What’s New
February 8, 2010
Information about scheduling and participants for the upcoming 2010 Oriental Institute Symposium, Slaves and Households in the Near East, March 5-6, 2010., is now available. Abstracts will be posted shortly.
January 11, 2010
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
- OIMP 30. Pioneers to the Past: American Archaeologists in the Middle East, 1919-1920. Edited by Geoff Emberling. Published in 2010.
Pioneers to the Past: American Archaeologists in the Middle East, 1919-1920, the catalogue of the Oriental Institute special exhibit of the same name, highlights the interconnected stories of an important figure in intellectual history - James Henry Breasted - and the beginnings of American scientific archaeology in the Near East at a crucial turning point in world history. At the end of World War I, Breasted and a small team of scholars set sail for the Near East on what would be an eleven-month odyssey across the region. The fascinating mix of politics, scholarship, and history (both ancient and modern) as seen through a focus on the larger-than-life persona of James Henry Breasted lies at the heart of Pioneers to the Past. Breasted's letters and photographs from his trip provide a window into the engagement of modern scholarship with the ancient world, in a highly charged setting of power politics in the early twentieth century. The essays in this catalogue explain the historical, legal, and political context in a way that greatly enriches our understanding of Breasted's journey and its aftermath.
January 11, 2010
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
January 8, 2010
Revised and expanded article by Norman Golb: Observations On The Bipolar Theory Of So-Called "Qumran Spellings"
January 8, 2010
The 2008-2009 Oriental Institute Annual Report is now available. Links to its respective entries have been added to the homepages for numerous Institute archaeological and philological projects and departments.
January 5, 2010
New Research Archives Acquisitions List for December 2009 is now available.
January 5, 2010
New Research Archives Acquisitions List for November 2009 is now available.
December 11, 2009
New Research Archives Acquisitions List for October 2009 is now available.
December 3, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
November 20, 2009
New article by Norman Golb: Observations On The Bipolar Theory Of So-Called "Qumran Spellings"
November 19, 2009
The Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
November 13, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
November 12, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
November 11, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
November 9, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
November 6, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
November 3, 2009
The Research Archives needs your help to maintain its position as the premier library for ancient Near Eastern studies in the Western Hemisphere. The Adopt-a-Journal Campaign is an opportunity to provide the library with its most valuable asset and demonstrate your commitment to the preservation of knowledge and learning for future generations of Oriental Institute members, scholars, students, and visitors.
October 29, 2009
New article by Robert K. Ritner: Reading the Coffin of Meresamun
October 21, 2009
New Research Archives Acquisitions List for September 2009 is now available.
October 15, 2009
The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago invites applications for the Oriental Institute’s Annual Post-Doctoral Scholar Conference program for the 2010-2011 academic year.
This is a twelve-month, non-renewable appointment. The Post-Doctoral Scholar will organize and conduct a two-day conference at the Oriental Institute on key comparatively oriented theoretical or methodological issues in the field of ancient studies (archaeological, text-based, and/or art historical avenues of research). We encourage cross-disciplinary proposals that deal with the ancient Near East (including Egypt) or that compare the Near East with other cultural areas. Applicants should take into consideration the research interests represented at the Oriental Institute. The conference will take place in early to mid March 2011. After the conference, the Post-Doctoral Scholar will work with publication staff to assemble and edit the proceedings for publication in the "Oriental Institute Seminars" series. The incumbent is also encouraged to pursue his or her own research while in residence and to interact with the Oriental Institute community.
Information on past Oriental Institute Annual symposia can be viewed at:
http://oi.uchicago.edu/research/symposia/
Qualifications: Ph.D. in a discipline relating to ancient studies must be complete at the time of appointment. Applicants should send:
- 5-page proposal outlining nature and structure of the conference (including names and paper topics of six to eight key participants who have agreed to make presentations, should the conference be funded)
- curriculum vitae
- 3 letters of reference (these may be sent under separate cover)
Electronic submissions are welcome. Deadline for completed applications is Friday, January 8th, 2010. Start date is September 1, 2010. Please send applications to:
Post-Doctoral Scholar Program
attn. Mariana Perlinac, Oriental Institute
University of Chicago
1155 East 58th St.
Chicago, IL 60637
Or via e-mail to: oi-administration@uchicago.edu
The University of Chicago is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
October 6, 2009
The 'Highlights From The Collection' web page for Ancient Egypt has been updated. Thirteen objects from the Oriental Institute Museum’s collection are described in detail, accompanied by twenty-two photographs.
