A Short History of Assyriology, 1850-1970

By (author) Benjamin R. Foster

Extent: 343 pages

Publisher: Zaphon

Subjects: Ancient Near East

Series: wEdge

Series volume number: 4

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(December 2025)

ISBN: 9783963272684

6.73 x 9.49 inches

Price: $112.00

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PDF (Forthcoming)

(December 2025)

ISBN: 9783963272691

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Synopsis
Contents
Contributing Authors

B.R. Foster’s study provides the reader with a short history of Assyriology, concise and focused on a choice of trends and topics set in a chronological narrative.

B.R. Foster’s study provides the reader with a Short History of Assyriology, concise and focused on a choice of trends and topics set in a chronological narrative. Part 1 introduces the beginnings from the earliest discoveries of Mesopotamian sites and the decipherment of the Akkadian and Sumerian scripts and languages and their subsequent distribution scholarly publications, followed by the creation of Assyriology as a formal academic discipline in Part 2. Provided with the ability to understand the text, the focus switches to the exploration of divergent topics within the discipline: political, social, and economic history – religion – culture and literature (Part 3). Part 4 explores the historical setting of Assyriology between First and Second World Wars and the development of national schools within the discipline. Post-war generations of Assyriologists and the role of women in Assyriology are in the focus of Part 5. The narrative portion of the present study ends about 1970, though note has been taken of the subsequent careers of some Assyriologists who were active in the profession by then, and concluding attention is given to certain larger trends that began to develop about that time, with an overview of some more recent generations. The study is supplemented by an essay on decorative covers of Assyriological books by K. Polinger Foster (Appendix I). In addition to the numerous illustrations of Assyriological books and scholars within the main part of the study, Appendix II assembles a portrait gallery of scholars. For ease of reference, biographical notices on deceased Assyriologists mentioned in the text have been assembled in Appendix III.

Acknowledgements

Preface

Part 1: Assyriology in the Beginning

1. Discovery and Decipherment

2. Languages and Texts

3. Publications and Periodicals

Part 2: Creating a Formal Academic Discipline, 1870–1940

4. Professional Specialization (Austria / France / Switzerland / Belgium / Great Britain / Ireland / The United States / Canada / Centers Elsewhere, 1870-1940)

5. Building a Modern Corpus of Cuneiform Texts

6. Reference and Teaching Works

7. Scientific Excavations and Assyriology

8. Rediscovering Sumerian Literature

Part 3: Agendas in Assyriology, 1850–1970

9. Mesopotamian Political, Social, and Economic History

10. Mesopotamian Religion

11. Cuneiform Culture

Part 4: Assyriology in its Historical Setting to 1970

12. From Colonialism to the First World War and Its Aftermath

13. Tempest-Tost: Assyriologists and the Second World War

14. The Antiquities Trade

15. The Development of National Schools (Russia / The Netherlands / Italy / Czechoslovakia / Slovenia / Hungary / Poland / Denmark / Finland / Norway / Sweden / Spain / Israel /Palestine: The West Bank / Iraq / South Africa / Japan / Korea / China / Other Lands)

Part 5: Assyriologists at Work, 1945–1970

16. Post-War Generations (The United States / Canada / Great Britain / France and Belgium / Germany / Austria)

17. Women in Assyriology

Part 6: Conclusion: Changes and Challenges in Assyriology, 1970 and Beyond

Appendix I: Babylonian Bindings and Cuneiform Covers (Karen Polinger Foster)

Appendix II: Biographies of Assyriologists

Appendix III: Gallery Bibliography Abbreviations Index

By (author) Benjamin R. Foster

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