{"id":29963,"date":"2025-04-01T12:23:51","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T10:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iaw.uni-mainz.de\/ancient-near-eastern-studies\/"},"modified":"2025-05-14T13:19:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T11:19:26","slug":"ancient-near-eastern-studies","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/iaw.uni-mainz.de\/en\/ancient-near-eastern-studies\/","title":{"rendered":"Ancient Near Eastern Studies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/jgu-base-pageheader>\n \n<\/jgu-base-anchornavigation><\/div>\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-image>\n \n<\/jgu-base-teaserbox>\n \n<\/jgu-base-teaserbox>\n \n<\/jgu-base-teaserbox><\/div>\n\n
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Ancient Near Eastern Philology or Ancient Near Eastern Studies is the study of the languages and cultures of the ancient Near East. The Middle East includes the modern countries of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. The term Mesopotamia or Mesopotamia is also better known. From the 4th to the 1st millennium BC, countless documents were written in cuneiform script, which have been deciphered, translated and interpreted by researchers in ancient Near Eastern studies. Most of these cuneiform texts were written on clay tablets, but stone, metal and other inscription carriers are also known. The majority of the documents were written in Sumerian, Akkadian (Babylonian, Assyrian) and Hittite. In addition, numerous small and very small corpus languages (Elamite, Hurrian, etc.) have survived. The texts comprehensively depict society, history, religion, economy, science, languages and literatures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research units [im Rahmen der Forschungsinitiative 2008-11] of the Mainz Department of Ancient Near Eastern Studies are in Hittitology (e.g. DFG project “Thesaurus Linguarum Hethaeorum digitalis”) and in Elamistics through the DFG-funded project “Digital Edition of the Cuneiform Texts from Haft Tappeh” and the previous excavation project Haft Tappeh (2015-2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Mainz, Ancient Near Eastern Philology works closely with Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology. Further collaborations exist with the disciplines of Old Testament Studies, Computer Science and Nuclear Physics, among others. <\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-heading>\n\n\n\n

At JGU Mainz, the subject Ancient Near Eastern Philology can be studied as part of the B.A. degree program “Egyptology\/Ancient Near Eastern Studies”<\/a> both as a core subject (120 CP) and as a minor (60 CP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim of the program of study is to acquire basic knowledge of the cultures of the Ancient Near East and Ancient Egypt, as well as specialist knowledge in the chosen area of specialization. In Ancient Near Eastern Philology, the focus of teaching is on learning Akkadian (especially Old Babylonian). In the major (subject), students are also trained in a second cuneiform language (Sumerian or Hittite). Reading courses, in which the language(s) learned are applied, provide an overview of topics of ancient Near Eastern society (politics, economics, religion and mythology, kingship, laws and legislation, letters, everyday life). The program of study includes regular practical exercises with casts and 3D prints of clay tablets from our Ancient Near Eastern teaching collection as well as field trips to museums and collections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, students also attend courses in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology to strengthen their background in cultural history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After successfully passing the B.A. program of study, students have the opportunity to specialize their knowledge in an M.A. program. At JGU Mainz, the M.A. degree program “Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies” (120 LP) can be studied, in which the focus on Ancient Near Eastern Philology can be chosen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The graduate (degree) programs are designed to enable students to work scientifically on the relevant sources using the methods of the disciplines involved, taking particular account of the intercultural environment. The content and objectives are therefore more clearly research-oriented. In the Ancient Near Eastern Philology specialization, a third cuneiform language is learned in the course of the program of study. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-buttonitem>\n\n<\/jgu-base-button>\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-heading>\n\n\n\n

Ancient Near Eastern philologists have career opportunities at universities, museums, research institutions, in journalism or publishing and in adult education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A qualified Bachelor’s degree in the degree program “Egyptology\/Ancient Oriental Studies” also forms a basis for graduate (degree) programs in archaeological, linguistic, literary, historical and media sciences, which lead to a corresponding research-oriented master’s degree.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabs><\/div>\n\n

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Dr. Billy Jean Collins<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Claudia Posani<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Dr. Piotr Taracha<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Dr. Giulia Torri<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n\n \n\n

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d’Alfonso, Prof. Dr. Lorenzo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bastici, Fabio, M.A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groom, Sven<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ceccarelli, Manuel, M.A.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gilan, Dr. Amir<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