September 30, 2009
New article by Norman Golb: The Messianic Pretender Solomon Ibn Al Ruji And His Son Menahem (The So-Called "David Alroy")
September 29, 2009
An Introduction and Guide to the Oriental Institute Research Archives is now available for download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format.
September 25, 2009
New article by Norman Golb: The Autograph Memoirs Of Obadiah The Proselyte Of Oppido Lucano
September 15, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
- OIP 116. Reliefs and Inscriptions at Luxor Temple, Volume 2: The Facade, Portals, Upper Register Scenes, Columns, Marginalia, and Statuary in the Colonnade Hall. The Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1998.
- OIP 103. The Temple of Khonsu, Volume 2: Scenes and Inscriptions in the Court and the First Hypostyle Hall. The Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1981.
- OIP 100. The Temple of Khonsu, Volume I: Scenes of King Herihor in the Court. By the Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1979.
- OIP 83. Medinet Habu, Volume V. The Temple Proper, Part I: The Portico, the Treasury, and Chapels Adjoining the First Hypostyle Hall with Marginal Material from the Forecourts. By the Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1957.
- OIP 74. Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak, Volume III. The Bubastite Portal. By the Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1954.
- OIP 56. Key Plans Showing Locations of Theban Temple Decorations. By Harold Hayden Nelson. Originally published in 1941.
- OIP 51. Medinet Habu, Volume 4. Festival Scenes of Ramses III. By the Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1940.
- OIP 39. The Mastaba of Mereruka, Part II: Chamber A 11-13, Doorjambs and Inscriptions of Chambers A 1-21, Tomb Chamber, and Exterior. By the Sakkarah Expedition. Originally published in 1938.
- OIP 36. Medinet Habu Graffiti: Facsimiles. Edited by William F. Edgerton. Originally published in 1937.
- OIP 23. Medinet Habu, Volume III. The Calendar, the “Slaughterhouse,” and Minor Records of Ramses III. By the Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1934.
- OIP 8. Medinet Habu, Volume I. Earlier Historical Records of Ramses III. By the Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1930.
September 15, 2009
New Research Archives Acquisitions List for August 2009 is now available.
September 10, 2009
New Research Archives Acquisitions List for July 2009 is now available.
September 3, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
- OIP 93. Medinet Habu, Vol. VII: The Temple Proper, Pt. III: The Third Hypostyle Hall and All Rooms Accessible from It with Friezes of Scenes from the Roof Terraces and Exterior Walls of the Temple. The Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1964.
- OIP 107. Reliefs and Inscriptions at Karnak, Volume IV: The Battle Reliefs of King Sety I. The Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1986.
- OIP 112. Reliefs and Inscriptions at Luxor Temple, Volume 1: The Festival Procession of Opet in the Colonnade Hall. The Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1994.
- SAOC 42. The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak. W. J. Murnane. Originally published in 1985.
- SAOC 42, 2nd Edition. The Road to Kadesh: A Historical Interpretation of the Battle Reliefs of King Sety I at Karnak, 2nd Edition. W. J. Murnane. Originally published in 1990.
- SAOC 54. The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Practice. R. K. Ritner. Originally published in 1993.
- SAOC 54, 4th Printing. The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Practice, 4th Printing. R. K. Ritner. Originally published in 2008.
- Lost Egypt, Volumes I. A Limited Edition Portfolio Series of Photographic Images from Egypt’s Past. The Epigraphic Survey of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Originally published in 1992.
- Lost Egypt, Volumes II. A Limited Edition Portfolio Series of Photographic Images from Egypt’s Past. The Epigraphic Survey of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Originally published in 1992.
- Lost Egypt, Volumes III. A Limited Edition Portfolio Series of Photographic Images from Egypt’s Past. The Epigraphic Survey of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Originally published in 1992.
- Ancient Egyptian Paintings Selected, Copied, and Described. Volume I: Descriptive Text. By Nina M. Davies with the Editorial Assistance of Alan H. Gardiner. Originally published in 1936.
- Ancient Egyptian Paintings Selected, Copied, and Described. Volume II: Descriptive Text. By Nina M. Davies with the Editorial Assistance of Alan H. Gardiner. Originally published in 1936.
September 1, 2009
The Oriental Institute’s return to Nubia in 2006 and 2007 for archaeological field work is detailed on our new Nubian Expedition pages. Between January and March 2007, the Oriental Institute joined internation teams in the 4th Cataract region in archaeological investigation of the area, an area that had, prior to the salvage project, received virtually no attention.
