Publications: Ephemera

[First posted 2/4/08. Updated 1/27/10 with the addition of the OI website in the Internet Archive]

In an Appendix to the October-November 1989 Research Archives Acquisitions List, I published three lists:

The first list included all titles formally included in the established series published by the Oriental Institute to that date It also included titles not in the established series, but formally indicated as publications of the Oriental Institute; co-publications with other presses; and titles published by the University of Chicago Press and advertised as being publications of the Oriental Institute, but with no other formal relationship. This list is comprehensive. That list served as the basis for the published bibliography Publications of the Oriental Institute, 1906-1991 : exploring the history and civilization of the Near East by Thomas A Holland; University of Chicago. Oriental Institute, 1991.

The second list includes less formal publications. Most of these were produced by The Oriental Institute Museum, or its department, the Museum Education Office. Included are catalogues of exhibitions curated and mounted at the Oriental Institute and descriptive material issued in conjunction with such exhibits; museum guides and descriptive material relating to permanent exhibits; educational materials available to groups or individuals; promotional materials; and reproductions of Oriental Institute objects (slides, posters, cards) available for sale. I attempted to gather as much of this type of material as possible. I am sure, however, that there are many things that I have missed. This list, with no attempt to update it with material produced after 1989, is reproduced below. I would appreciate donations of things not included on the list, information on older exhibits and their documentation, information on additional sources, etc.

The third list includes ‘periodicals’ produced at The Oriental Institute.

List 2: Oriental Institute Ephemeral "Publications" to 1989

[Achaemenid Roundel] [Poster]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; n.d.

Alexander and the East: A Special Exhibition. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1981. 4 pages.
Note: Brochure issued with the exhibition mounted at the Oriental Institute, May 27, 1981 - August 22, 1981 in conjunction with the exhibition "The Search for Alexander" held at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Amarna Symposium. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1987.
Note: Materials issued to participants in the symposium held at the Oriental Institute, November 7, 1987.

Aqaba - "Port of Palestine on the China Sea". Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; [1988]. 2 pages.
Note: Brochure issued with the exhibition held at the Oriental Institute, opening January 25, 1988.

The Arabic Calligraphy of Mohamed Zakariya. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1989. 8 pages.
Note: Catalogue of the exhibition held at the Oriental Institute, opening November 13, 1989.

Artists in Egypt: An Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings by Artists Employed by The Oriental Institute in Egypt 1920-1935. Chicago: The Oriental Institute Museum. [48 pages].
Note: Catalogue of the exhibition held at the Oriental Institute, opening May 17, 1978.

Barghusen, Joan D. The Oriental Institute Museum Teacher's Kit for Use with classes of Elementary School Students in Conjunction with a Visit to the Egyptian and Mesopotamian Galleries. Chicago: Oriental Institute Museum; c1980 [reprinted with corrections, 1988]. looseleaf; 166 pages + timelines, map.

Barghusen, Joan D. The Oriental Institute Museum Teacher's Kit: Advanced Level: Recommended for Use with High School Students in Conjunction with a Visit to the Egyptian and Mesopotamian Galleries. Chicago: Oriental Institute Museum; 1981. looseleaf; 195 pages + folding map.

Barghusen, Joan D.; Hives, Joan. Art Projects from The Oriental Institute Museum. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of The University of Chicago; 1984. vi + 86.

Base Map of the Near East and Neighboring Areas. Aerial Survey Expedition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press; 1945. 1 sheet; 36 x 58 inches; 1:4,000,000.

Base Map of the Near East and Neighboring Areas. Aerial Survey Expedition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press; 1945. 4 sheets; 36 x 58 inches; 1:2,000,000.

Blomstrom, Anne S., editor and compiler. Feasts for Pharaohs & Kings: A Cookbook by the Oriental Institute Museum, The University of Chicago: Chicago; The Oriental Institute Museum, The University of Chicago; c1983.

Canaanite Statuette: Megiddo, Palestine 1350-1170 B.C. [Postcard]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1954.

Catalogue of Ancient Lamps from the Near East Exhibited at the Oriental Institute Museum, the University of Chicago. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1955. 23 pages.
Note: Catalogue of the exhibition held at The Oriental Institute, June - October 1955.

Coming to Grips with an Ancient City: A Hundred Years of Excavation at Nippur (1888-1988). Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; [1988]. 2 pages.
Note: Brochure issued with the exhibition held at the Oriental Institute, opening May 17, 1988.

Corcoran, Lorelei H. Gilded Funerary Mask (Oriental Institute 18194). Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1988. 4 pages. (Oriental Institute Museum Featured Object; v. 7).

A Demotic Marriage Contract... [Poster]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; [1979].
Note: Produced in conjunction with the Member's Dinner to benefit the Demotic Dictionary Project, May, 1979.