G\u00f6rke, Dr. Susanne<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huber, Dr. Eva-Maria<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lep\u0161i, Maria, M.A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lorenz-Link, Ulrike, M.A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steitler, Dr. Charles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stivala, Dr. Gabriella<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zubieta Lupo, Valeria, M.A.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabs>\n \n<\/jgu-base-image><\/div>\n<\/jgu-base-heading>\n\n

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A new project has been based in Ancient Near Eastern Philology since October 2022: Akkadian and Hittite Emotional Terms in Context (subtitle: Towards a Lexicon of Emotions in Cuneiform Texts from Ancient Mesopotamia and Asia Minor). The project is a cooperation with the university in Tel Aviv, Israel – the Mainz team, headed by Prof. Dr. Doris Prechel and Dr. Ulrike Steinert, is working on Akkadian, the Israeli team under Prof. Dr. Amir Gilan on Hittite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research project prosecutes a comprehensive study of the semantic domain of emotions in both Akkadian and Hittite. The aim is to systematically investigate how emotions have been linguistically and contextually differentiated and delimited in the two spokespersons; the investigations will include the semantic properties, similarities and relationships between different concepts of emotion, their use and developments in different text genres, periods and contexts. With its thematic focus and its comparative, corpus-linguistic approach, the proposed project will open up new possibilities for collaboration with other philological and historical disciplines, broaden the scope of Ancient Near Eastern Studies and emphasize its relevance by making an important contribution to a recent and extremely lively field of research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head:<\/strong> Prof. Dr. Doris Prechel, Dr. Ulrike Steinert<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduate assistant:<\/strong> Jonas Kl\u00f6ker B.A. (2022-2023), Letizia Savino M.A. (since 2023)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funded by the DFG (since 2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-image>\n\n<\/jgu-base-modal><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The city of Haft Tappeh (Kabnak) is located about 15 km southeast of the important city of Susa, in the present-day Iranian province of Khuzestan. Due to its geographical location on the edge of the Mesopotamian plain and at the foothills of the Zagros Mountains, the region represents an important contact zone between Mesopotamia in the west and the Iranian highlands in the east. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ezatollah Negabhan’s excavations, which were carried out between 1965 and 1978, unearthed monumental building structures as well as numerous clay tablets, most of which shed light on administrative processes and thus indicate the importance of the city at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The archaeological investigations in Haft Tappeh were continued by Behzad Mofidi-Nasrabadi from 2001 onwards. During the excavation campaigns of 2005 and 2007, a building complex was uncovered in which a further 634 clay tablets and tablet fragments were found. The texts are also of an administrative nature and written in Akkadian. They thus represent the last diplomas of Akkadian-language administration in the region before Elamite prevailed as the language of administration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This important text find is being processed for the first time as part of the DFG-funded project “Digital Edition of the Cuneiform Texts from Haft Tappeh (Iran)”. Based on 3D images, the editio princeps<\/em> will be carried out completely digitally in an innovative approach. As part of this project, the Ancient Near Eastern Philology working group is cooperating with the Mainz \/ Mainzed higher education institution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Management:<\/strong> Doris Prechel, Kai Christian Bruhn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coordination:<\/strong> Tim Brandes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Academic staff members: <\/strong>Tim Brandes, Timo Homburg (9\/2019-2\/2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduate assistants: <\/strong>Ali Zalaghi, Lukas Ahlborn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funded by the DFG (2019-2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-image>\n\n<\/jgu-base-modal><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The more than 30.000 clay tablets and clay tablet fragments in cuneiform script from the archives of the Hittite capital \u1e2aattu\u0161a (Central Anatolia) as well as from other Hittite sites include texts in Hittite, the oldest documented Indo-European language, as well as in other Anatolian and non-Anatolian languages (Luwian, Palaic, Hattic, Hurrian, Akkadian, Sumerian) and represent one of the richest and most important textual traditions of the ancient Near East. The transliterations of the various texts and fragments are currently mainly available in the Hittitological specialist literature, and only to a lesser extent in the form of digital editions. However, the challenges of modern research require a comprehensive digital collection that functions as a searchable database of texts in transliteration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This desideratum of Hittitology will be fulfilled by the DFG-funded project Thesaurus Linguarum Hethaeorum digitalis<\/em> (TLHdig<\/sup>), in which the universities of Mainz, W\u00fcrzburg, Marburg and the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz are involved. The aim of the project is to create a digital, open-access and annotated repository of transliterations of all accessible cuneiform texts from the Hittite archives, which will be integrated into the digital infrastructure “Hittitologie-Portal Mainz<\/a>” (HPM) and enable complex search functions. An online creator interface will allow the thesaurus to be regularly updated by the Hittitological community beyond the planned duration of the project. TLHdig<\/sup> will thus open up new access to the Hittite primary sources in transliteration and offer sophisticated research opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head:<\/strong> Gerfrid G. W. M\u00fcller (ADW), Doris Prechel (JGU), Elisabeth Rieken (UMR), Daniel Schwemer (JMU)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Academic staff members:<\/strong> Fabio Bastici (JGU), Birgit Christiansen (UMR), Bj\u00f6rn Eyselein (JMU)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduate assistants:<\/strong> Paul Herdt (UMR), Gudrun Samberger (JMU), Letizia Savino (JGU)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funded by the DFG (2020-2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-buttonitem>\n\n<\/jgu-base-button>\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-image>\n\n<\/jgu-base-modal><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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A matter of opinion! The world’s first declaration of human rights?! The Kyros Cylinder <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small subjects, young talents, great achievements (JGU closed stacks, April 21, 2021)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Success in the young talent competition “Small subjects: Visibly innovative!” (Press release, 06.10.2020)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuneiform texts of the Hittites go online (Press release 23.09.2020)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Report: Student assistant at a higher education institution (studienwahl.de, 16.03.2020)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Tappeh prison to the World Wide Web (press release, 30.09.2019)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nuclear physics and cuneiform science work hand in hand (JGU closed stacks, July 1, 2019)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning to decipher cuneiform (JGU closed stacks, September 23, 2015)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blog: IDCS – Initiative for Digital Cuneiform Studies<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Free University of Berlin<\/a>University of Frankfurt<\/a>University of Freiburg i.B.<\/a>University of G\u00f6ttingen<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of Hamburg<\/a>University of Heidelberg<\/a>Uni Jena<\/a>University of Leipzig<\/a>University of Marburg<\/a>University of Munich<\/a>University of M\u00fcnster<\/a>University of T\u00fcbingen<\/a>University of W\u00fcrzburg<\/a>University of Bern<\/a>University of Innsbruck<\/a>University of Vienna<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-heading>\n\n\n\n