August 10, 2009
As part of its ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS ON-LINE, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces an additional letter, W, for the Chicago Demotic Dictionary, edited by Janet H. Johnson. This document is available as an Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) file.
July 31, 2009
As part of its ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS ON-LINE, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces an additional letter, H with a dot, for the Chicago Demotic Dictionary, edited by Janet H. Johnson. This document is available as an Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) file.
July 21, 2009
Audio tours of the Oriental Institute Museum galleries are now available for free download so that you can use your own iPod or other MP3 player to take any or all of our special tours. Current tours are 'Highlights of the Collection of the Oriental Institute,' a tour of 'The Ancient Near East in the Time of Tutankhamun,' and a special 'Ancient Egypt for Kids' tour.
July 15, 2009
New Research Archives Acquisitions List for June 2009 is now available.
June 30, 2009
The Oriental Institute Publications Office announces a new print and Adobe Portable Document Format (pdf) publication:
OIP 134. The Archaeology and Geography of Ancient Transcaucasian Societies, Volume 1: The Foundations of Research and Regional Survey in the Tsaghkahovit Plain, Armenia. Adam T. Smith, Ruben S. Badalyan, Pavel Avetisyan. With contributions by Alan Greene and Leah Minc. 2009.Until recently, the South Caucasus was a virtual terra incognita on Western archaeological maps of southwest Asia. The conspicuous absence of marked places - of site names, toponyms, and topography - gave the impression of a region distant, unknown, and vacant. The Joint American-Armenian Project for the Archaeology and Geography of Ancient Transcaucasian Societies (Project ArAGATS) was founded in 1998 to explore this terrain. Our investigations were guided by two overarching goals: to illuminate the social and political transformations central to the region’s unique (pre)history and to explore the broader intellectual implications of collaboration between the rich archaeological traditions of Armenia (former U.S.S.R.) and the United States.
This volume provides the first encompassing report on the ongoing studies of Project ArAGATS, detailing the general context of contemporary archaeological research in the South Caucasus as well as the specific context of our regional investigations in the Tsaghkahovit Plain of central Armenia. The book opens with detailed examinations of the history of archaeology in the South Caucasus, the theoretical problems that currently orient archaeological research, and a comprehensive reevaluation of the material bases for regional chronology and periodization.
The work then provides the complete results of our regional investigations in the Tsaghkahovit Plain, including the findings of the first systematic pedestrian survey ever conducted in the Caucasus. Thanks to the results presented in this volume, and Project ArAGATS’s ongoing excavations in the area, the Tsaghkahovit Plain is today the best-known archaeological region in the South Caucasus. The present volume thus provides archaeologists with both an orientation to the prehistory of the South Caucasus and the complete findings of the first phase of Project ArAGATS’s field investigations.
June 25, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
- OINE 2. Ausgrabungen von Khor-Dehmit bis Bet El-Wali. H. Ricke. Originally published in 1967.
- OIP 106. The Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak, Volume 1, Part 1: The Wall Reliefs. By Harold Hayden Nelson. Edited by William J. Murnane. Originally published in 1981
- OIP 94. Medinet Habu, Vol. VIII: The Eastern High Gate with Translations of Texts. The Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1970
- OIP 87. The Egyptian Coffin Texts 7, Texts of Spells 787-1185. By Adriaan de Buck. Originally published in 1961
- OIP 86. The Tomb of Tjanefer at Thebes. By Keith C. Seele. Originally published in 1959
- OIP 82. The Egyptian Book of the Dead: Documents in the Oriental Institute Museum at the University of Chicago. Edited by Thomas George Allen. Originally published in 1960
- OIP 66. Post-Ramessid Remains. The Excavation of Medinet Habu, Volume 5. By Uvo Hölscher. Originally published in 1954
- OIP 71. Coptic Ostraca from Medinet Habu. By Elizabeth Stefanski and Miriam Lichtheim. Originally published in 1952
- OIP 64. The Egyptian Coffin Texts 3: Texts of Spells 164-267. By Adriaan de Buck. Originally published in 1947
- OIP 54. The Mortuary Temple of Ramses III, Part 1. The Excavation of Medinet Habu, Volume 3. By Uvo Hölscher. Originally published in 1941
- OIP 41. The Excavation of Medinet Habu, Volume 2: The Temples of the Eighteenth Dynasty. By Uvo Hölscher. Originally published in 1939
June 17, 2009
A database of Late Old Babylonian personal names derived from cuneiform texts chiefly dating to the reigns of the last three kings of the First Dynasty of Babylon, 1683-1595 B.C., is now available.
