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Angela Greco

Università degli Studi "La Sapienza" di Roma, Istituto Italiano di Studi Orientali - ISO, Department Member

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2005: Degree in Assiriology, Sapienza University of Rome (110/110 cum laude)
2007: Postgraduate studies at the ‘Instituto de Lenguas y Culturas del Mediteràneo y Oriente pròximo’, CSIC, Madrid
2013: PhD in Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations/Altorientalistik Sapienza University of Rome–Freie Universität, Berlin (Summa cum Laude)
2012-2014: Freie Universität
2015-2017: Sapienza
2018: Istituto di Studi sul Mediterraneo Antico – CNR, Rome
2019-2020: Sapienza
2021: Istituto di Scienze del Patrimonio Culturale – CNR, Rome
2022-2025: scholarship Gerda Henkel Stiftung

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John Huehnergard

The University of Texas at Austin

Vladimir Emelianov

Saint-Petersburg State University

Lorenzo Verderame

Università degli Studi "La Sapienza" di Roma

University of Edinburgh

Piotr Michalowski

University of Michigan

Jonathan S . Burgess

University of Toronto

Yale University

Jaume Llop-Raduà

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

New York University

University of East London

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articles by Angela Greco

Abudance of Fish, Source of Fat. An Interdisciplinary Investigation of Fish Seasonality and Fish Oil Production in Early Bronze Age Lower Mesopotamia

ZA 114/2, 2024

A.2.4.04–Fish Oil Production and Storage in Third Millennium BCE Mesopotamia’

in (Walther Sallaberger ed.)Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats in Early Urban Societies of Syro-Mesopotamia: Digital Data Collection, 2024

A.2.4.03–Fish Oil in Presargonic Ĝirsu

in (Walther Sallaberger ed.)Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats in Early Urban Societies of Syro-Mesopotamia: Digital Data Collection, 2024

A.2.4.02–The Uses of Fish oil

in (Walther Sallaberger, ed.)Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats in Early Urban Societies of Syro-Mesopotamia: Digital Data Collection, 2024

‘A.2.4.01–Fish Oil in Umma and Ĝirsu during the Ur III period’

in (Walther Sallaberger, ed.)Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats in Early Urban Societies of Syro-Mesopotamia: Digital Data Collection. , 2024

Some Reflectlions on the Sheep Pastures at Ur III Girsu

Oriens Antiquus NS 5, 2023

Sheep raising relied on a long local tradition in the Mesopotamian alluvium, where pastoralism wa... more

Another attestation of the "men of the temple of the gods"

NABU 2023-4 nr. 84, 2023

N° 4 (décembre) NOTES BRÈVES 84) Another attestation of the "men of the temple of the gods" in Eb... more N° 4 (décembre) NOTES BRÈVES 84) Another attestation of the "men of the temple of the gods" in Ebla-Recently, in NABU 2023/55, Alfonso Archi has published a new fragmentary tablet from the Central Archive (L. 2769) of Ebla, which landed several years ago in the antiquity market. The document reports a monthly distribution of garments and date to the time of the minister Ib-ri₂-um (ARCHI 2023). The second column of what is understood as the obverse reports the allotment of garments to a group of individuals, who can be recognized as "men of the temple of the gods" (lu₂ e₂ dingir-dingir-dingir). In fact, in obv. II′ 5′-7′, one can read the following names: [U]š-ra-[s]a₂-mu, A-šu-ur₂-NI, and I-ti-N[E], which belong to a group of three individuals who had served the temple of the gods (e2 dingir-dingir-dingir) 1) from the period of the minister Ib-ri₂-um until the latest phases of the archive (GRECO 2022: 12). This further attestation confirms the fixed sequence of names in this group (GRECO 2022: 8), unclear whether referring to a sort of internal hierarchy. Noteworthy is the variant A-šu-ur₂-NI in place of the usual A-šu-ur-NI. Unfortunately, the break affecting the last part of the column does not allow us to understand whether the recorded allotment of textiles was supposed to reward their usual activity of servants of the temple, or their occasional activities as collectors (ur₄/urₓ) on behalf of the temple and its cultic personnel or even on behalf of the royal court

