CLAS 199-S09: Ritual in Mesopotamia (Knott): Primary (Ancient) Sources

DECIPHERING ABBREVIATIONS

Secondary sources like encyclopedias and dictionaries, as well as commentaries and other books, sometimes provide helpful references to ancient texts that you may want to follow. These could appear in the bibliography, OR they could be presented as part of the text (or both). 

You will need to decipher these abbreviations before you can determine which ancient text the encyclopedia is referencing. Fortunately, most reference books of this kind provide information about how they use abbreviations somewhere at the front of the book (note that if you are using a multi-volume series, this information may be at the front of each volume or may be limited to the first volume). 

If the list is standard enough, you may be able to find it in other sources. The book you are using might also spell out abbreviations, if not in a preface, than in a section under References or Further Reading (pay attention to whether they mention this!). 

If you cannot find the meaning of the abbreviation, don't be afraid to ask your professor, or Google it! When you search, add in a keyword that will help specify what topic you're working on. For example, the Companion to Assyria references the abbreviation RIMA; if you google RIMA, you will get a lot of false positives, including the Rhode Island Manufacturer's Association (not helpful!). But if you Google RIMA Assyria , the first result will tell you that RIMA, in this context, stands for the series Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia: Assyrian Periods. 

Specific Citations 

Citations to specific passages and sections, like examples at the start of this box (ex - Od. 5.333), may use different numbering systems depending on the kind of texts you are looking at (i.e., Greco-Roman vs.  Assyrian). Below is a list of abbreviations that may help you in navigating Assyrian/Akkadian sources: 

TEXTUAL CULTURE

Online Collections:

All of these collections can be found (along with a host of others) in the...

Books in the Library: 

The majority of books relating to the study of Babylon and Akkadian are located in either the DS call number section (history of Asia) or the PJ call number section (officially designated for 'Oriental Philology and Literature' -- this section is where you will find Egyptian, Akkadian and Sumerian, Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac and Arabic). 

DS books are located on the mezzanine level of the Dinand Library stacks, mostly in the East Wing. PJ books are located on the bottom level of the Dinand Library stacks, in the Center Stacks. 

Here are the areas where you will find editions and translations of relevant ancient texts. These are also marked on the map attached this box: 

History of Assyria, Babylon and Mesopotamia (incl. some texts): DS67 to DS79.9

Akkadian texts, by genre: PJ3601 to PJ3971

Akkadian texts in translation: PJ3771.G5, PJ3886, and PJ3951 to PJ3971