Version 1 indexes 13,573 unique attestations of personal names from almost 3,000 texts, including 4,678 entries from around 700 unpublished texts.
June 16, 2009
New article by Norman Golb: On the Jerusalem Origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The Oriental Institute Reserach Archives announces these new acquisitions for March 2009, April 2009, and May 2009.
June 15, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
- Quseir Al-Qadim 1978: Preliminary Report. By D. S. Whitcomb and J. H. Johnson. Originally published in 1979.
- Ancient Textiles from Nubia: Meroitic, X-Group, and Christian Fabrics from Ballana and Qustul. By Christa C. Mayer Thurman and Bruce Williams. Originally published in 1979.
- Most Ancient Egypt. By William C. Hayes. Originally published in 1965.
- When Egypt Ruled the East. By George Steindorff and Keith C. Seele, Revised by Keith C. Seele. Originally published as second edition in 1957.
- The Culture of Egypt. By John A. Wilson. Originally published in 1956.
- Kingship and the Gods: A Study of Ancient Near Eastern Religion as the Integration of Society and Nature. By Henri Frankfort. Originally published in 1948.
- Ancient Egyptian Paintings Selected, Copied, and Described. Volume III: Descriptive Text. By Nina M. Davies with the Editorial Assistance of Alan H. Gardiner. Originally published in 1936.
- OIP 34. The Egyptian Coffin Texts 1: Texts of Spells 1-75. By Adriaan De Buck. Originally published in 1935.
- OIP 17. Paleolithic Man and the Nile-Faiyum Divide in Nubia and Upper Egypt: A Study of the Region during Pliocene and Pleistocene Times. By K. S. Sandford and W. J. Arkell. Originally published in 1933.
- OIP 4. The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, Volume 2: Facsimile Plates and Line for Line Hieroglyphic Transliteration. J. H. Breasted. Originally published in 1930, revised in 1991.
- OIP 3. The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, Volume 1: Hieroglyphic Transliteration, Translation, and Commentary. J. H. Breasted. Originally published in 1930, revised in 1991.
June 8, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
- OIC 12. The Alphabet: Its Rise and Development from the Sinai Inscriptions. By Martin Sprengling. Originally published in 1931.
- SAOC 58. Gold of Praise: Studies on Ancient Egypt in Honor of Edward F. Wente. E. Teeter and J. A. Larson, eds.. Originally published in 2000.
- SAOC 57. The Presentation of Maat: Ritual and Legitimacy in Ancient Egypt. By Emily Teeter. Originally published in 1997.
- SAOC 56. Portrait Mummies from Roman Egypt (I-IV Centuries A.D.) with a Catalog of Portrait Mummies in Egyptian Museums. By Lorelei H. Corcoran. Originally published in 1995.
- SAOC 55. For His Ka: Essays Offered in Memory of Klaus Baer. D. P. Silverman, ed.. Originally published in 1994.
- SAOC 52. A Late Period Hieratic Wisdom Text (P. Brooklyn 47.218.135). R. Jasnow. Originally published in 1992.
- SAOC 48. Egyptian Phyles in the Old Kingdom: The Evolution of a System of Social Organization. By Ann Macy Roth. Originally published in 1991.
- SAOC 47. Essays in Ancient Civilization Presented to Helene J. Kantor. A. Leonard, Jr. and B. B. Williams, eds.. Originally published in 1989.
- Quseir al-Qadim 1980: Preliminary Report. By Donald S. Whitcomb and Janet H. Johnson. Originally published in 1982.
- SAOC 40. Ancient Egyptian Coregencies. By William J. Murnane. Originally published in 1977.
- SAOC 39. Studies in Honor of George R. Hughes, January 12, 1977. J. H. Johnson and E. F. Wente, eds. Originally published in 1976.
- SAOC 35. Studies in Honor of John A. Wilson. E. B. Hauser, ed.. Originally published in 1969.
- SAOC 34. A Study of the Ba Concept in Ancient Egyptian Texts. By Louis V. Zabkar. Originally published in 1968.
- SAOC 33. Late Ramesside Letters. By Edward F. Wente. Originally published in 1967.
- The Burden of Egypt: An Interpretation of Ancient Egyptian Culture. By John A. Wilson. Originally published in 1951.