Fish Oil in Early Mesopotamia. Some Observations

Aula Orientalis 41/2, 2023

The widespread availability of fish in the economic landscape of Southern Mesopotamia favoured th... more The widespread availability of fish in the economic landscape of Southern Mesopotamia favoured the use of fish oil as a fatty substance particularly suitable for the waterproofing of cordage and boats, but also sporadically used in other contexts or for different purposes. Thanks to its easy availability and practical use, fish oil was-to significant different extents-the object of institutional demand over the course of time. A clear connection with boat building can be inferred as recently as the Presargonic period. From this period, the archive of the e-munus offers the example of the circulation of fish oil within a household, involving its majordomo and the producers, the fishermen. From the Ur III period, the provincial archives of Umma and Ĝirsu describe a more complex situation, which involved the activity of fishermen, fish merchants, and merchants as suppliers, on one hand, and officials and shipyard administrators as go-betweens or beneficiaries, on the other.

Some Observations on Ebla's Gardens and Gardeners

Studia Eblaitica 9, 2023

This contribution discusses the agricultural units defined as gardens (giš-kiri 6 or giš-nu-kiri ... more This contribution discusses the agricultural units defined as gardens (giš-kiri 6 or giš-nu-kiri 6) in the archive of Palace G at Ebla. Here, gardens can be understood as consisting of fruit tree groves, although the available documentation does not offer many hints at the kinds of crops cultivated in these plots. Indeed, most evidence rather concerns the relevant workers, among which can be distinguished proper "gardeners" (giš-nu-kiri 6), that is, adult male skilled workers; "apprentice gardeners" (dumu-nita giš-nu-kiri 6), who could be the sons of gardeners; and, sporadically, also women (dam). Individuals from both foreign and local centers are classified as gardeners. Indeed, garden produce was not simply conceived as foodstuffs for consumption, but also as delicacies employed within diplomacy between states.

PALAEOGRAPHIC REMARKS ON ESIR2 (BITUMEN) AND ENGUR (UNDERGROUND WATERS) IN THIRD MILLENNIUM CUNEIFORM SOURCES

RSO 95, 2022

Per uso strettamente personale dell'autore. È proibita la riproduzione e la pubblicazione in open... more

Osservazioni prosopografiche sul personale del tempio degli dèi di Ebla

Asiana 4, 2022

The article intends to offer an overview of the personnel tied to the Eblaite temple of gods (e2 ... more The article intends to offer an overview of the personnel tied to the Eblaite temple of gods (e2 dingir-dingir-(dingir-dingir)), which was likely devoted to the worship of the royal ancestors. The Ebla documents distinguishes individuals exclusively tied to worship activities (lu2 dingir-dingir-(dingir-dingir)) and individuals tied to the management of the temple (lu2 e2 dingir-dingir-(dingir-dingir)). In addition, the documentation provides attestations of young individuals employed in support of both sacred and profane activies, and women employed at the service of the temple.

Some considerations on workers and officials involved in the circulation of fish in the Ur III Umma province

Proceeding Brodening Horizons 6, 2022

The importance of fishery in third-millennium Mesopotamia is well known; nevertheless, what extan... more The importance of fishery in third-millennium Mesopotamia is well known; nevertheless, what extant economic documents substantially describe is an intricate network of (human) bureaucratic interaction aimed at controlling and exploiting the surrounding natural environment. This contribution puts forward some considerations on workers and officials, such as fishermen, fish collectors (enku), scribes and high-ranking officials, involved in the circulation of fish in Ur-III Umma. In addition, it will discuss possible royal interference in the provincial institutional landscape.

Whips and Boats. On Hunters and Fishermen in Third Millennium Southern Mesopotamia

Archiv Orientální 89/3, 2021

Whips were tools used to approach large animals and thus were part of the equipment of individual... more Whips were tools used to approach large animals and thus were part of the equipment of individuals engaged in catching large prey. Such individuals can be understood as hunters. However, the environment shaped the role of this professional figure, just as it determined the range of other animals they could catch and, accordingly, the basic differentiation between land hunters and fishermen/hunters, the latter specifically tied to the use of boats. So far, no specific Sumerian words have been recognized as defining the figure of the hunter; this paper proposes an interpretation as (land) hunter of the Sumerian title usan 3 /usan 5-du 3 , a profession usually understood as bird-catcher or fowler. Although it is clear that the main prey in South Mesopotamia were fowl, the professional title hints at the use of whips, therefore at the equipment suitable for catching large prey, such as equids and ungulates. Moreover, this paper suggests that individuals equipped to catch large prey in wet environments are mostly hidden among the fishermen; texts concerning boat transport can, however, offer some hints of their presence among individuals who had some acquaintance with boats.

