The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture

by Karen Radner (Editor), Eleanor Robson

The cuneiform script, the writing system of ancient Mesopotamia, was witness to one of the world's oldest literate cultures. For over three millennia, it was the vehicle of communication from (at its greatest extent) Iran to the Mediterranean, Anatolia to Egypt. The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture examines the Ancient Middle East through the lens of cuneiform writing. The contributors, a mix of scholars from across the disciplines, explore, define, and to some extent look beyond the boundaries of the written word, using Mesopotamia's clay tablets and stone inscriptions not just as 'texts' but also as material artefacts that offer much additional information about their creators, readers, users and owners.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Archaeology

805 pages, Hardcover

First published November 14, 2011

About the author

Karen Radner is Alexander von Humboldt Professor of Ancient History of the Near and Middle East at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.

Reviews

[Christine Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad I scrimped and saved, and finally obtained this volume. It's by far one of the best resources on the Ancient Near East that I have ever read. It covers a wide range of topics about ANE culture, from literacy to judicial processes and the concept of freedom in Sumerian society (one of the best essays in the text!), and I was impressed by the rich level of detail in the essays. It was enormously helpful in my research, and while the list price is expensive, it's an essential addition to any scholar of Ancient Near Eastern studies.

[AskHistorians]

A voluminous collection of essays dealing with every aspect of the culture of the "cuneiform world" from food to education to political organization to music. Very readable and extensive in its coverage and throughly up-to-date.

[WAIA · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture is a collections of essays that create
a pretty high quality understanding of the whole of mesopotamia. Every essay measures
around 20 to 30 pages and can be enjoyed while never overstaying it's welcome.

I'd consider this my favourite book on the subject of Mesopotamia so far!
Modern scholarship just being shockingly good. I feel like the methodology
to pierce through ancient mesopotamia can be utilised in other areas of world history too.
Going beyond it's first function of properly teaching you about Cuneiform culture and
giving you the proper handlebars to interpret history as a reader.

I can't recommend the book as a "'beginner's book" on the matter even with its "handbook"
title. I recommend reading it as your second text into the subject of mesopotamia. Familiarising
your self with some of the context surrounding the area will make the readthrough a bit easier on the layman.

There's enough sourcing in there to last you a lifetime lol.

[Janelle C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mostly purchased this for the chapters on writing and gender (Lion), because it have been interested in what records we have for female scribes. This chapter was very informative, but I have enjoyed much more of this book: that's a really good job of breaking down different eras of writing, excellent black and white texts and I also really enjoyed the chapter on functional literacy, and the other arts including dance and music as reflected in writing.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful and fresh perspectives on both basic and more obscure topics. Particularly appreciated that many of the authors placed their chapters in relation to others in the volume.