May 29, 2009
Oriental Institute Annual Reports for 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 are now available. Individual Project pages have updated links to their respective articles in these two publications as well.
May 13, 2009
Oriental Institute Annual Reports for 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 are now available. Individual Project pages have updated links to their respective articles in these two publications as well.
May 11, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
- OIC 12. The Alphabet: Its Rise and Development from the Sinai Inscriptions. By Martin Sprengling. Originally published in 1931.
- OIC 27. The Registry of the Photographic Archives of the Epigraphic Survey, with Plates from Key Plans Showing Locations of Theban Temple Decorations (H. H. Nelson). The Epigraphic Survey. Originally published in 1995.
- OIC 28. Bir Umm Fawakhir Survey Project 1993: A Byzantine Gold-Mining Town in Egypt. C. Meyer, L.A. Heidorn, W.E. Kaegi, and T. Wilfong. Originally published in 2000.
- OIP 18. Paleolithic Man and the Nile Valley in Upper and Middle Egypt: A Study of the Region during Pliocene and Pleistocene Times. By K. S. Sandford. Prehistoric Survey of Egypt and Western Asia, Volume III. Originally published in 1934.
- OIP 46. Paleolithic Man and the Nile Valley in Lower Egypt with Some Notes upon a Part of the Red Sea Littoral: A Study of the Regions during Pliocene and Pleistocene Times. By K. S. Sandford and W. J. Arkell. Prehistoric Survey of Egypt and Western Asia, Volume IV. Originally published in 1939.
- OIP 73. The Egyptian Coffin Texts 5: Texts of Spells 355-471. By Adriaan de Buck. Originally published in 1954.
- OIP 113. The Oriental Institute Hawara Papyri: Demotic and Greek Texts from an Egyptian Family Archive in the Fayum (Fourth to Third Century B.C.). G. R. Hughes and R. Jasnow. Originally published in 1997.
- SAOC 26. The Calendars of Ancient Egypt. By Richard A. Parker. Originally published in 1950.
- SAOC 27. Occurrences of Pyramid Texts with Cross Indexes of These and Other Egyptian Mortuary Texts. By Thomas George Allen. Originally published in 1950.
- SAOC 28. Saite Demotic Land Leases. By George Robert Hughes. Originally published in 1952.
- SAOC 30. Wall Scenes from the Mortuary Chapel of the Mayor Paser at Medinet Habu. By Siegfried Schott. Translated By Elizabeth B. Hauser. Originally published in 1957.
May 1, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
- Letters from Egypt and Iraq, 1954. Margaret Bell Cameron. Originally published in 2001.
- Signs and Wonders upon Pharaoh: A History of American Egyptology. John A. Wilson. Originally published in 1964.
- OIC 18. Work in Western Thebes, 1931-33. By Harold H. Nelson and Uvo Hölscher with a Chapter by Siegfried Schott. Originally published in 1934.
- OIC 15. Excavations at Ancient Thebes, 1930/31. By Uvo Hölscher. Originally published in 1932.
- OIC 10. Medinet Habu Reports – Third Preliminary Report. Part 1. The Epigraphic Survey, 1992-31. By Harold H. Nelson Part 2. The Architectural Survey, 1929/30. By Uvo Hölscher Originally published in 1931.
- OIC 7. Medinet Habu 1928-29. Part 1: The Architectural Survey. By Uvo Hölscher Part 2: The Language of the Historical Texts Commemorating Ramses III. By John A. Wilson Originally published in 1930.
- OIP 67. The Egyptian Coffin Texts, Volume 4: Texts of Spells 268-354. By Adriaan De Buck. Originally published in 1951.
- SAOC 19. The Coregency of Ramses II with Seti I and the Date of the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak. By Keith C. Seele. Originally published in 1940.
- SAOC 16. The Monasteries of the Fayyum. By Nabia Abbott. Originally published in 1937.
- SAOC 12. Historical Records of Ramses III: The Texts in Medinet Habu Volumes 1 and 2. Translated With Explanatory Notes. By William F. Edgerton and John A. Wilson. Originally published in 1936.
- SAOC 8. The Thutmosid Succession. By William F. Edgerton. Originally published in 1933.
April 27, 2009
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative and with the generous support of Misty and Lewis Gruber, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
- OIC 5. Medinet Habu 1924-28. Part 1: The Epigraphic Survey of the Great Temple of Medinet Habu (Seasons 1924-25 To 1927-28). By Harold H. Nelson Part 2: The Architectural Survey of the Great Temple and Palace of Medinet Habu (Season 1927-28). By Uvo Hölscher Originally published in 1929.
