Data Visualization allows us to see connections that otherwise may go unnoticed. This project uses visualization to explore relationships between and among the women documented in Women of Assur and Kanesh: Texts from the Archives of Assyrian Merchants (2020) by Cécile Michel. The excavated tablets provide insight into the lives of women in ancient Mesopotamia, many of whom managed textile businesses and handled family finances and debts.

Although these women often lived a six-week donkey caravan ride apart and may never have met, their experiences and responsibilities were remarkably similar. I was fascinated by these shared experiences and wanted to represent the connections between them visually.

The result is a connection map that places these women side by side, linking them through lines that represent shared themes and experiences. Women with more lines branching from them have a greater number of documented connections. By visualizing these relationships, the project highlights how women separated by distance can still share common struggles and responsibilities.

Is there a place for you in this connection map? Do you relate to these women in any way? I encourage you to consider these questions and continue sharing the untold stories of women.

The connection map was created using Gephi, and the interactive prototype was designed in Adobe XD before being rebuilt in Figma.

_{This project is best viewed in full-screen mode on desktop.}