Digging the Ancient Near East. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; [1988]. 2 pages.
Note: Brochure issued with the exhibition held at the Oriental Institute, October 24, 1988 - January 3l 1989.

Egyptology at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1983. 31 pages.

El-Qitar. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1988.
Note: Brochure issued with the exhibition mounted at the Oriental Institute,1988.

Full-Scale Reconstruction of a Prehistoric House Excavated at Jarmo (Iraq)... [Postcard]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1982.

Gelb, Ignace J. Standard Operating Procedure for the Assyrian Dictionary. Chicago: The Assyrian Dictionary Project at the Oriental Institute, University of Chicago; 1954. 1 volume (129 pages).

Gorny, Ronald L. Lydian Coin (Oriental Institute A23052). Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1987. 4 pages. (Oriental Institute Museum Featured Object; v. 6).

Greene, Joseph. The Sacred Tree. Chicago: The Oriental Institute Museum; 1984. 6 pages.
Note: Brochure issued in conjunction with the exhibition held at the Oriental Institute Museum, November 30, 1983 - January 5, 1984.

A Group of Sumerian Votive Statues from Temples Excavated by The Oriental Institute in the Diyala Region... [Postcard]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1988.

Guide to the Ancient Near Eastern Collection of the Oriental Institute Museum. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; [1970].

Guide to the Near Eastern Collection of the Oriental Institute Museum. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; n.d.

Head of a Bearded Man from Bismaya (Iraq) [Postcard]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1988.

The Human Adventure [sound film]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute; 1934. ca. 70 mins.

Images of Power: Iconography of Kingship in the Ancient Near East. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1989.
Note: Materials issued to participants in the symposium held at the Oriental Institute, November 11, 1989.

Introduction to the Oriental Institute Museum. Chicago: Oriental Institute Museum Education Office; 1987. 2 pages.

Iranian Art at the Oriental Institute Museum of the University of Chicago. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1951. 24 pages.

Islamic Bindings and Bookmaking [Poster]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.
Note: Issued to promote the Exhibition "Islamic Bindings and Bookmaking". See Bosch, Carswell and Petherbridge.

James Henry Breasted: August 27, 1865 - December 2, 1935. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1985. 4 pages.
Note: Brochure issued in conjunction with the exhibition at The Oriental Institute, December 1985.

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Centenary Exhibition: A Productive Collaboration 1919-1935. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1974. 24 pages.
Note: Catalogue of the exhibition held at The Oriental Institute, December 1974.

Kantor, Helene J. Stone Bull Head from Persepolis (Oriental Institute A24065). Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1985. 4 pages. (Oriental Institute Museum Featured Object; v. 3).

Larson, John. The Tut-ankh-amun Astronomical Instrument (Oriental Institute 12144). Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1985. 4 pages. (Oriental Institute Museum Featured Object; v. 1).

The Magic of Egyptian Art [Poster]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1977.
Note: Poster issued to promote the exhibition held at The Oriental Institute, opening April 15, 1977 in conjunction with the Treasures of Tutankhamun [at the Field Museum].

Martyl: Paintings and Drawings from Turkey and Iraq. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of The University of Chicago; 1969. 4 pages.
Note: Brochure issued in conjunction with the exhibit held at The Oriental Institute October 15 to November 16 l969.

Murnane, William J. Colossal Statue of Tutankhamun from West Thebes (Oriental Institute 14088). Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1986. 4 pages. (Oriental Institute Museum Featured Object; v. 5).

A Neo-Assyrian Period (721-705 B.C.) Relief of a Median Groom from the Palace of Sargon II at Khorsabad [Notecard and Postcard]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1987.

Oriental Institute Children's Adventure Sheet: Lost Objects. Chicago: The Oriental Institute Museum Education Office; 1987.

Oriental Institute Children's Adventure Sheet: Decorate Your Mummy Case. Chicago: The Oriental Institute Museum Education Office; 1987.

Oriental Institute Children's Adventure Sheet: Animal Hunt. Chicago: The Oriental Institute Museum Education Office; 1987. 2 pages.

Oriental Institute Children's Adventure Sheet: Egyptian Crossword Puzzle. Chicago: The Oriental Institute Museum Education Office; 1987. 2 pages.

Oriental Institute Children's Adventure Sheet: Find the Lost Animals. Chicago: The Oriental Institute Museum Education Office; 1987. 2 pages.

Oriental Institute Children's Adventure Sheet: Assyrian Crossword Puzzle. Chicago: The Oriental Institute Museum Education Office; 1989. 2 pages.

The Oriental Institute Museum: Highlights from the Collection. Chicago: The Oriental Institute; 1989. 20 pages; 2 folding color pages; 1 loose map.

The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago Docent Guide to the Museum. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1987. 55 pages.

Persian Lacquer Bookcover of a Calligraphic Manual Containing the Work of a 16th Century Master... Isfahan, Early 19th Century [Notecard]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1981.