- OINE 6. Excavations Between Abu Simbel and the Sudan Frontier, Part 6: New Kingdom Remains from Cemeteries R, V, S, and W at Qustul and Cemetery K at Adindan. B. B. Williams. Originally published in 1992.
- OIP 10. Paleolithic Man and the Nile-Faiyum Divide: A Study of the Region during Pliocene and Pleistocene Times. K.S. Sandford and W.J. Arkell. Originally published in 1929.
- OIP 49. The Egyptian Coffin Texts, Volume 2: Texts of Spells 76-163. By Adriaan De Buck. Originally published in 1929.
- OIP 80. Demotic Ostraca from Medinet Habu. By Miriam Lichtheim. Originally published in 1957. OIP 81. The Egyptian Coffin Texts, Volume 6: Texts of Spells 472-787. By Adriaan de Buck. Originally published in 1956.
- SAOC 1. Notes on Egyptian Marriage Chiefly in the Ptolemaic Period. William F. Edgerton. Originally published in 1931.
- SAOC 37. The Book of the Dead or Going Forth by Day: Ideas of the Ancient Egyptians Concerning the Hereafter as Expressed in Their Own Terms. Translated by Thomas George Allen. Originally published in 1974.
- Early Hydraulic Civilization in Egypt: A Study in Cultural Ecology. Karl W. Butzer. Originally published in 1976.
- Egyptology at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. The Oriental Institute. Originally published in 1983.
- United with Eternity: A Concise Guide to the Monuments of Medinet Habu. William J. Murnane. Originally published in 1980.
April 21, 2009
The Oriental Institute announces a new online resource: "Oriental Institute Demotic Ostraca Online (O.I.D.O.O.)" Project.
The project is being undertaken by Foy Scalf, Oriental Institute Reserach Archivist, and Jacqueline Jay, Assistant Professor of History, Eastern Kentucky University.
The Oriental Institute Museum houses a large collection of nearly 900 Demotic ostraca, pottery sherds upon which ancient scribes recorded a wide variety of text types. The vast majority of the corpus concerns economic matters and consists of receipts, contracts, memos, and lists, but there is a small selection of other genres such as votive and astrological texts. With few exceptions, the material derives from the environs of Thebes and over half of the collection derives from the Oriental Institute excavations at Medinet Habu. It is the project's aim to make available all of the Demotic ostraca in this collection, both published and unpublished, to scholars worldwide in a format that will allow for complex searching and sorting criteria as well as quick and easy updating.
April 17, 2009
Audio/Video recordings of some past Member's Event Lectures are available here.
Additional lectures will be added periodically. Lectures are recorded and distributed with the permission of the presenter.
April 6, 2009
A formal description of the Oriental Institute's Electronic Publications Initiative is now available.
Publication of research is a central tenet of the mission of the Oriental Institute. Of equal importance is the widespread accessibility of the Institute's publications to scholars and interested individuals throughout the world. Towards that end, on October 27, 2004, the Oriental Institute established the Electronic Publications Initiative (EPI), by which all publications of the Oriental Institute are simultaneously published both in print and electronically on the Internet, electronic distribution is complimentary, and older titles are to be scanned and distributed on the Internet as funding and time permit.
March 16, 2009
The Oriental Institute Publications Office announces a new print publication:
For decades, scholars have struggled to understand the complex relationship between pastoral nomadic tribes and sedentary peoples of the Near East. The Oriental Institute's fourth annual post-doc seminar (March 7-8, 2008), Nomads, Tribes, and the State in the Ancient Near East, brought together archaeologists, historians, and anthropologists to discuss new approaches to enduring questions in the study of nomadic peoples, tribes, and states of the past: What social or political bonds link tribes and states? Could nomadic tribes exhibit elements of urbanism or social hierarchies? How can the tools of historical, archaeological, and ethnographic research be integrated to build a dynamic picture of the social landscape of the Near East? This volume presents a range of data and theoretical perspectives from a variety of regions and periods, including prehistoric Iran, ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, seventh-century Arabia, and nineteenth-century Jordan.
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
The Oriental Institute Reserach Archives announces these new acquisitions for January 2009 and February 2009.
February 13, 2009
The monthly Oriental Institute e-Newsletter can now be subscribed to from the footer area of every page on the Institute’s website, including this What’s New page!
