Cultural Annex for Sumer and Akkad: Annotated Bibliography for Advanced Learning

Here are some societies to which Dubsar has made the commitment of membership. You can visit these societies on the internet yourself to see if you should make your own commitment to support and follow the interesting research being carried out on behalf of the ancient Sumerians, Akkadians, Amorites, Eblaites, Gutians, Elamites, Kassites, and Arameans, not to mention numerous interesting western groups.

• American Oriental Society. This society is important not just to cuneiformists, but to various disciplines devoted to the study of the Near and Far East. They publish a quarterly journal containing both difficult and intricate articles as well as broadly accessible and interesting papers that enlighten and stimulate.
• British School of Archaeology in Iraq. An annual journal is published with articles on discoveries in the areas of the archaeology and language of ancient Iraq (Mesopotamia). You do not have to be British to join. Many Americans belong to this society. Pictures of archaeological finds are included.
• American Schools of Oriental Research. This is an archaeological society with broad interests that include historical, cultural, and anthropological investigations of the Near East. The society seeks to advance our archaeological scholarship in both its theoretical and practical aspects. Several journals are published including the Journal of Cuneiform Studies and the Bulletin of the ASOR. Visit them for more information.

The resources listed below can enlighten you further on the thinking and goings-on of the earliest literate cultures located in the flat plains between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. As you look through this bibliography, you will see why modern cuneiform students are required to have some reading knowledge in English, French, and German. Important contributions are being made in other modern languages as well, but these three are the minimal requirement. If you are seriously interested in reading for yourself the ancient cuneiform writings, you should work at acquiring working knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary of French and German, besides English.

Some of the books described here are printed in limited quantities and may only be available at large university libraries. Although some scholars may write with such excessive jargon as to be incomprehensible to non-experts, many write in plain enough language to be interesting and informative. Enjoy the adventure of learning about our most ancient roots!

Cuisine

• Jean Bottéro, "Küche," Reallexikon der Assyriologie, edited by Dietz Otto Edzard. Vol. 6, pp. 277-298. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1980-83. Although the title is German, this exhaustive, detailed explanation of Mesopotamian cuisine is written in French. Professor Bottéro is the acknowledged expert in this area.
• Jean Bottéro, "The Cuisine of Ancient Mesopotamia," Biblical Archaeologist, 48/1 (March 1985), 36-47. Includes illustrations, bibliography, and actual ancient recipes.
• Jean Bottéro, "The Culinary Tablets at Yale," Journal of the American Oriental Society, 107 (1987), 11-19. Since this paper was originally presented to an audience of cuneiformists, more of their technical jargon is used than in the two articles cited above, but a non-specialist can still glean some useful information from Professor Bottéro's reconstruction of the art of cooking in the first part of the second millennium B.C. The details of cooking and several recipes are explained.
• Henri Limet, "The Cuisine of Ancient Sumer," Biblical Archaeologist, 50/3 (September 1987), 132-147. Focus on the Ur III period (2112-2004 B.C.). Includes illustrations, bibliography, glossary, and historical sketch of Ur III period.

Cuneiform Signs: Since Sumerian and Akkadian scribes did not use a simple Western-type alphabet, cuneiform students need help to discover the recognized values of the immense number of signs used in any particular place or period. Here are helpful sign lists for those who want to really get into reading Sumerian and Akkadian. Although I am more interested in the earlier rather than later periods of Mesopotamian history, I include here resources for Akkadian students working on texts of the later periods. Be sure to check sign values shown in the older publications against Borger's more recent work.