Publishing the Past: Oriental Institute Publications 1974-1982. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1982. 1 page.
Note: Checklist of items in the exhibition held at the Oriental Institute April - May 1982.

Quest for Prehistory [Poster]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.
Note: Issued to promote the exhibition "The Quest for Prehistory".

Quest for Prehistory. Chicago: The Oriental Institute Museum Education; 1982. (A Children's Adventure Guide).
Note: Issued in conjunction with the exhibition "The Quest for Prehistory", 1982.

Reconstructed Line Drawing by Helene J. Kantor Based on Fragments of a Middle Assyrian (14-13 Century B.C.) Cylinder Seal Impression from Tell Fakhariyah, Syria [Notecard]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; n.d.

Red Sandstone Colossus of Tutankhamun... [Postcard]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1988.

Sacred Places: Sacred Rites: Temples and Temple Rituals in the Ancient Near East. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1988.
Note: Materials issued to participants in the symposium held at the Oriental Institute, November 5, 1988.

Site Drawings by Martyl: The Precinct of Mut at Luxor [Poster]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1987
Note: Issued to promote the exhibition organized by The Brooklyn Museum and shown at The Oriental Institute June 1 - July 26, l989.

Some Childhood Stories Remembered. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of The University of Chicago; 1981. 4 pages.
Note: Brochure issued in conjunction with the exhibit "Near Eastern Costume: A Selection from the Klingeman Collection of Near Eastern Dresses, Accoutrements and Jewelry" held at The Oriental Institute, opening February 17 l981.

Special Loan Exhibit: Dead Sea Scrolls... [Poster]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of The University of Chicago; 1950.
Note: Poster issued to publicize the exhibit held at The Oriental Institute November 18-26, 1950.

Statues from Mesopotamia [Postcard]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1955.
Suq Color Slides of...Objects in the Oriental Institute Museum. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; n.d. collection of 82 slides [41 of Egypt; 28 of Mesopotamia; 14 miscellaneous].

Tindel, Raymond. Gilded Figure of Baal (Oriental Institute A18316). Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1986. 4 pages. (Oriental Institute Museum Featured Object; v. 4).

Travelers in Ancient Lands: Members' Photographs of the Middle East. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1988. 1 page.
Note: Brochure issued with the exhibition mounted at the Oriental Institute, November 15, 1988 - January 31, 1989.

Visit the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago... [Poster]. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1982.
Note: Reprint of a poster produced by The University of Chicago in 1932 intended to publicize the University at the 'Century of Progress' world's fair.

Welcome to the Oriental Institute Museum. Chicago: The Oriental Institute Museum, The University of Chicago; n.d. 2 pages.
Note: Selfguided tour: Highlights of the Oriental Institute Museum.

Zettler, Richard. Bronze Bands of Sargon II (Oriental Institute A12468). Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; 1985. 4 pages. (Oriental Institute Museum Featured Object; v. 2).

The Internet Archive has been preserving snapshots of the Oriental Institute's web presence for roughly two thirds of the time it has been in existence.

OI Publications 2009

Over at AWOL I posted a list of Oriental Institute Open Access Publications in 2009. As a consequence of the the Electronic Publications Initiative of the Oriental Institute, this covers all the pint publications in that period as well.

For an up to date list of all Oriental Institute publications available online see AWOL - The Ancient World Online - 2: The Oriental Institute Electronic Publications Initiative. All told, nearly two hundred fifty volumes are now accessible.

I should also point out that in addition to the above An Introduction and Guide to the Oriental Institute Research Archives is online, as are the twelve Research Archives Acquisitions Lists for 2009.

A series of articles by faculty members also appeared:

• Norman Golb 2009: Observations On The Bipolar Theory Of So-Called "Qumran Spellings"
• Robert K. Ritner 2009: Reading the Coffin of Meresamun
• Norman Golb 2009: The Messianic Pretender Solomon Ibn Al Ruji And His Son Menahem (The So-Called "David Alroy")
• Norman Golb 2009: The Autograph Memoirs Of Obadiah The Proselyte Of Oppido Lucano
• Norman Golb 2009: On the Jerusalem origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Needless to say there have been many updates to many other pages on the website, not all of them mentioned on the What's New page.

Did you know that you can Subscribe to the Oriental Institute calendar's RSS feed?

News: Hometown Boy Makes Good!

Museum exhibit features famed Rockford archaeologist
By David Dobson
Special to the Rockford Register Star

Rockford native and archaeologist James Henry Breasted is featured in a new exhibit at the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute, “Pioneers to the Past: American Archaeologists in the Middle East, 1919-20.” The exhibit opens Jan. 12 and runs through August.

The exhibit follows the travels of Oriental Institute founder Breasted during the formation of the modern Middle East and displays objects he purchased. From 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Jan. 13, Geoff Emberling, Oriental Institute Museum chief curator, will discuss the photographs, artifacts and archival documents of the exhibit.