An Archive of Pasture Plots from Ur-IIIĜirsu

CDLJ 2021/2, 2021

§0. Introduction §0.1 The present contribution 1 seeks to analyze different tablets from Ur-IIIĜi... more §0. Introduction §0.1 The present contribution 1 seeks to analyze different tablets from Ur-IIIĜirsu belonging to a single archive, many of which share the characteristic of having a lenticular shape. 2 These texts record accounts (nig 2-ka 9 aka) concerning the number of sheep, which have grazed in a given field within a given year, and mention the individuals who were responsible for, or somehow connected to them. All the tablets are already been published, yet their information has been dispersed in the tangled network of information from the thousands of Ur-III documents; by treating them as a unit, we can appreciate the consistent insight they offer us (in their own way). §1.0. The tablets (cited according to primary publication) §1.0.1. Lenticular tablets

L'incesto nella documentazione cuneiforme mesopotamica

I figli di Eolo. Il motivo mitico e letterario dell'incesto tra antico e moderno. A cura di S. Quadrelli e E. Subrani, 2020

Neglected Source of Prosperity: Marsh Resources and the Role of the enku in Third Millennium BC Mesopotamia

Dubsar 19 FS Pomponio , 2021

A Graphic Expedient for Counting Sheep in Ur III Ĝirsu

NABU 2020 2 46, 2020

Ĝirsu -In a few texts from Ur-III Ĝirsu, we can find a peculiar use of a well-known notation syst... more

The taming of the wilderness: marshes as an economic resource in 3rd millennium BC Southern Mesopotamia

Water History, 2020

The marshy environment of Southern Sumer in the 3rd millennium BC surely had an impact on the loc... more The marshy environment of Southern Sumer in the 3rd millennium BC surely had an impact on the local economy that can be sought for in the written sources. The perception of marshes was however twofold: as a prosperous environment in literary compositions and as a place to be tamed for regular, state-controlled exploitation in royal inscriptions. The great majority of attestations of marshes in economic documents refer to field names, thus, probably referring to agricultural units in drained marsh areas. On the other hand, typical marsh resources, such as reeds, fish and fowl, are widely attested in the economic documentation from 3rd millennium BC, although we can rely on very little information as to their provenance. To conclude, both literary and economic texts give hints for an interpretation of the professional figure known as ‘enku(d/r)’, usually interpreted as ‘tax-collector’ or ‘inspector of the fishery’, as an official connected with the management of wetland resources.

CHAPTER 16. ABU TBEIRAH A PHILOLOGICAL AND EPIGRAPHIC POINT OF VIEW

Abu Tbeirah. Excavations I. Area 1. Last Phase and Building A- Phase 1, 2019

The Code of Hammurabi in later School Tradition

OrAnt N.S. 1, 2019

Hammurabi is surely one of the most famous rulers of the Ancient Near East thanks to the stele en... more Hammurabi is surely one of the most famous rulers of the Ancient Near East thanks to the stele engraved with his laws found at the beginning of the twentieth century. The numerous sources of his Code, attested in the history on ancient Mesopotamia until the last period of its history, suggest that this composition was famous also in ancient times and was considered by the scholars a paradigm to imitate both as an example of high style as well as the best representative of the most ancient cuneiform writing

Abudance of Fish, Source of Fat. An Interdisciplinary Investigation of Fish Seasonality and Fish Oil Production in Early Bronze Age Lower Mesopotamia

ZA 114/2, 2024

A.2.4.04–Fish Oil Production and Storage in Third Millennium BCE Mesopotamia’

in (Walther Sallaberger ed.)Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats in Early Urban Societies of Syro-Mesopotamia: Digital Data Collection, 2024

A.2.4.03–Fish Oil in Presargonic Ĝirsu

in (Walther Sallaberger ed.)Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats in Early Urban Societies of Syro-Mesopotamia: Digital Data Collection, 2024

