- Restores coherence and context to the study of Assyriology through its emphasis on textual sources which are at the same time material artefacts
- Written by an outstanding team of international scholars
- Disciplines of archaeology, history, and philology are combined to produce an integrated picture
- More than 100 illustrations, including maps and timelines, provide easy access to key information
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.