Achaenenet<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ancient World Online (AWOL)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Archibab Texts<\/a> Bibliography of Mesopotamian Astral Science<\/a>The Chicago Hittite Dictionary Project<\/a>Cuneiform Commentaries Project<\/a>Cuneiform Digital Library (CDLI)<\/a>Digital Near and Middle Eastern Studies (DNMS)<\/a>Edition of literary cuneiform texts from Assur (Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

eBL<\/a>Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL)<\/a>Electronic Tools and Ancient Near Eastern Archives (ETANA)<\/a>Hittitology Portal Mainz<\/a>Cuneiform Bibliography online<\/a>Leipzig-Munich Sumerian card index (as of 09.2006)<\/a>Propylaeum – The virtual library for ancient studies<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prosobab<\/a>Publications of the Oriental Institute of The University of Chicago<\/a>Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale (RAI)<\/a>Real Lexicon of Assyriology (RlA)<\/a>Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 pour l’\u00e9tude du Proche-Orient ancien (SEPOA)<\/a>Sources of Early Akkadian Literature (SEAL)<\/a>The Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, Helsinki<\/a>The Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC)<\/a>The Pennsylvania Sumerian Dictionary (ePSD)<\/a>Topoi (Excellence Cluster Frei Universit\u00e4t Berlin and Humboldt-Universit\u00e4t Berlin)<\/a>Yale University – Babylonian Collection<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-heading>\n\n\n\n

On<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

eran Oriental Society<\/a>German Oriental Society<\/a>International Association for Assyriology<\/a>School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)<\/a>University of Chicago: Oriental Institute<\/a>University of Oxford: Faculty of Oriental Studies<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabs><\/div>\n\n

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Postal address<\/strong>Institute of Classical StudiesDepartment of Ancient Near Eastern PhilologyJohannes Gutenberg University MainzD – 55099 Mainz<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Visitor address<\/strong>Institute of Classical StudiesDepartment of Ancient Near Eastern PhilologyHegelstr. 59D – 55122 Mainz <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Study Counselling<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-idm-person>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n