Professor emeritus Gebhard J. Selz will visit the University of Tartu

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Professor emeritus Gebhard Josef Selz of the University of Vienna will visit the University of Tartu and its Centre for Oriental Studies from 19 to 21 October. On 20 October, he will give a public lecture on Mesopotamian culture and donate two fragments of a cuneiform tablet in Assyrian and a terracotta figure of a female goddess to the Estonian Academic Oriental Association.

The donations come from Gebhard J. Selz’s personal collection of items collected during his research career. Selz has previously donated to the University of Tartu Art Museum a rare cuneiform clay cone from the era of Gudea, ruler of the Sumerian state of Lagash (c. 2144–2124 BC), with a description of ancient temple construction. The clay cone is the oldest artefact in the museum collection.

Gebhard Josef Selz is an Austrian researcher of ancient Near Eastern history, philologist of Sumerian, Akkadian and many other ancient Near Eastern languages, historian and archaeologist. He is the world’s best-known and most respected Sumerian and Assyrian scholar, having devoted his entire career to the study of the history, languages and cultures of ancient Mesopotamia. During his long career, Selz’s main research object has been ancient Sumerian culture. His contribution to the development of science has been monumental.

Selz has published monographs and research papers and initiated and edited scholarly collections and publications. He has supervised students in several countries and helped young researchers start their careers. Professor Selz has had a long and fruitful collaboration with the orientalists at the University of Tartu: he has supported Near Eastern scholars in organising research projects, monographs, research papers and joint conferences.

On the second day of his visit, the professor will give a public lecture, and on the third day, he will hand over the donation at a formal ceremony. Other speakers include Peeter Espak and Vladimir Sazonov, who will present the recent publications by the orientalists of Tartu. 

PROGRAMME

20 October 

16:15–18:00, Ülikooli 16–109

Public lecture by Professor Gebhard Josef Selz “Ancient Mesopotamia – a Culture of Signs and Roles”. 

21 October 

14:00–15:00, White Hall of the University of Tartu Museum 

Handover ceremony of Professor Selz’s donation 

15:00–16:00, White Hall of the University of Tartu Museum 

Book presentations: 

• Vladimir Sazonov, Holger Mölder, Peeter Espak and Andres Saumets “Cultural Crossroads in the Middle East: The Historical, Cultural and Political Legacy of Intercultural Dialogue and Conflict from the Ancient Near East to the Present Days”, Studia Orientalia Tartuensia, Nova Series, 8. 

• Holger Mölder, Vladimir Sazonov, Archil Chochia and Tanel Kerikmäe “The Russian Federation in Global Knowledge Warfare Influence Operations in Europe and Its Neighbourhood”, Springer.