February 11, 2009
The 2009 version of John A. Brinkman”s “Mesopotamian Directory” is now available for download, in Adobe PDF format:
January 27, 2009
The Oriental Institute Publications Office announces a new print publication:
- OIMP 29. The Life of Meresamun: A Temple Singer in Ancient Egypt. Edited by Emily Teeter and Janet H. Johnson. 2009.
This companion volume and catalog to the exhibit that opens on February 9, 2009, traces the life of Meresamun whose mummy, dating to about 800 B.C., is one of the highlights of the Oriental Institute’s Museum. The text introduces the historical and cultural setting of Egypt during her time. Essays and artifacts examine the role of music and of musicians in Egyptian temple cults, their training, and the types of musical instruments that Meresamun would have used. The life of Meresamun outside the temple is explored, with emphasis upon her social and legal status, what other professions were available to her, and what home life was like. The study of the life of this individual is augmented by forensic evidence obtained with the newest generation of CT scanners that sheds light on Meresamun’s life and death.
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
December 23, 2008
The Oriental Institute Publications Office announces a new print publication:
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
December 5, 2008
New Research Archives Acquisitions List for October 2008 is now available
November 21, 2008
New article by Norman Golb is now available in Adobe Portable Document Format (pdf):
November 17, 2008
The Program and Abstracts for the Oriental Institute’s 2009 Symposium, “Science and Superstition: Interpretation of Signs in the Ancient World,” are now available.
November 13, 2008
A new page listing past Oriental Institute Events has been created:
October 7, 2008
Announcing the second printing, with minor corrections, of OIS 3. Performing Death: Social Analyses of Funerary Traditions in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean. 2007. This volume contains the collected papers from the The Oriental Institute's February 17-18, 2006, symposium of the same name.
September 30, 2008
The Oriental Institute announces the fourth printing of Robert Ritner's The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Practice (SAOC 54; Chicago:
This companion volume and catalog to the exhibit that opens on February 9, 2009, traces the life of Meresamun whose mummy, dating to about 800 B.C., is one of the highlights of the Oriental Institute’s Museum. The text introduces the historical and cultural setting of Egypt during her time. Essays and artifacts examine the role of music and of musicians in Egyptian temple cults, their training, and the types of musical instruments that Meresamun would have used. The life of Meresamun outside the temple is explored, with emphasis upon her social and legal status, what other professions were available to her, and what home life was like. The study of the life of this individual is augmented by forensic evidence obtained with the newest generation of CT scanners that sheds light on Meresamun’s life and death.
This title will be made available on-line in the near future as part of the Oriental Institute's Electronic Initiative.
September 22, 2008
A corrected version of the Adobe Portable Document Format (pdf) file for the Oriental Institute publication:
As part of our University Of Chicago (Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations) Dissertations On-Line, the following dissertation is now available for downloading as an Adobe Portable Document Format (pdf).
September 12, 2008
The Oriental Institute Publications Office announces a new print publication:
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
August 6, 2008
New Alphabetic Inscription From Zincirli (ancient Sam’al) In Southeast Turkey
On July 21, 2008, the Neubauer Expedition to Zincirli, directed by Prof. David Schloen of the University of Chicago and by associate director Amir Fink, found an inscribed basalt stele at the site of Zincirli (pronounced “Zin-jeer-lee”) in Gaziantep province in southeastern Turkey. The remarkably well-preserved stele, 70 centimeters wide and 95 centimeters tall, was found intact in its original location.
June 16, 2008
The Oriental Institute Research Archives Acquisitions List—May 2008 is now available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) format.
Oriental Institute Job Posting: Assistant Professor of Egyptology
The Oriental Institute and the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations of the University of Chicago invite applications for a tenure-track position of Assistant Professor in Egyptology with a starting date in Fall 2009.
Candidates must have competence in all stages of the Egyptian language. In addition, they should have a research interest and focus on Egyptian social or economic history or art history. Candidates with pre-New Kingdom research interest and focus are especially encouraged to apply.
The successful candidate must have the Ph.D. completed before the appointment begins.
Please submit a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, and a list of three (3) referees (including e-mail addresses whenever possible) before November 30, 2008, to:
Chair, Egyptology Search Committee
The Oriental Institute
1155 East 58th St.
Chicago, IL 60637 USA
Tel. (USA) 773-834-8098
Fax: (USA) 773-702-9853
email: oi-administration@uchicago.edu
No additional materials should be submitted at this time.
