{"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":"2026-07-02T16:39:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T14:39:02","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\n \n<\/jgu-base-anchornavigation>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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In the research colloquium, (international) guests and colleagues from JGU present the latest results of their research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dates for the Summer Semester 2026 (all sessions at 6:15 PM; Hegelstra\u00dfe 59, Room 00-309)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wed., May 13<\/strong>: Dr. Mari Yamasaki (Mainz): Underwater spaces between experience and imagination. Some case studies from the Bronze and Iron Age Aegean<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wed., May 20<\/strong>: Prof. Dr. Stefano de Martino (Turin): \u1e2aatti and A\u1e2b\u1e2biyawa: Conflicts and Diplomacy Between the Two Shores of the Aegean<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wed., May 27<\/strong>: Dr. Emilio Rodr\u00edguez-\u00c1lvarez (Salamanca): The Ocean Below. Understanding Freediving in the Archaeological Record<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thu., June 25<\/strong>: Dr. des. Sophia Marxer (Bern): Keramik als Spiegel kultureller Austauschprozesse in Kilikien in hellenistischer Zeit am Beispiel Sirkeli H\u00f6y\u00fck<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-modal><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\nhttps:\/\/iaw.uni-mainz.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/275\/2026\/04\/Kolloquium-Berufsbilder-SoSe-2026.pdf: Ancient Near Eastern Studies<\/span><\/a>\n\n<\/jgu-base-modal><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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In the summer semester of 2026, the new project “LEARN-AB \u2013 Learning Environment for Ancient Egyptian and Babylonian” (SoSe 2026)\u2014funded by the Gutenberg Teaching Council<\/a>\u2014will launch. Under the direction of Dr. Monika Z\u00f6ller-Engelhardt (Egyptology) and Prof. Dr. Doris Prechel (Ancient Near Eastern Studies), a joint digital teaching and learning environment for Ancient Egyptian and Babylonian is being created for the very first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim of the project is to provide sustainable support for the instruction of hieroglyphs and Middle Egyptian, as well as cuneiform and Babylonian, through an interdisciplinary, research- and project-oriented learning environment hosted on the Moodle LMS. In cooperation with the Ancient Sciences Innovation Lab (ASIL), innovative digital modules are being developed to complement in-person and hybrid instruction and to foster self-directed learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The development process involves advanced students: in keeping with the concept of “by students, for students,” they actively participate in designing the modules, acquire digital and academic competencies, and contribute to the creation of an adaptable and sustainable infrastructure for the ancient sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For further information, or to register for the seminar and practical course “Innovatively Teaching Ancient Languages \u200b\u200band Scripts,” please feel free to contact the project directors at: zoellem@uni-mainz.de<\/a> or prechel@uni-mainz.de<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-image>\n\n<\/jgu-base-modal><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Ancient Near Eastern Studies (also known as Ancient Near Eastern Philology) is the academic discipline dedicated to the languages, texts, and cultures of the ancient Near East. This cultural sphere primarily encompasses the regions corresponding to the modern-day states of Iraq, Syria, T\u00fcrkiye, and Iran\u2014regions frequently grouped together under the designation Mesopotamia (“the Land Between the Rivers”).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between the 4th<\/sup> and 1st<\/sup> millennia BCE, thousands of texts written in cuneiform script emerged in these regions. While predominantly inscribed on clay tablets, these texts have also been preserved on other materials, such as stone or metal. These texts constitute the most vital source for our understanding of ancient Near Eastern societies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A significant portion of the surviving texts is composed in Sumerian, Akkadian (comprising Babylonian and Assyrian), and Hittite. Additionally, numerous other languages \u200b\u200bare attested\u2014such as Elamite and Hurrian. The decipherment, editing, translation, and interpretation of these texts rank among the core tasks of Ancient Near Eastern Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cuneiform textual tradition offers diverse insights into the lived reality of the ancient Near East. It documents\u2014among other things\u2014political structures, economic organisation, religious beliefs, legal norms, scholarly practices, and literary traditions. In doing so, Ancient Near Eastern Studies contributes significantly to our understanding of early cultures and their long-term cultural trajectories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A particular focus of Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Mainz lies in the research of Hittite and in Elamite studies. Projects such as the “Thesaurus Linguarum Hethaeorum digitalis” and the “Digital Edition of Cuneiform Texts from Haft Tappeh” exemplify the integration of fundamental philological scholarship with digital methodologies. The analysis and digital processing of cuneiform texts constitute a central component of current research in the field. Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Mainz collaborates closely with the discipline of Near Eastern Archaeology. Furthermore, collaborations exist with other disciplines\u2014including Old Testament Studies, Computer Science, and Nuclear Physics\u2014as well as with the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz. This interdisciplinary networking makes it possible to explore the cultures of the Ancient Near East from diverse perspectives and to develop new methodological approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-heading>\n\n\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-processsequenceitem>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-processsequenceitem>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-processsequenceitem>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-processsequenceitem>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-processsequenceitem>\n\n\n<\/jgu-base-processsequenceitem>\n<\/jgu-base-processsequence>\n\n<\/jgu-base-tabsitem>\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-heading>\n\n\n\n

At Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Ancient Near Eastern Studies is pursued within the framework of the Bachelor\u2019s and Master\u2019s degree programme “Archaeologies and Philologies in Ancient Studies (ALPHA)<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALPHA is an interdisciplinary degree programme that combines various fields of ancient studies, including Egyptology, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Near Eastern Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, and Philology. Its objective is to jointly explore the cultures of antiquity from diverse perspectives and to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within this degree programme, you select Ancient Near Eastern Philology as your specialisation. In doing so, you acquire a solid foundation of knowledge regarding the languages, texts, and cultures of the Ancient Near East and are gradually introduced to independent work with cuneiform sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A central component of the program is the acquisition of Akkadian, specifically the Old Babylonian linguistic stage. As your studies progress, you expand your competencies by learning additional cuneiform languages, such as Sumerian or Hittite. In reading courses, you work with original texts and learn to analyse them philologically and contextualise them historically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The curriculum integrates linguistic, historical, and cultural studies content. Topics covered include, among others, politics and administration, economics, religion and mythology, law, and literature, as well as aspects of daily life in the Ancient Near East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A distinctive feature of ALPHA is the close integration of philology and archaeology. You attend courses across various disciplines, thereby gaining a broad understanding of ancient cultures. This interdisciplinary orientation enables the examination of texts, material culture, and historical contexts in conjunction with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practice-oriented elements play a significant role in the programme. These include, among other activities, exercises involving 3D prints of cuneiform tablets, as well as excursions to museums and collections. Furthermore, practical assignments and field trips are firmly integrated into the curriculum throughout the course of study. Following the Bachelor’s program, your studies may be continued in the ALPHA Master’s programme. The Master’s programme deepens your specialised knowledge and places a stronger focus on independent research. You will expand your linguistic skills, work intensively with primary sources, and develop your own research questions within an interdisciplinary context. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-buttonitem>\n\n<\/jgu-base-button>\n\n<\/jgu-base-heading>\n\n\n\n

Graduates specializing in Ancient Near Eastern Philology possess well-founded linguistic, analytical, and cultural-studies competencies. They are capable of deciphering complex texts, interpreting them critically, and situating them within broader historical and cultural contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to the interdisciplinary orientation of the ALPHA degree program, they also acquire the ability to integrate diverse methodological approaches and to analyse both text-based and material sources in conjunction with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Career opportunities arise particularly in the following sectors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n