• René Labat, Manuel d'épigraphie akkadienne (Signes, Syllabaire, Idéogrammes). Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1952. The layout of this French work shows the evolution of the cuneiform signs very well. It has become customary to learn the signs in their distinctive Neo-Assyrian (8th-7th centuries B.C.) monumental forms. Then the earlier, less distinctive forms are learned. Borger's Zeichenliste is considered more authoritative, but I like Labat's layout much better.
• Rykle Borger, Assyrisch-babylonische Zeichenliste, Band 33, Alter Orient und Altes Testament. Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag, 1978. This is the authoritative work on the subject, but does not render Labat's work obsolete. Full listings of sign values and glossary in the back are very helpful.
• Albrecht Goetze, Old Babylonian Omen Texts, vol. 10, Yale Oriental Series. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1947. Plates CXXVII-CXXXII. Nice listing of Old Babylonian (early second millennium B.C.) sign forms and their values.
• Anton Deimel and Alfred Pohl, Codex Hammurabi, Vol. IV, Tabulae signorum. Rome, 1932. Handy listing of Old Babylonian (early second millennium B.C.) sign forms and their values.
• Otto Schroeder, Vorderasiatische Schriftdenkmäler der Königlichen Museen zu Berlin, Vol. 12, Die Tontafeln von El-Amarna. Nebst Zeichenliste. Leipzig, 1915. Pp. 75-94. For those interested in the international diplomatic cuneiform correspondence of the mid-second millennium B.C., this chart shows the variation in sign forms (with values) between the scribes working in the various major areas of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Turkey, and Phoenicia.
• Riekele Borger, Babylonisch-Assyrische Lesestücke, Heft I. Rome: Pontificium Institutum Biblicum, 1963. PP. XXXVI-XLII. Simplified sign list of Neo-Assyrian sign forms with some explanation of the script (in German). This work would be more useful for the beginning Akkadian rather than Sumerian student.

Dictionaries and Glossaries: For Akkadian, good tools are available on the vocabulary. The tools for Sumerian are not nearly so advanced, but some useful glossaries have appeared over the years.

• The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Chicago, 1956-. 21 volumes. More an encyclopedia of the Akkadian language than a dictionary, this work is cited as the Chicago Assyrian Dictionary or simply as the CAD. It covers all periods and areas yielding documents written in Akkadian. Sumerian words and phrases are cited as they relate to Akkadian expressions.
• Wolfram von Soden (ed.), Akkadische Handwörterbuch. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 1965-1981. 3 volumes. A complete dictionary of all dialects of Akkadian with reference to Sumerian as appropriate. Much more concise than the CAD.
• Åke W. Sjöberg (ed.), The Sumerian Dictionary of the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, 1984-. An encyclopedia set like the CAD, but only a couple volumes have been published so far. This will be a great resource for Sumerian studies as it grows. It is abbreviated as PSD.
• Marie-Louise Thomsen, The Sumerian Language, cited under Sumerian Grammar below, includes translations of common Sumerian verbs.
• Edmond Sollberger, The Business and Administrative Correspondence under the Kings of Ur, vol. I, Texts from Cuneiform Sources. Locust Valley: J.J. Augustin Publisher, 1966. This work edits a large number of Sumerian "letter orders" of the late third millennium B.C. A nice glossary of the texts is included.

Sumerian Grammar

• Marie-Louise Thomsen, The Sumerian Language: An Introduction to it History and Grammatical Structure. Volume 10 of Mesopotamia: Copenhagen Studies in Assyriology. Copenhagen: Akademisk Forlag, 1984. The standard reference work on Sumerian grammar. Although the book is quite technical, it is not so heavy and difficult reading. Some other grammatical studies on Sumerian are quite dense and obscure. A very nice catalogue of common Sumerian verbs is included with meanings and citations.
• Thorkild Jacobsen, "Sumerian Grammar Today," Journal of the American Oriental Society, 108 (1988), 123-133. In insightful and thorough fashion, Jacobsen, a leading Sumerologist of the second generation, interacts with the stimulating and valuable contribution of Thomsen, The Sumerian Language, cited above.

Kingship on Display: Royal Inscriptions. Kings inscribed their names, piety, and accomplishments on all sorts of objects, such as bricks, cones, door-pivots, statues, etc. These texts, that we designate royal inscriptions, provide information on the ideology and activities of these ancient kings.

