Scientific advances
in the study of cuneiform collections
and scribal practices
in the ancient Middle East
The British Museum - 10 September 2025
Presentation of the workshop
This workshop brings together international scholars to discuss new scientific approaches to cuneiform collections. Big questions will be addressed through cutting-edge analytical techniques: the materiality of the tablets, the technology of tablet making, the networks of knowledge and exchange of scribes and texts, the material aspect of the constitution of cuneiform archives, and the organisation of scribal practices within different fields of cuneiform writing (administration, literature or scholarly texts). Presentations are intended to mainly focus on scientific and technological aspects (chaîne opératoire approach), using epigraphic data for the context and interpretation of scientific analyses. They will tackle the following topics: The characterisation of the clays through petrography and elemental composition to understand sourcing, processing, and firing; The reconstruction of shaping techniques through technological studies; Analytical and imaging methods implemented to reach these goals; Research on cuneiform collections in museums. Discussions will challenge traditional views and reveal new stories about the cuneiform world. Beneath the texts lies another story of writing, clay technology and economy in ancient Mesopotamia. The materiality of cuneiform texts yields new views on the organisation of scribal practices, highlighting differences and connections between traditions, communities and individuals in the cuneiform regions.
The workshop is open to the public upon registration: please contact us through the 'Registration' page.
This workshop is an outcome of the research project "Reading beneath the texts: technological aspects of cuneiform 'tablet' production" conducted at the Department of Scientific Research of the British Museum.
Visit the project webpage for more information.
The symposium is organised by:
- Mathilde Jean, Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Scientific Research, The British Museum.
- Michela Spataro, Scientist (Ceramics and Stone), Department of Scientific Research, The British Museum.
- Jonathan J. Taylor, Curator (Cuneiform Collections and Cylinder Seals), Department of the Middle East, The British Museum.
For further information please contact: mjean@britishmuseum.org
Department of Scientific Research The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
Organised by The British Museum
Supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation & the Knowledge Quarter
