Ústav starého Předního východu - Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Studies

Are you a cuneiform enthusiast? 🙂
Join Prof. Massimo Maiocchi from the Università Ca' Foscari Venezia for a lecture on the origins of writing in ancient Mesopotamia! His talk explores how and why writing first emerged, its early development, and its connections to other early writing systems. By placing Mesopotamian writing in a comparative perspective, the lecture sheds light on the social, economic, and cultural factors behind one of humanity’s most important inventions.

📆 16 April 2026
🕑 12:30
📍Celetná 20, Room 136 (1st floor)

For the RAI folks:
Just a gentle reminder to those who have not yet registered and paid the conference fee for the upcoming Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale in Prague: all speakers must be registered by May 15 at the latest. We also strongly recommend paying the fee by that date, as it will increase afterwards to 200 EUR for IAA members (100 EUR for student members) and 230 EUR for non-IAA participants (110 EUR for students). Thank you.

RAI 70 - 2025 - Prague Registration opens on 1 March 2025 with an early bird rate available until 15 April 2025. Regular rates apply from 16 April to 15 May 2025, and late registration will be open from 16 May to 15 June 2025. Please note that accepted speakers must complete their registration by 15 May 2025, as late regi...

Přátelé, přijměte pozvání na dvě přednášky prof. Regine Pruzsinszky k dějinám Předního východu ve 2. tisíciletí př. n. l. Přednášky se uskuteční prezenční formou (FF UK, Celetná 20, Praha 1, 1. patro)

Lecture 1 (úterý, 22. dubna od 10:50, C136)
Upper Mesopotamia during the “Dark Age” in the 2nd Millennium BCE

Lecture 2 (čtvrtek, 24. dubna od 9:10, C136)
Mesopotamian Chronology, Eponyms, and the Ḫabīru Prism

Abstract
The publication of the Labarna letter and the Ḫabiru prism by Mirjo Salvini in the 1990s provided a first glimpse into a period known as the "Dark Age" due to large gaps in the historical records. Both cuneiform texts belong to the archive of King Tunip-Teššup of Tigunani, a contemporary of Ḫattušili I, ruler of the Old Hittite Kingdom at the end of the 17th century. This archive’s largely unpublished documents and letters not only provide new insights into the nature of the kingdom of Tigunani in the Upper Tigris region, but also into the sociopolitical structure of Upper Mesopotamia at the transition between the Old Assyrian kingdom of Šamši-Adad I and the beginning of the Mittani Empire.

📢 Keynote Speakers Announcement – 70th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale (RAI) 📢

We are delighted to announce the keynote speakers for the 70th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale (RAI), which will take place in Prague from July 7–11, 2025! 🎉

This year, we are honored to welcome three distinguished scholars who will share their research and insights:

🔹 Manuel Molina (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas)
🔹 Marc Van De Mieroop (Columbia University)
🔹 Shana Zaia (Vrije Universiteit)

Their lectures will provide unique perspectives in the field of Assyriology. Discover more about them here 👉 https://rai70.ff.cuni.cz/keynotes.php

We look forward to welcoming you to Prague for this exceptional opportunity for academic exchange and discussion! 🔍📜

RAI 70 - 2025 - Prague Manuel Molina obtained his degree in Geography and History from the Complutense University of Madrid and completed his studies in Assyriology and his doctoral thesis at La Sapienza University of Rome, under the supervision of Giovanni Pettinato. Between 1989 and 1995, he was Associate Professor at t...

📢 Exciting Update: The Second Circular for the 70th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale is Here!

📅 Mark your calendars: Join us in Prague, July 7–11, 2025, for an unforgettable journey into the heart of the ancient Near East. This year’s theme, "From Cradle to Grave: Everyday Life in the Ancient Near East", promises to inspire and intrigue!

📄 The Second Circular is now available and includes:
🔸 Submission details for Paper and Poster Abstracts
🔸 Approved workshops
🔸 Information on our Keynote Speakers
🔸 Registration details and the price list

We warmly invite everyone interested in Assyriology and the ancient Near East to join us. Don’t miss out—take a look at the circular for all the details!

➡️ Learn more here: https://rai70.ff.cuni.cz/news.php

Let’s make this milestone event a success together. We can’t wait to see you in Prague! 🌍📜

RAI 70 - 2025 - Prague The Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Charles University, and the Oriental Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences are pleased to invite you to the 70th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, to be held in Prague from 7-11 July 2025.

V nejnovějším čísle časopisu Tel Aviv byl publikován článek J. Mynářové, který se zabývá technologickými procesy při výrobě amarnských tabulek. Jedná se o další z výstupů grantu GA ČR "Archeologie textů", řešeného na našem ústavu. Článek si můžete přečíst zde:

Manufacturing Technology: Firing as an Integral Component in the Production of Cuneiform Tablets from the Amarna Archive This article explores the technological processes involved in the production of the Amarna tablets, focusing on firing temperatures associated with these cuneiform artefacts. Building on the extens...

