La Mésopotamie et les Gender Studies : réévaluation anthropologique et iconographique des gala/kalû, des assinnu et des kurgarrû, entre liminalité et position sociale

This thesis reexamines the Mesopotamian priesthoods of the gala/kalû, specialists in ritual lamentation, and the assinnu and kurgarrû, associated with the cult of Inanna/Ištar. These figures have traditionally been studied primarily through the lens of their supposed gender ambiguity. While textual sources have often led scholars to interpret them as “transgressive” in relation to gender norms, this study argues that such interpretations remain limited when separated from the broader ritual, social, and symbolic contexts in which these priests operated. The aim of this research is therefore to move beyond an exclusively gender-centered approach and to reconsider these priesthoods within the wider structures of Mesopotamian religious and social life. The methodology is based on three complementary approaches. First, the study expands the documentary corpus through the systematic integration of iconographic evidence, leading to the creation of a catalogue of representations potentially associated with the gala/kalû, assinnu, and kurgarrû. Second, approaches inspired by intersectionality theory are used to examine the social, economic, familial, and symbolic dimensions of these priesthoods from a diachronic perspective. Third, the anthropological concept of liminality is reassessed in order to evaluate its relevance for understanding the rituals and functions performed by these priests. The iconographic analysis demonstrates that identifying these priesthoods in Mesopotamian visual culture remains difficult, although several representations show meaningful parallels with textual descriptions. The study of social position reveals that the gala/kalû were not necessarily marginalized figures, but could occupy respected positions connected to temple and royal institutions. The assinnu and kurgarrû remain more difficult to define, yet their presence within official cultic contexts likewise challenges the idea of systematic marginality. Finally, the analysis of ritual practices highlights the importance of liminality within ritual acts, spaces, and temporalities, without suggesting that the priests themselves were inherently liminal beings. This thesis ultimately proposes that the gala/kalû, assinnu, and kurgarrû should be understood not primarily through the question of gender ambiguity, but rather as ritual specialists operating within institutionalized forms of liminality and symbolic mediation. More broadly, the study emphasizes the importance of integrating gender into a wider analysis of the ritual, social, and performative dimensions of Mesopotamian priesthoods.