functions in war, battle and death, politics, intelligence, and even navigation. Some were fierce and violent, while others embodied motherhood, love and fertility.

Many scholars in the late Victorian period saw these goddesses as evidence of an ancient ‘Great Goddess’ cult, which they mistakenly interpreted as evidence of matriarchy – a society led by women. These ideas, though useful to feminists, were used by their critics to argue that female power was ‘primitive’ and ‘uncivilised’.

Header image: Durga slays the buffalo demon Mahishasuramardini, illustration (detail), 17th century, gouache on paper