The Institute and its museum are at 1155 E. 58th St. in Chicago, on the grounds of the university. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays; and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. The telephone number is 773-702-9520, and the museum’s Web site is oi.uchicago.edu.

Breasted is known for founding the Oriental Institute in 1919, described by the university as a “research organization and museum devoted to the study of the ancient Near East … the Institute, a part of the University of Chicago, is an internationally recognized pioneer in the archaeology, philology and history of early Near Eastern civilizations.” The Institute‘s Web site describes its museum as a “world-renowned showcase for the history, art and archaeology of the ancient Near East.” The newly remodeled museum is open to the public for a suggested donation of $7 for adults, $4 for children.

Born in Rockford in 1865, Breasted became fascinated with ancient languages of the Near East while studying at Chicago Theological Seminary. He studied at Yale and earned a doctoral degree in Egyptology in Germany in 1894.

Upon graduation, Breasted began a professorship with the University of Chicago and traveled extensively in the ancient Near East. Breasted accompanied famed archaeologist Howard Carter at the opening of King Tut’s tomb in 1923. Breasted was featured on the cover of Time magazine Dec. 14, 1931, described by the magazine as the “foremost Egyptologist of the U.S.”
He wrote numerous books on ancient history and inscriptions, including a leading textbook. Breasted died in 1935 and is buried in Rockford’s Greenwood Cemetery.

An excellent resource on Breasted’s life is “Pioneer to the Past,” a biography written by his son Charles in 1943. The University of Chicago provides information about Breasted’s life and work at uchicago.edu; search for “Breasted.”

See the chronicle of news about the Oriental Institute.

News: Oriental Institute's new exhibit examines its founding father, James Henry Breasted

Oriental Institute's new exhibit examines it's [sic] founding father, James Henry Breasted
New exhibit tells tale of James Henry Breasted, whose 1919-1920 travels through the Middle East established center's famed antiquities collection
By William Mullen
Chicago Tribune
January 10, 2010

James Henry Breasted, founder of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, was short, bespectacled and cerebral -- hardly fitting the picture of Indiana Jones, the fictional archaeologist many think was based partly on him.

Yet some of the cinematic "Indy" swashbuckle could have been inspired by a perilous, 11-month journey Breasted took through the Middle East in 1919 and 1920, just after founding the institute.

On Jan. 12, the institute celebrates its 90th anniversary with a temporary exhibit -- "Pioneers to the Past" -- that retraces the adventure, including tense haggling with shady antiquities dealers, encounters with armed Arab horsemen and even a little fisticuffs.

It is described in Breasted's own words in vivid accounts he sent home to his family, photos taken by him and four companions, and hundreds of ancient artifacts he brought back.

"This exhibit gives us a fascinating glimpse of a pivotal moment in history -- the birth of the modern Middle East as we know it today, and the genesis of modern archaeological research in the cradle of civilization," said Gil Stein, director of the institute...

See the chronicle of news about the Oriental Institute.

Oriental Institute 2008-2009 Annual Report

The paper-based version of the Oriental Institute 2008-2009 Annual Report appeared in October 2009 and is in the hands of members. I received mine on October 28 2009. Paper copies of OI Annual Reports are only available to members of the Oriental Institute. What? You're not a member? Go directly to the Membership Office and enroll yourself!

Not previously available for sale, this year's Annual Report may be purchased from David Brown Book Company/Oxbow Books.

The open access digital version appeared today, January 8, 2010. One major change in this year's online Annual Report is that illustrations are in color. Until now both paper and digital versions had black & white illustrations.

Eighteen back issues of Oriental Institute Annual Reports are available digitally:

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2008–2009 Annual Report

2007–2008 Annual Report

2006–2007 Annual Report

2005–2006 Annual Report

2004–2005 Annual Report

2003–2004 Annual Report

2002–2003 Annual Report

2001–2002 Annual Report

2000–2001 Annual Report

1999–2000 Annual Report

1998–99 Annual Report

1997–98 Annual Report

1996–97 Annual Report

1995–96 Annual Report

1994–95 Annual Report

1993–94 Annual Report

1992–93 Annual Report

1991–92 Annual Report

Jarmo 1954

Larger

Title	Oriental Institute
View	Jarmo Expedition 8
Series	III: Events
Description	[Jarmo (Iraq) Expedition team (1954-1955) led by Robert J. Braidwood (standing, fourth from left), field director for the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute. Front row, seated: Linda Schreiber Braidwood (second from left).]
Subject Terms	Braidwood, Robert John, 1907-2003 | Braidwood, Linda Schreiber, 1909-2003 | Jarmo (Deserted settlement) | Excavations (Archaeology)--Iraq
Photograph Date	ca. 1954
Physical Format	Photographic prints; 11.8 x 16.5 cm
Location	Iraq
Collection	Archival Photographic Files
Repository	University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center
Image Identifier

And see:

LETTERS FROM THE FIELD, 1950-1951

EXCAVATIONS AT JARMO

By Robert J. Braidwood, Professor Emeritus
The Oriental Institute and the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
The University of Chicago

(This article originally appeared in The Oriental Institute News and Notes, No. 156, Winter 1998, and is made available electronically with the permission of the editor.)