📣 Upcoming Lecture at the Faculty of Arts – Everyone Welcome! 📣

We are pleased to invite you all to a special lecture by Professor Paul A. Delnero (Johns Hopkins University), who will be joining us next week to share insights into the fascinating world of ancient Mesopotamian education.

Lecture Title: Schooldays: A Day in the Life of a Babylonian Scribe

📅 Date: 5 November 2024
⏰ Time: 09:10
📍 Location: Faculty of Arts, Celetná 20, Room C136, 1st Floor

Abstract: "There is a wealth of evidence for education in ancient Mesopotamia exceeding that of any culture or period of the ancient or pre-modern world. At the city of Nippur, the religious center of Mesopotamia in the early second millennium BCE, the entire sequence of lists and texts that were taught to pupils learning to read and write can be reconstructed from the beginning until the end of their training. By studying the thousands of exercise copies produced by Mesopotamian pupils at different stages in their education a vivid picture emerges of not only what students learned, but also how and why they learned it. In this talk an overview of what has, and what can still be discovered by examining the discarded homework of pupils almost 4000 years ago will be presented to paint a portrait of a day in the life of a Mesopotamian scribal pupil."

👥Join us for a morning of discovery and insight into the educational practices of one of history's most influential ancient civilisations!

Nový semestr začíná a tak nám dovolte, abychom Vás touto cestou pozvali na přednášku prof. Cale Johnsona (Institut für Wissensgeschichte des Altertums, FU Berlin), věnovanou počátkům klínového písma. Přednáška se uskuteční v úterý 8. října od 9:10 (v rámci přednášky Akkadský jazyk I) v místnosti C136, Celetná 20, 1. patro.

The new semester is starting, and we would like to take this opportunity to invite you to a lecture by Prof. Cale Johnson (Institut für Wissensgeschichte des Altertums, FU Berlin), dedicated to the origins of cuneiform writing. The lecture will take place on Tuesday, October 8, at 9:10 AM (as part of the Akkadian Language I class) in room C136, Celetná 20, 1st floor.

Vessels, virtual vessels and diacrisis: The origin of cuneiform writing in Mesopotamia

The history of cuneiform writing is, unfortunately, deeply tainted by an alphabetic mindset that would not come into existence until the 2nd millennium BCE. In this class, we will look instead at how the actual origin of cuneiform writing took place. This origin story goes back several millennia before the invention of cuneiform at around 3300 BCE, but after quickly surveying these precursors, we will mostly focus on how the proto-cuneiform phase of cuneiform writing flowered into a notational system that was capable of operating in numerous different economic and administrative domains. We will also debunk several false theories of the origin of cuneiform writing and highlight the one methodology that has been successfully used to understand what is happening in these clay tablets.

🌟 Join us at the International Workshop "Archaeology of Texts" in Prague! 🌟

🗓️ Dates: June 4-5, 2024

📍 Location: AKC- Akademické Konferenční centrum, Husova 4a, 110 00, Prague1, Czech Republic

We are excited to announce the upcoming "Archaeology of Texts" workshop, an immersive event dedicated to exploring the diffusion of cultural elements from Mesopotamian centers to the peripheries during the third and second millennia BCE.

This workshop will delve into three interconnected levels to provide a comprehensive understanding:
1. Technological Transmission: Focusing on how the written record itself was spread and preserved.

2. Linguistic Transmission: Examining the spread of Mesopotamian languages to the western and eastern peripheries.

3. Literary Transmission: Investigating the transformation and societal role of literary traditions.

Whether you are a scholar, academic, or student with an interest in ancient cultures, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding and engage with experts in the field.

📩 Registration: If you are interested in attending, please write to us in advance at: [email protected].

📢 Don't miss this opportunity!

The workshop is supported by the Czech Science Foundation Project No. 23-05181S “Archaeology of Texts. Tradition, Transmission, and Transformation in the Ancient Near East.”

📚 Reflecting on an insightful week of learning! Last week, we had the privilege of hosting a captivating series of lectures by our esteemed colleagues Steven Garfinkle and Seth Richardson on the fascinating intersection of law and diplomacy in the ancient Near East during the 3rd and 2nd millennium BCE. It was a truly enriching experience diving deep into the historical contexts and intricacies of this subject matter.

From discussions on ancient legal codes to the dynamics of diplomatic relations, each session provided valuable insights into the complexities of governance and international relations in ancient times. The knowledge shared by our speakers was not only enlightening but also thought-provoking, sparking engaging conversations among participants.

Although the pictures and updates are a bit delayed (apologies for that!), the essence of those intellectually stimulating days remains fresh in our minds. We're grateful for the opportunity to delve into such an enriching academic discourse and look forward to further exploration of this captivating topic in the future. Stay tuned for more updates and insights from our academic community!

🌍📖