A.2.4.02–The Uses of Fish oil

in (Walther Sallaberger, ed.)Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats in Early Urban Societies of Syro-Mesopotamia: Digital Data Collection, 2024

‘A.2.4.01–Fish Oil in Umma and Ĝirsu during the Ur III period’

in (Walther Sallaberger, ed.)Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats in Early Urban Societies of Syro-Mesopotamia: Digital Data Collection. , 2024

Some Reflectlions on the Sheep Pastures at Ur III Girsu

Oriens Antiquus NS 5, 2023

Sheep raising relied on a long local tradition in the Mesopotamian alluvium, where pastoralism wa... more

Another attestation of the "men of the temple of the gods"

NABU 2023-4 nr. 84, 2023

N° 4 (décembre) NOTES BRÈVES 84) Another attestation of the "men of the temple of the gods" in Eb... more N° 4 (décembre) NOTES BRÈVES 84) Another attestation of the "men of the temple of the gods" in Ebla-Recently, in NABU 2023/55, Alfonso Archi has published a new fragmentary tablet from the Central Archive (L. 2769) of Ebla, which landed several years ago in the antiquity market. The document reports a monthly distribution of garments and date to the time of the minister Ib-ri₂-um (ARCHI 2023). The second column of what is understood as the obverse reports the allotment of garments to a group of individuals, who can be recognized as "men of the temple of the gods" (lu₂ e₂ dingir-dingir-dingir). In fact, in obv. II′ 5′-7′, one can read the following names: [U]š-ra-[s]a₂-mu, A-šu-ur₂-NI, and I-ti-N[E], which belong to a group of three individuals who had served the temple of the gods (e2 dingir-dingir-dingir) 1) from the period of the minister Ib-ri₂-um until the latest phases of the archive (GRECO 2022: 12). This further attestation confirms the fixed sequence of names in this group (GRECO 2022: 8), unclear whether referring to a sort of internal hierarchy. Noteworthy is the variant A-šu-ur₂-NI in place of the usual A-šu-ur-NI. Unfortunately, the break affecting the last part of the column does not allow us to understand whether the recorded allotment of textiles was supposed to reward their usual activity of servants of the temple, or their occasional activities as collectors (ur₄/urₓ) on behalf of the temple and its cultic personnel or even on behalf of the royal court

Fish Oil in Early Mesopotamia. Some Observations

Aula Orientalis 41/2, 2023

The widespread availability of fish in the economic landscape of Southern Mesopotamia favoured th... more The widespread availability of fish in the economic landscape of Southern Mesopotamia favoured the use of fish oil as a fatty substance particularly suitable for the waterproofing of cordage and boats, but also sporadically used in other contexts or for different purposes. Thanks to its easy availability and practical use, fish oil was-to significant different extents-the object of institutional demand over the course of time. A clear connection with boat building can be inferred as recently as the Presargonic period. From this period, the archive of the e-munus offers the example of the circulation of fish oil within a household, involving its majordomo and the producers, the fishermen. From the Ur III period, the provincial archives of Umma and Ĝirsu describe a more complex situation, which involved the activity of fishermen, fish merchants, and merchants as suppliers, on one hand, and officials and shipyard administrators as go-betweens or beneficiaries, on the other.

Some Observations on Ebla's Gardens and Gardeners

Studia Eblaitica 9, 2023

This contribution discusses the agricultural units defined as gardens (giš-kiri 6 or giš-nu-kiri ... more This contribution discusses the agricultural units defined as gardens (giš-kiri 6 or giš-nu-kiri 6) in the archive of Palace G at Ebla. Here, gardens can be understood as consisting of fruit tree groves, although the available documentation does not offer many hints at the kinds of crops cultivated in these plots. Indeed, most evidence rather concerns the relevant workers, among which can be distinguished proper "gardeners" (giš-nu-kiri 6), that is, adult male skilled workers; "apprentice gardeners" (dumu-nita giš-nu-kiri 6), who could be the sons of gardeners; and, sporadically, also women (dam). Individuals from both foreign and local centers are classified as gardeners. Indeed, garden produce was not simply conceived as foodstuffs for consumption, but also as delicacies employed within diplomacy between states.