Oriental Institute Publications (OIP)

OIP 105.

Prehistoric Archeology Along the Zagros Flanks.

L. S. Braidwood, R. J. Braidwood, B. Howe, C. A. Reed, and P. J. Watson, eds.

Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization (SAOC)

SAOC 31.

Prehistoric Investigations in Iraqi Kurdistan

R. J. Braidwood and B. Howe, with contributions by F. R. Matson, H. E. Wright, Jr., H. Helbaek, and C. A. Reed.

Research Archives: Web Statistics 2009

Following the lead of my predecessor and colleague Chuck Jones, I have compiled some web stats for pages from the Oriental Institute website which are relevant to the Research Archives. The Research Archives homepage was visited 17,411 times, the 28th most frequently visited page of the Oriental Institute website. However, if you combine this with the 975 visits to its .shtml companion here, the combined total of 18, 386 visits would make it the 26th most frequently visited page of the Oriental Institute website (just shy of the top 25).

There are several interesting items to note. The pdf of Ilya Yakubovich's dissertation was visited an astounding 1574 times in 2009. However, the html page which contains the link to this pdf was visited only 574 times. Clearly visitors are using a direct link to the pdf almost three times as often – either via the Research Archives Online Catalog, another link aggregator, or personal communication (e.g. email). In addition to the popularity of the online dissertations, dissertation proposals remain a popular item. At the moment, there is no direct link on the website to these pages and visitors must find them through online search engines. In the future this will change. A page for dissertation proposals will be added as well as new proposals (in pdf format) for which there are already several willing participants. The Annual Report for 2007-2008 received the most hits, but the popularity of the remaining Annual Reports is inverse to their chronological order.

(Note: there were many popular pages relevant to the archived posts of the ANE-Listserve which were removed from the following lists)

The thirty most frequently visited pages of the Research Archives:

1. Research Archives Homepage, 17411 visits
2. Dissertations from the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, 2517 visits
3. Sociolinguistics of the Luvian Language: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Ilya Yakubovich. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, June 2008, 1574 visits
4. Research Archives Acquisitions Lists, 1473 visits
5. Research Archives Homepage, 17411 visits
6. Research Archives Annual Reports, 754 visits
7. Sociolinguistics of the Luvian Language: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Ilya Yakubovich. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, June 2008, 574 visits
8. A Structural Analysis of Ben Sira 40:11- 44:15: A Dissertation Proposal Presented to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Eric Reymond, 519 visits
9. Archaeology and Historical Problems of the Second Intermediate Period: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Bruce Williams. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, December 1975, 497 visits
10. Research Archives Introduction & Guide, 414 visits
11. Research Archives Acquisitions Lists from 2009, 403 visits
12. Plant Ornament: Its Origin and Development in the Ancient Near East: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Helene J. Kantor. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, March 1945, 396 visits
13. Archaeological Texts and Contexts on the Red Sea: The Sheikh’s House at Quseir al-Qadim: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Katherine Strange Burke. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, June 2007, 389 visits
14. The Socioeconomic Organization of the Metalworkers During the Late Bronze Period at Ugarit: A Dissertation Proposal Presented to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Jill Ashley Fine, August 1997, 364 visits
15. The Sacrificial Economy: On The Management Of Sacrificial Sheep And Goats At The Neo-Babylonian/Achaemenid Eanna Temple Of Uruk (c. 625-520 BC): A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Michael Kozuh. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, March 2006, 214 visits
16. The Architecture of Defense: Fortified Settlements Of The Levant During The Middle Bronze Age: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Aaron Alexander Burke. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, June 2004, 339 visits
17. Mood and Modality in Hurrian: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Dennis R. M. Campbell. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, March 2007, 345 visits
18. Urbanism and Society in the Third Millennium Upper Khabur Basin: A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Division of the Humanities in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, By Jason Alik Ur, Chicago, Illinois, December 2004, 296 visits
19. The Architecture of Defense: Fortified Settlements Of The Levant During The Middle Bronze Age: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Aaron Alexander Burke. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, June 2004, 272 visits
20. Research Archives Acquisitions List – June 2009, 272 visits
21. Research Archives Acquisitions Lists for 2008, 261 visits
22. Research Archives Acquisitions List – January 2009, 250 visits
23. The Sacrificial Economy: On The Management Of Sacrificial Sheep And Goats At The Neo-Babylonian/Achaemenid Eanna Temple Of Uruk (c. 625-520 BC): A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Michael Kozuh. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, March 2006, 214 visits
24. Urbanism and Society in the Third Millennium Upper Khabur Basin: A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Division of the Humanities in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, By Jason Alik Ur, Chicago, Illinois, December 2004, 213 visits
25. Research Archives Acquisitions List – February 2009, 213 visits
26. Research Archives Acquisitions List – April 2009, 193 visits
27. Mood and Modality in Hurrian: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Dennis R. M. Campbell. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, March 2007, 190 visits
28. Research Archives Acquisitions List – March 2009, 168 visits
29. Research Archives Acquisitions List – May 2009, 159 visits
30. Research Archives Adopt-a-Journal Campaign, 149 visits

