Akkadian and Sumerian Studies



Introduction • General Graduate Requirements • Field Requirements • Faculty • Courses
Introduction Students in this field focus on Akkadian and/or Sumerian languages, literature, and history. Applicants are normally expected to have studied at least one Semitic language at the time of application. Course work is aimed at providing a solid linguistic and historical basis for advanced study of ancient texts in their original form. Students working in this field sometimes choose to combine their interest with the study of ancient Israel in the biblical period (see below: Hebrew Bible).
	Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal, ca.668-627 B.C.
General Graduate Requirements Students pursuing a graduate degree in Akkadian and Sumerian Studies are required to meet the general graduate requirements for all students pursuing graduate degrees in the Department of Near Eastern Language and Civilizations. In addition to these requirements, students must also meet the field requirements in Akkadian and Sumerian Studies. Field Requirements Note: These are requirements for students pursuing a Ph.D in Akkadian and Sumerian Studies. For students pursuing the A.M., please see the general graduate requirements above by clicking here. Basic Obligatory Three-Year Program (16 credits) • 6 terms of Akkadian (2 Elementary, Akkad A; 2 Intermediate, Akkad 120; 2 Advanced) • 4 terms of Sumerian (2 Elementary, Sum. A; 2 Intermediate, Sum. 120) • Mesopotamian History (1 term, ANE 100) • Mesopotamian Religion (1 term, ANE 102) • Mesopotamian archaeology (1 term, ANE 101) • Mesopotamian art history (1 term, History of Art and Architecture 13h) • 2 terms of Classical Hebrew or Classical Arabic These requirements may be waived upon evidence of prior credits from other institutions. In such cases students will take more of the following optional courses.
Additional/optional program (8 credits) Various seminars/specialized courses on Sumerian, Akkadian, and Semitic Philology (or from other disciplines depending on the student interests and orientation), such as the following: Akkadian 142. Akkadian Hymns and Prayers Akkadian 144. Akkadian Divination Texts Akkadian 149. Akkadian Legal and Economic Texts Akkadian 150. Akkadian Historiographic Texts Akkadian 151. Cuneiform Sources for the Hellenistic Period Akkadian 153. Old Akkadian Akkadian 154a/154b. Peripheral Akkadian Akkadian 155r. Akkadian Historical Grammar and Dialectology Sumerian 146. Sumerian Religious Literature Sumerian 149. Sumerian Legal and Economic Texts Semitic Philology 140. Introduction to the Comparative Study of Semitic Languages Akk. Wisdom Literature (1 term) Akk. Neo-Babylonian Archival Texts (1 term) Akk. Historical Texts (1 term) Sum. Historical Texts (1 term) Sum. Incantations (1 term)
		Hero mastering a lion, relief from facade of the throne room, Palace of Sargon II at Khorsabad (Dur-Sharrukin).
Faculty John Huehnergard, Professor of Semitic Philology Peter Machinist, Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages Benjamin Studevent-Hickman , Lecturer on Assyriology Piotr Steinkeller, Professor of Assyriology Irene Winter, William Dorr Boardman Professor of Fine Arts (Department of Art and Architecture) Courses For a complete list of the courses in Akkadian, Sumerian, and in other fields in NELC, please click here. For a complete list of the courses in the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, please click here. For the Harvard University Wide Online Course Catalog, please click here. click here to return to the top ©Copyright 2003 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College