PALAEOGRAPHIC REMARKS ON ESIR2 (BITUMEN) AND ENGUR (UNDERGROUND WATERS) IN THIRD MILLENNIUM CUNEIFORM SOURCES

RSO 95, 2022

Per uso strettamente personale dell'autore. È proibita la riproduzione e la pubblicazione in open... more

Osservazioni prosopografiche sul personale del tempio degli dèi di Ebla

Asiana 4, 2022

The article intends to offer an overview of the personnel tied to the Eblaite temple of gods (e2 ... more The article intends to offer an overview of the personnel tied to the Eblaite temple of gods (e2 dingir-dingir-(dingir-dingir)), which was likely devoted to the worship of the royal ancestors. The Ebla documents distinguishes individuals exclusively tied to worship activities (lu2 dingir-dingir-(dingir-dingir)) and individuals tied to the management of the temple (lu2 e2 dingir-dingir-(dingir-dingir)). In addition, the documentation provides attestations of young individuals employed in support of both sacred and profane activies, and women employed at the service of the temple.

Some considerations on workers and officials involved in the circulation of fish in the Ur III Umma province

Proceeding Brodening Horizons 6, 2022

The importance of fishery in third-millennium Mesopotamia is well known; nevertheless, what extan... more The importance of fishery in third-millennium Mesopotamia is well known; nevertheless, what extant economic documents substantially describe is an intricate network of (human) bureaucratic interaction aimed at controlling and exploiting the surrounding natural environment. This contribution puts forward some considerations on workers and officials, such as fishermen, fish collectors (enku), scribes and high-ranking officials, involved in the circulation of fish in Ur-III Umma. In addition, it will discuss possible royal interference in the provincial institutional landscape.

Whips and Boats. On Hunters and Fishermen in Third Millennium Southern Mesopotamia

Archiv Orientální 89/3, 2021

Whips were tools used to approach large animals and thus were part of the equipment of individual... more Whips were tools used to approach large animals and thus were part of the equipment of individuals engaged in catching large prey. Such individuals can be understood as hunters. However, the environment shaped the role of this professional figure, just as it determined the range of other animals they could catch and, accordingly, the basic differentiation between land hunters and fishermen/hunters, the latter specifically tied to the use of boats. So far, no specific Sumerian words have been recognized as defining the figure of the hunter; this paper proposes an interpretation as (land) hunter of the Sumerian title usan 3 /usan 5-du 3 , a profession usually understood as bird-catcher or fowler. Although it is clear that the main prey in South Mesopotamia were fowl, the professional title hints at the use of whips, therefore at the equipment suitable for catching large prey, such as equids and ungulates. Moreover, this paper suggests that individuals equipped to catch large prey in wet environments are mostly hidden among the fishermen; texts concerning boat transport can, however, offer some hints of their presence among individuals who had some acquaintance with boats.

An Archive of Pasture Plots from Ur-IIIĜirsu

CDLJ 2021/2, 2021

§0. Introduction §0.1 The present contribution 1 seeks to analyze different tablets from Ur-IIIĜi... more §0. Introduction §0.1 The present contribution 1 seeks to analyze different tablets from Ur-IIIĜirsu belonging to a single archive, many of which share the characteristic of having a lenticular shape. 2 These texts record accounts (nig 2-ka 9 aka) concerning the number of sheep, which have grazed in a given field within a given year, and mention the individuals who were responsible for, or somehow connected to them. All the tablets are already been published, yet their information has been dispersed in the tangled network of information from the thousands of Ur-III documents; by treating them as a unit, we can appreciate the consistent insight they offer us (in their own way). §1.0. The tablets (cited according to primary publication) §1.0.1. Lenticular tablets

L'incesto nella documentazione cuneiforme mesopotamica

I figli di Eolo. Il motivo mitico e letterario dell'incesto tra antico e moderno. A cura di S. Quadrelli e E. Subrani, 2020

Neglected Source of Prosperity: Marsh Resources and the Role of the enku in Third Millennium BC Mesopotamia

Dubsar 19 FS Pomponio , 2021

A Graphic Expedient for Counting Sheep in Ur III Ĝirsu

NABU 2020 2 46, 2020

Ĝirsu -In a few texts from Ur-III Ĝirsu, we can find a peculiar use of a well-known notation syst... more