Research Archives Acquisitions Lists

1. Research Archives Acquisitions List – June 2009, 272 visits
2. Research Archives Acquisitions List – January 2009, 250 visits
3. Research Archives Acquisitions List – February 2009, 213 visits
4. Research Archives Acquisitions List – April 2009, 193 visits
5. Research Archives Acquisitions List – March 2009, 168 visits
6. Research Archives Acquisitions List – May 2009, 159 visits
7. Research Archives Acquisitions List – August 2009, 131 visits
8. Research Archives Acquisitions List – July 2009, 117 visits
9. Research Archives Acquisitions List – September 2009, 104 visits
10. Research Archives Acquisitions List – October 2009, 33 visits

Research Archives Annual Reports

1. Research Archives Annual Report 2007-2008, 136 visits
2. Research Archives Annual Report 2002-2003, 112 visits
3. Research Archives Annual Report 2003-2004, 53 visits
4. Research Archives Annual Report 2004-2005, 47 visits
5. Research Archives Annual Report 2005-2006, 45 visits
6. Research Archives Annual Report 2006-2007, 44 visits

Dissertations of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations of the University of Chicago

1. Sociolinguistics of the Luvian Language: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Ilya Yakubovich. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, June 2008, 1574 visits


2. The Architecture of Defense: Fortified Settlements Of The Levant During The Middle Bronze Age: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Aaron Alexander Burke. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, June 2004, 272 visits


3. The Sacrificial Economy: On The Management Of Sacrificial Sheep And Goats At The Neo-Babylonian/Achaemenid Eanna Temple Of Uruk (c. 625-520 BC): A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Michael Kozuh. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, March 2006, 214 visits


4. Urbanism and Society in the Third Millennium Upper Khabur Basin: A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Division of the Humanities in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, By Jason Alik Ur, Chicago, Illinois, December 2004, 213 visits
5. Mood and Modality in Hurrian: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Dennis R. M. Campbell. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, March 2007, 190 visits
6. Archaeological Texts and Contexts on the Red Sea: The Sheikh’s House at Quseir al-Qadim: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Katherine Strange Burke. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, June 2007, 124 visits
7. The Spaces Between The Teeth: Environment, Settlement, And Interaction On The Islamic-Byzantine Frontier. A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by A. Asa Eger. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, August 2008, 73 visits

Oriental Institute Website Traffic in 2009

I compiled a comparable list last year. Numbers below in parentheses are comparable figures for 2008.

Do you see any interesting trends? Add a comment below!

In 2009 987,455 (826,805) unique visitors came to the Oriental Institute website 1,385,391 (1,149,023) times, looking at 4,780,716 pages (3,982,345), averaging 3.45 pages per visit). 70.4 % of these visitors stayed 30 seconds or less before leaving, but 14.4 % stayed longer than 5 minutes.

The twenty five most frequently viewed pages on the Oriental Institute Website are:

1. The Oriental Institute Home Page 536,391 visits
2. The Museum Education Mummy Game 535,310 visits
3. The Museum Home Page 79,669 visits
4. The Museum Education Kid's Corner 72,460 visits
   
5. NIPPUR - SACRED CITY OF ENLIL, SUPREME GOD OF SUMER AND AKKAD. Figure. 1 Map of ancient Mesopotamia. 56,257 visits
6. Research at the Oriental Institute 37,392 visits
7. Highlights from the Collection: Mesopotamia 31,867 visits
8. The Oriental Institute Museum Hours 31,811 visits
9. Highlights from the Collection 29,901 visits
10. Death in Ancient Egypt 29,354 visits
11. Oriental Institute Map Series - Site Maps 28,476 visits
    
