Abstract
The project aims to rethink the core features of the economies of the early city-states through an in-depth analysis of cuneiform texts from Mesopotamia and Syria dating from the Early Dynastic period (ca. 2900-2350 BCE). A large number of new textual sources have been published in recent years, but these valuable materials have not yet been fully exploited for the reconstruction of economic developments within the early city-states. The corpus consists of about 7.500 tablets, most of which are currently difficult for non-specialists of cuneiform sources to access for a variety of reasons (lack of English translations, editions scattered in numerous articles, lack of consistency in the treatment of early period texts, etc.). Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines current methodologies in the fields of History of the Ancient Near East, Assyriology and Digital Humanities, the project will re-evaluate the economic structures of the early urban systems (temples, palaces, private entrepreneurs, trade and market, etc.), with a focus on quantitative aspects. The project is carried out by three units (Ca' Foscari University of Venice, University of Bologna, CNR-ISMed) led by experts in the academic fields relevant to the project. The expected outcome of the projects is thorough and up-to-date monograph on the early urban economies of the Ancient Near East, complemented by the edition of unpublished texts, the publication of special volumes on the primary sources collected and studied for the project (edition of cuneiform texts, catalogs, indexes, English translations), as well as an innovative open-access platform for the study of Early Dynastic cuneiform texts, which is a desideratum in the field of Mesopotamian studies.
Results achieved
· The Bologna research unit contributed to the digitization, analysis and study of Early Dynastic Mesopotamian cuneiform sources, with particular attention to their economic and administrative content. · The unit took part in the development and implementation of the UEB online platform, contributing to the organization and accessibility of textual data relevant to the reconstruction of early urban economies in Mesopotamia and Syria. · The Bologna unit organized a workshop on the development and data entry of the UEB online platform, open to students and faculty, followed by lectures by the heads of the three PRIN research units on Early Dynastic economies and digital tools for the study of cuneiform corpora. · The unit also organized the international workshop New Research on Early City-States of Mesopotamia and Syria, involving researchers from European and US institutions, as well as a training workshop for the PRIN research teams on the management of online databases dedicated to cuneiform sources. · Research activities included the study of unpublished Early Dynastic cuneiform texts preserved at the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, relevant to the themes of the PRIN project. · Members of the Bologna unit participated in the scientific meetings organized by the other PRIN research units, presenting individual and joint contributions. · The Bologna unit contributed to the final project monograph with a study devoted to the economy of Umma during the Early Dynastic period.Dettagli del progetto
Responsabile scientifico: Palmiro Notizia
Strutture Unibo coinvolte:
Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civiltà
Coordinatore:
Università Cà Foscari di VENEZIA(Italy)
Contributo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 47.286,00
Durata del progetto in mesi: 24
Data di inizio
28/09/2023
Data di fine:
28/02/2026
