Starting from a little “insignificant” fragment of an Ur III envelope kept in the British Museum, in this lecture Dr. Verderame will tackle different topics, from museum research on cuneiform texts to the study of Neo-Sumerian sources and the history of assyriology. Through his personal experience, historiographical documents, and analysis of administrative texts, he will discuss how a little piece of evidence can fit in a wider archive analysis and shed light on the big picture, such as the history of the rediscovery of ancient Mesopotamian civilization. In particular, he will linger on Rassam’s raid on de Sarzec’s excavation at Telloh, showing the adventurous beginnings of the Near Eastern explorations and the fragmented situation of Neo-Sumerian collections.

This online lecture will be held in English.

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Lorenzo Verderame is professor of Assyriology at “Sapienza” University of Rome, where he gives courses on Sumerian and Akkadian languages and literatures. His main research interests are divination and third millennium administrative texts, as well as other major topics in Mesopotamian religion and material culture. He is author of seven books, including the edition of the first six chapters of the astrological series Enūma Anu Enlil (Le tavole I-VI della serie astrologica Enūma Anu Enlil, 2002), five volumes with the edition of administrative texts, and an overview of the Sumerian and Akkadian literature (Letterature dell’antica Mesopotamia, 2016). On Mesopotamian demons he has edited a monographic volume of the journal Studi e materiali di storia delle religioni (Mesopotamian Demons, 2011) and authored several articles. He is the epigrapher of the Italian archaeological mission to Tell Zurghul / Nina (Iraq).

N. İlgi Gerçek is a faculty member at the Department of Archaeology, Bilkent University. She holds a BA in Archaeology and History of Art from Bilkent University, and obtained her MA and PhD in Hittite and Mesopotamian Studies from the University of Michigan. Her professional affiliations include a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Copenhagen, as well as research and teaching positions at ANAMED (Koç University) and the Istanbul University Department of Hittitology. She is interested in the social and political history of Anatolia in the Late Bronze Age and has written on imperialism, frontiers, identity, and mobility in Hittite Anatolia.