The taming of the wilderness: marshes as an economic resource in 3rd millennium BC Southern Mesopotamia

Water History, 2020

The marshy environment of Southern Sumer in the 3rd millennium BC surely had an impact on the loc... more The marshy environment of Southern Sumer in the 3rd millennium BC surely had an impact on the local economy that can be sought for in the written sources. The perception of marshes was however twofold: as a prosperous environment in literary compositions and as a place to be tamed for regular, state-controlled exploitation in royal inscriptions. The great majority of attestations of marshes in economic documents refer to field names, thus, probably referring to agricultural units in drained marsh areas. On the other hand, typical marsh resources, such as reeds, fish and fowl, are widely attested in the economic documentation from 3rd millennium BC, although we can rely on very little information as to their provenance. To conclude, both literary and economic texts give hints for an interpretation of the professional figure known as ‘enku(d/r)’, usually interpreted as ‘tax-collector’ or ‘inspector of the fishery’, as an official connected with the management of wetland resources.

CHAPTER 16. ABU TBEIRAH A PHILOLOGICAL AND EPIGRAPHIC POINT OF VIEW

Abu Tbeirah. Excavations I. Area 1. Last Phase and Building A- Phase 1, 2019

The Code of Hammurabi in later School Tradition

OrAnt N.S. 1, 2019

Hammurabi is surely one of the most famous rulers of the Ancient Near East thanks to the stele en... more Hammurabi is surely one of the most famous rulers of the Ancient Near East thanks to the stele engraved with his laws found at the beginning of the twentieth century. The numerous sources of his Code, attested in the history on ancient Mesopotamia until the last period of its history, suggest that this composition was famous also in ancient times and was considered by the scholars a paradigm to imitate both as an example of high style as well as the best representative of the most ancient cuneiform writing

AQVA - "Una risorsa tra le righe: le paludi della Mesopotamia nella documentazione del III millennio a.C." - 18/12/2017

by Marinella Ceravolo, Angela Greco, and Ludovica Bertolini

Neo-Sumerian Administrative Texts from the Géjou Collection kept in the British Museum, 2019

DICAM Nisaba. Studi Assiriologici Messinesi (NSAM) intende pubblicare sia volumi di edizione di t... more

2019. La lingua dei Sumeri

by Armando Bramanti, Gabriella Spada, and Angela Greco

La lingua dei Sumeri is the first grammar of Sumerian written in Italian. It is designed as a com... more La lingua dei Sumeri is the first grammar of Sumerian written in Italian. It is designed as a companion both for the classroom and for self-tuition. The grammatical reconstruction is mostly based on documents from the Second Dynasty of Lagash and the Third Dynasty of Ur (ca. 2140 – 2000 BCE) and is preceded by a thorough description of the historical context, cuneiform script, and phonology.

The description of morphology and syntax is followed by an extensive chrestomathy of 31 texts, giving the reader copies, transliterations, translations, and commentary of historical and royal inscriptions, legal texts, and administrative documents. The grammar is enriched by a syllabary and a sign list offering the readings and the Neo-Sumerian sign forms of the 243 signs attested in the chrestomathy and 30 noteworthy variants. An excursus on how Babylonians learnt Sumerian and a glossary conclude the volume.

Garden Administration in the Girsu Province during the Neo-Sumerian Period (2015). BPOA 12

Review to:LIU, C. – The Ur III Administrative Texts from Puzrish-Dagan Kept in the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East. (Harvard Semitic Studies 69). Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden-Boston, 2021

BiOr 79/3, 2022

Review to: R. Dahl ‘Ur III Texts in the Schøyen Collection (2019), CUSAS 39

Zeitschrift für Assyriologie 112/1 , 2022

Review to: S. Rey ‘For the Gods of Girsu. City-state formation in Ancient Sumer’ (2016), Archaeopress

Bibliotheca Orientalis 74 5/6 , 2017

Current Research in Third Millennium Studies

by Armando Bramanti, Angela Greco, and Géraldine Mastelli

Call for papers for the workshop "Current Research in Third Millennium Studies" at the 69th Renco... more