RED, WHITE AND BLACK: METHODOLOGIES FOR UNDERSTANDING COLOR SYMBOLISM IN MESOPOTAMIAN MAGIC AND RITUAL.

The color cluster red, black and white occurs in the artistic, ritual and magical activities of virtually all cultures around the world, suggesting their preeminence in human symbolic thought. Among the various explanations that have been brought forth to account for the special status of these three colors are: 1) evolutionary/ecological arguments, drawing support from vision science, perceptual philosophy and primate biology; 2) cognitive arguments, which pay attention to how human beings categorize and create meaning out of perceptual experiences; 3) linguistic arguments, as these are the earliest lexicalized color words in most languages; 4) and diverse socio-cultural arguments. This paper will explore the manifestation of red, black and white – both in concrete terms, through the use and manipulation of materials, as well as abstract ideas – in Assyrian and Babylonian magical and ritual activities. It will highlight how meaning is created and communicated by relating colors to natural and supernatural phenomena and will further attempt to provide a methodological framework for the analysis of color symbolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]