Abstract
Most recent advances in the study of ancient Mesopotamian medical texts have disclosed information pertaining to the fields of diagnosis, prognosis and therapy and are now available for a comparative study with other ancient medical systems. However, in the framework of Assyriological studies there are still methodological problems that need to be addressed. Disregarding a retrospective diagnostic approach, this paper aims at highlighting the cultural–historical relevance of the medical information reported in cuneiform texts, assuming data related to skin imperfections and ailments as a case study. After a brief overview of the sources from ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern cultures that may be referred to the modern medical specialty of dermatology, the specificities of Mesopotamian medicine and dermatology will be presented. Two examples, dedicated to the reconstruction of the ancient Mesopotamian view on the skin and the body, will demonstrate how relevant sources may be fruitfully analysed in a cultural–historical context.
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