Gwendolyn Leick

Gwendolyn Leick (25 February 1951 – 19 November 2022) was an Austrian-born British historian and Assyriologist who wrote multiple books and encyclopedias in English about ancient Mesopotamia.

at Karl Franzens University in 1977 (thesis titled "Die akkadischen Fluchformeln des 3. und 2.

[1] Leick has stated that she chose to study Assyriology, because she "thought it was a difficult, arcane, and somewhat esoteric subject which would not lead to a normal career.

"[1] To this end, she has written numerous encyclopedic dictionaries, which she regards as "the most user-friendly, concise, and straightforward way to access information on matters concerning the ancient Near East.

[5] She was the subject of a documentary, Gwendolyn (2017), directed by Ruth Kaaserer, which followed Leick during her preparations for the 2012 European Masters Weightlifting Championships in Azerbaijan.