12. Catalog of Publications 28,187 visits
13. Museum Education Teacher Resource Center. Mesopotamia: Science & Inventions 25,456 visits
14. Oriental Institute Events 24,809 visits
15. Museum Galleries 24,801 visits
16. Persepolis and Ancient Iran 24,463 visits
17. The 1905-1907 Breasted Expeditions to Egypt and Sudan 24,331 visits
18. Museum Education Teacher Resource Center. Mesopotamia: Law & Government 22,911 visits
19. The Oriental Institute Museum: The East Wing Galleries 21,495 visits
20. The Edgar and Deborah Jannotta Mesopotamian Gallery 20,861 visits
21. The Oriental Institute Home Page 20,327 visit
22. Virtual Museum 19,920 visits
23. Museum Education Teacher Resource Center. Mesopotamia: Architecture 19,816 visits
24. Museum Education Teacher Resource Center. Mesopotamia: Writing 19,550 visits
25. Lost Treasures from Iraq 19,253 visits
    

The top twenty-five points of entry to the Oriental Institute website are:

1. The Museum Education Mummy Game 284 551 visitors entered the site here
   
2. The Oriental Institute Home Page 104 340 visitors entered the site here
   
3. NIPPUR - SACRED CITY OF ENLIL, SUPREME GOD OF SUMER AND AKKAD. Figure. 1 Map of ancient Mesopotamia 36 747 visitors entered the site here
4. The Museum Education Kids' Corner 29 739 entered the site here
5. The Museum Home Page 27,071 visitors entered the site here
6. Death in Ancient Egypt 20,578 visitors entered the site here
7. Highlights from the Collection: Mesopotamia 15,857 visitors entered the site here
   
8. Oriental Institute Map Series - Site Maps 14,283 visitors entered the site here
9. Museum Education Teacher Resource Center. Mesopotamia: Science & Inventions 12,656 visitors entered the site here.
10. Persepolis and Ancient Iran 11,940 visitors entered the site here
    
11. Highlights from the Collections 11,767 visitors entered the site here
12. The Giza Plateau Mapping Project (GPMP) 11,693 visitors entered the site here
13. Museum Education Teacher Resource Center. Mesopotamia: Law & Government 11,202 visitors entered the site here
14. The Oriental Institute Home Page 10,779 visitors entered the site here
15. Lost Treasures from Iraq 10,617 visitors entered the site here
    
16. Egypt and the Ancient Near East: Web Resources for Young People and Teachers 10,465 visitors entered the site here
17. Museum Education Teacher Resource Center. Mesopotamia: Architecture 9,884 visitors entered the site here
18. Museum Education Teacher Resource Center. Mesopotamia: Writing 9,815 visitors entered the site here
19. Virtual Museum 9,342 visitors entered the site here
20. Museum Education Teacher Resource Center. Mesopotamia: Role of Women 8,451 visitors entered the site here
    
21. Abzu 6,964 visitors entered the site here
    
22. Constructing The Giza Plateau Computer Model (1990-1995) 6,679 visitors entered the site here
23. Catalog of Publications: The Assyrian Dictionary 6,596 visitors entered the site here
24. The Robert and Deborah Aliber Persian Gallery 6,209 visitors entered the site here
    
25. WHO WAS WHO AMONG THE ROYAL MUMMIES 6,053 visitors entered the site here
    

These lists show some some interesting patterns:

Various pages in the complex developed by the Museum Education department remain heavily represented in the top 25 entry pages (nos. 1, 4, 9, 13, 16, 17, 18, and 20). This trend continues that observed last year

In each list, variants of the OI home page appear twice, once with and once without the final "/".

Both lists include five pages of specific interest:

• Abzu is a link to a redirector, sending users (after a short explanation) to the current site of Abzu at the ETANA project at Vanderbilt University. Though Abzu has been served from Vanderbilt for several years it still received nearly thirty thousand hits (more than twenty thousand) on the OI website in 2009. While it is no longer among the twenty-five most popular pages it is still among the most p0pular points of entry to the website.
• The Museum Education Mummy Game is the second most popular page (with more than a half million (nearly a quarter million) viewers in 2009 - double that of 2008) and is now the most frequent point of entry to the OI website. It includes no links back to either its source in the Museum Education site, or more generally to the OI home page.
  
• WHO WAS WHO AMONG THE ROYAL MUMMIES, an article by Edward Wente appearing originally in the Oriental Institute News & Notes No. 144, Winter 1995, and which was among the very originally paper-based articles re-purposed for delivery on the website. A decade and a half later it remains among the most popular articles.
• Death in Ancient Egypt and Egypt and the Ancient Near East: Web Resources for Young People and Teachers (both of which also ranked highly in last year's list, have never been converted to the new format, and have no links to them from elsewhere on the OI web.

I'll add more comments as they occur to me.


Finally, a list of the twenty-five most frequently downloaded digital versions (pdf) of formal publications of the Oriental Institute for 2008. Note that some of these are fairly recent, but others are old standards.

1. The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), Volume 12, P, 2005, downloaded 3787 times.
2. OIS 5. Nomads, Tribes, and the State in the Ancient Near East: Cross-disciplinary Perspectives. Edited by Jeffrey Szuchman. 2009 downloaded 3192 times.
3. OIMP 29. The Life of Meresamun: A Temple Singer in Ancient Egypt, 2009 downloaded 2736 times.
4. The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), Volume 14, R, 1999, downloaded 2601 times.
5. SAOC 52. A Late Period Hieratic Wisdom Text (P. Brooklyn 47.218.135). R. Jasnow. 1992 downloaded 2535 times.
   
