Cuneiform Artefacts of the Early Dynastic Period from the Inana Temple in Nippur

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Walther Sallaberger
• Subject Area: Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 537167075

Inscriptions on votive gifts (statues, stone vases and bowls etc) and administrative documents are the cuneiform artefacts of the Early Dynastic period (2900-2300 BC) that the American excavators (1952-1962) recovered from the Inana Temple at Nippur. Thanks to the stratigraphy of the temple buildings, these written testimonies, previously known only in part, stand in a chronological sequence extending over centuries - a singular find in Mesopotamia for these periods and therefore of central importance for a chronology of cuneiform texts in connection with other groups of artefacts. In addition, these written sources offer unique insights into the religious and administrative practices of an early temple. This important collection of about 125 cuneiform artefacts was compiled by Robert D. Biggs (ICAS Chicago) over decades (1962-2007), and he has also provided drawings (“copies”) of the documents; however, the final publication of the Inana Temple has not yet been completed. Now Richard L. Zettler (Philadelphia) has taken on the task of publication and, together with Biggs, approached the applicant to bring the cuneiform artefacts to publication and, to this end, to update the transliterations and add translations and commentaries. In order to do justice to the significance of the collection, the archaeological find contexts of the cuneiform artefacts must be taken into account, as well as the layout and structure of the texts and the names, occupations and terms mentioned there. In addition, a palaeographic table of the cuneiform signs is to be compiled. Thereby, we can also draw on new digital photos from the Iraq Museum, which have just been produced as part of the Munich Academy project "Cuneiform Artefacts of Iraq in Context", which began in 2022.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: USA
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Robert D. Biggs; Professor Dr. Richard L. Zettler