Inquiries and electronic submissions may be sent by e-mail to oi-administration@uchicago.edu with subject heading “Egyptology Search.”
The University of Chicago is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
May 14, 2008
The Oriental Institute Research Archives Acquisitions List—April 2008 is now available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) format.
With the permission of the author, The Oriental Institute Research Archives announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of: Sociolinguistics of the Luvian Language: A Dissertation Presented to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Ilya Yakubovich. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, June 2008
May 6, 2008
A revised version of Robert Ritner’s November 2007 article, Ptolemy IX (Soter II) at Thebes, correcting several typos and now including four photographs, is now available for downloading in the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.
April 29, 2008
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of the remaining 21 volumes of The Chicago Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)
- Volume 1, A, part 1
- Volume 1, A, part 2
- Volume 2, B
- Volume 3, D
- Volume 4, E
- Volume 5, G
- Volume 6, H [Het]
- Volume 7, I/J
- Volume 8, K
- Volume 9, L (revised version)
- Volume 10, M, part 1
- Volume 10, M, part 2
- Volume 11, N, part 1
- Volume 11, N, part 2
- Volume 13, Q
- Volume 15, S
- Volume 16, S [Tsade]
- Volume 17, S [Shin], part 1
- Volume 17, S [Shin], part 2
- Volume 17, S [Shin], part 3
- Volume 21, Z
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of one additional volume of The Chicago Hittite Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CHD)
- Volume L-N (four fascicles in one pdf file)
April 25, 2008
The Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the reprinting of four volumes of The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD):
- Volume 8, K
- Volume 9, L
- Volume 11, N, part 1/2
- Volume 17, S [shin], part 3
April 14, 2008
New article by Robert Ritner:
April 8, 2008
New article by Norman Golb:
April 4, 2008
The Oriental Institute Publications Office announces two new print publications:
- SAOC 62. Proceedings of the 51st Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Held at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, July 18–22, 2005. 2008.
- OIMP 28. Catastrophe! The Looting and Destruction of Iraq’s Past. Geoff Emberling and Katharyn Hanson, eds. 2008.
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
- SAOC 62. Proceedings of the 51st Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Held at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, July 18–22, 2005. 2008.
- OIMP 28. Catastrophe! The Looting and Destruction of Iraq’s Past. Geoff Emberling and Katharyn Hanson, eds. 2008.
February 28, 2008
The Oriental Institute Publications Office announces two new print publications:
- OIS 4. Religion and Power: Divine Kingship in the Ancient World and Beyond. Nicole Brisch, ed., 2008.
- OIS 2. Margins of Writing, Origins of Cultures. Seth L. Sanders, ed. 2007 (second printing).
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
- OIS 4. Religion and Power: Divine Kingship in the Ancient World and Beyond. Nicole Brisch, ed., 2008.
- OIS 2. Margins of Writing, Origins of Cultures. Seth L. Sanders, ed. 2007 (second printing).
February 26, 2008
Oriental Institute Job Posting: Research Associate in the Archaeology of the Southern Levant
The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago invites applications for the position of Research Associate in Ancient Studies focusing on the Archaeology of the Southern Levant. The person hired in this capacity must be a specialist in some portion of the prehistoric period from the eighth to the fourth millennia B.C. and will be expected to conduct independent field research in Israel. Applicants should have a substantial record of archaeological excavation and related publications. This is not a tenure-track faculty position but rather a full-time research position with the possibility of occasional undergraduate and graduate-level teaching. The initial appointment as a Research Associate will be for one year, beginning in the 2008–2009 academic year, with the expectation that the appointment will be renewed thereafter on the basis of continued excellent performance and publication.
Applications should include CV, names of 3 referees and a statement of qualifications and experience. Review of applications will begin on March 25th, 2008. Please forward your application and any inquiries to:
Prof. David Schloen
University of Chicago, Oriental Institute
1155 East 58th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637
d-schloen@uchicago.edu
tel. (773) 702-1382
fax (773) 702-9853
The University of Chicago is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
February 19, 2008
Special Exhibit
The Oriental Institute Museum of the University of Chicago will present an exhibit “Catastrophe! The Looting and Destruction of Iraq’s Past ” in Chicago from April 10 to December 31, 2008. The opening date, April 10, marks the fifth anniversary of the looting of the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad.
January 2, 2008
As part of its Electronic Publications Initiative, the Oriental Institute Publications Office announces the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) publication of:
- The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Volume P.
- The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Volume R.
Revised: February 8, 2010