6. OIS 4. Religion and Power: Divine Kingship in the Ancient World and Beyond, Nicole Brisch, ed., downloaded 3152 times.
7. The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), Volume 1, A, part 1, 1964, downloaded 2457 times.
8. OIS 3. Performing Death: Social Analyses of Funerary Traditions in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean, Nicola Laneri, editor, with contributions by Nicola Laneri, Ellen F. Morris, Glenn M. Schwartz, Robert Chapman, Massimo Cultraro, Meredith S. Chesson, Alessandro Naso, Adam T. Smith, Dina Katz, Seth Richardson, Susan Pollock, Ian Rutherford, John Pollini, John Robb, and James A. Brown, downloaded 2129 times.
9. MAD 2. Old Akkadian Writing and Grammar, I. J. Gelb, 1952, downloaded 2062 times.
10. The Hittite Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CHD), P, fascicle 3 (pattar to putkiya-), 1997, downloaded 1977 times.
11. SAOC 62. Proceedings of the 51st Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Held at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, July 18–22, 2005, Robert D. Biggs, Jennie Myers, and Martha T. Roth, eds., downloaded 1973 times.
12. SAOC 61. Sacred Space and Sacred Function in Ancient Thebes, Peter F. Dorman and Betsy M. Bryan, editors, downloaded 1925 times.
13. The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), Volume 18, T, 2006, downloaded 2613 times.
14. The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), Volume 8, K, 1971, downloaded 1840 times.
15. AS 27. Studies Presented to Robert D. Biggs, June 4, 2004 From the Workshop of the Chicago Assyrian Dictionary, Volume 2, Martha T. Roth, Walter Farber, Matthew W. Stolper and Paula von Bechtolsheim, eds., 2007, downloaded 1799 times.
16. The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), Volume 19, T [Tet], 2006, downloaded 1713 times.
17. OIS 2, Margins of Writing, Origins of Cultures, Seth L. Sanders, editor, with contributions by Seth L. Sanders, John Kelly, Gonzalo Rubio, Jacco Dieleman, Jerrold Cooper, Christopher Woods, Annick Payne, William Schniedewind, Michael Silverstein-, Piotr Michalowski, Paul-Alain Beaulieu, Theo van den Hout, Paul Zimansky, Sheldon Pollock, and Peter Machinist. (second printing), downloaded 1696 times.
18. OIS 2, Margins of Writing, Origins of Cultures, Seth L. Sanders, editor, with contributions by Seth L. Sanders, John Kelly, Gonzalo Rubio, Jacco Dieleman, Jerrold Cooper, Christopher Woods, Annick Payne, William Schniedewind, Michael Silverstein-, Piotr Michalowski, Paul-Alain Beaulieu, Theo van den Hout, Paul Zimansky, Sheldon Pollock, and Peter Machinist. (first printing), downloaded 1527 times.
19. The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), Volume 1, A, part 2, 1968, downloaded 1476 times.
20. MAD 3. Glossary of Old Akkadian, I. J. Gelb, 1957, downloaded 1337 times.
21. The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), Volume 9, L, 1973, downloaded 1337 times.
22. The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), Volume 2, B, 1965, downloaded 1316 times.
23. The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), Volume 13, Q, 1982, downloaded 1279 times.
24. OIP 24. Sennacherib’s Aqueduct at Jerwan Thorkild Jacobsen and Seton Lloyd. 1935, downloaded 1271 times.
25. The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), Volume 17, S [Shin], part 2, 1982, downloaded 1264 times.

OIS 2 in its two printings is the 17th and 18th most popularpublication - collectively it would have been No. 2, downloaded 3223 times (in 2008 it was 9th and 18th most popular digital publication of the OI - collectively it would have been No. 2, downloaded 3689 times).

Other popular publications available on the OI Website include:

• Mesopotamian Directory 2009 downloaded 5228 times
• Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Clues from the Past: Daily Life - Ancient Recipes downloaded 4276 times
• Oriental Institute Museum Gallery Guide downloaded 2217 times
• Sociolinguistics of the Luvian Language: A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations by Ilya Yakubovich. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, June 2008 downloaded 1574 times
• "FACET: A Simulation Software Framework For Modeling Complex Societal Processes And Interactions", 2000, by John H. Christiansen, downloaded 1530 times
• A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF UGARITIC GRAMMAR AND BIBLICAL HEBREW GRAMMAR IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, by Mark S. Smith, 2004, downloaded 1420 times

The Oriental Institute has always has always been open about the traffic on its website. Historical statistics are accessible here. Current statistics are accessible here.