March is #WomensHistoryMonth in the United States, and #ConnectingCollections is sharing stories about women in the ancient world. Enheduanna is a name you might not be familiar with, but she holds a very important place in literary history as the world's first author known by name. Coincidentally, that makes her one of the very first women to be identified in history.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Enheduanna lived around 2285–2250 BC in ancient Mesopotamia. She was the daughter of King Sargon of Akkad, who appointed her as high priestess of the moon god Nanna (Sin) in the Sumerian city of Ur. This cuneiform tablet, on loan to Getty from the museelouvre, contains part of her most famous poem, Nin-me-šara—a hymn to the goddess Inanna (Ishtar), daughter of the moon god. Enheduanna directly addresses the goddess and offers her praise. She also describes a harrowing episode from her own life, when she was driven into exile during the reign of her half-brother Rimush. Eventually, Enheduanna was restored to her posi...