• Edmond Sollberger and Jean-Robert Kupper, Inscriptions royales sumeriennes et akkadiennes. Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, 1971. This standard work presents a French translation of royal inscriptions written originally in Sumerian or Akkadian from about the middle of the third millennium B.C. to about the middle of the second millennium B.C. Explanatory notes are included and some indices as well.
• Jerrold S. Cooper, Sumerian and Akkadian Royal Inscriptions, I: Presargonic Inscriptions. New Haven: The American Oriental Society, 1986. This is a great book since it was written by the Great Dubsar who instructed me in the mysteries of Sumerian and Akkadian texts of all sorts. The scope of this book is limited to the earliest royal inscriptions in the third millennium B.C. Detailed bibliographies and explanatory notes are included for each inscription.
• William W. Hallo, "The Royal Inscriptions of Ur: A Typology," Hebrew Union College Annual, 33 (1962), 1-43. This article does not provide translations, but puts in order the many inscriptions commissioned by the kings ruling from their capital city of Ur over Sumer and Akkad at the end of the third millennium B.C. An introduction to the structure and function of these inscriptions is provided & then detailed bibliography on each inscription.

• William W. Hallo, "The Slandered Bride," Studies Presented to A. Leo Oppenheim. Chicago: The Oriental Institute, 1964. Pp. 95-105. A review of the case of Enlil-issu, the nuesh of Enlil (see the Professional Room for information on the nuesh), by a prolific and accomplished expert on Mesopotamian history, language, and culture.
• Raymond Westbrook, Old Babylonian Marriage Law, Archiv für Orientforschung, Beiheft 23. Horn, Austria: Verlag Ferdinand Berger & Söhne Gesellschaft M.B.H., 1988. This expert on cuneiform law treats the dispute between Enlil-issu and Ama-sukkal (treated earlier by Professor Hallo above) as an example of inchoate marriage and its dissolution. See pp. 15f, 43f. Translation of the documents on pp. 115f.

• William W. Hallo, "Sumerian Religion," kinattûtu ša dârâti: Raphael Kutscher Memorial Volume, edited by A.F. Rainey. Occasional Publications No. 1. Tel Aviv: Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University. Tel Aviv, 1993. Pp. 15-35. Another well-written, thought-provoking article by Prof. Hallo, who seeks to reconstruct turning points in the course of Sumerian religious thought.
• C. Jouco Bleeker and Geo Widengren (eds.), Historia Religionum: Handbook for the History of Religions, Vol. I Religions of the Past. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1969. This includes 18 articles, but let me just single out the following.
  • W.H. Ph. Römer, "The Religion of Ancient Mesopotamia," pp. 115-194.
  • H. Otten, "The Religion of the Hittites," pp. 318-322.
  • Jacques Duchesne-Guillemin, "The Religion of Ancient Iran," pp. 323-376.
• Jes Peter Asmussen and Jorgen Laessoe (eds.), Handbuch der Religionsgeschichte, Band 1. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1971. This work also covers quite a bit of ground, but I will only single out two articles.
  • J. van Dijk, "Sumerische Religion," pp. 431-496.
  • Jorgen Laessoe, "Babylonische und assyrische Religion," pp. 497-525.

The thousands of cuneiform documents so far discovered and published can overwhelm us with details. Getting a general view from a competent survey can really help. Here are several that I like.

• A. Leo Oppenheim, Ancient Mesopotamia: Portrait of a Dead Civilization. Revised edition completed by Erica Reiner. Chicago, 1977. This subjective account of the cuneiform world is a great introduction with plenty of references and details. Pictures, maps, and glossary are also included. The appendix on "Mesopotamian Chronology of the Historical Period" by J.A. Brinkman is still a valuable reference tool.
• Jean Bottéro, Mesopotamia: Writing, Reasoning, and the Gods. Translated by Zainab Bahrani and Marc Van de Mieroop. Chicago, 1992. Another good survey, but from different angles than Oppenheim.
• J.N. Postgate, Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the Dawn of History. London, 1992. This excellent survey focuses on the earlier periods before 1500 B.C. It is packed with interesting details and numerous, clearly translated, quotes of original sources. Extensive notes and bibliography are also included.
• The main internet clearinghouse on sites providing information on the Ancient Near East is Abzu, compiled by bibliographer Charles E. Jones.
• Another internet site focused on ancient history is Ancient Near East - Ancient/Classical History, provided by N.S. Gill. She was probably the first to link to my original site on Nippur. Her kindness is appreciated. Her bulletin board seems intelligent and worthwhile. Send her a good question or two!

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