Welcome to the brand new blog of The Intellectual Heritage of the Ancient Near East project at Helsinki University!

This project has been in progress since 2010 and it is funded by the Finnish Academy and the University of Helsinki. Its aim is to study the cultural interaction and relations between the Near East and Europe from the first millennium BCE onwards. This general question is approached through individual studies in various fields, including history, philosophy and literature. Besides myself, the project now involves:

Prof. Dr. Robert Rollinger

Associate Professor Dr. Raija Mattila

Dr. Saana Svärd

Mrs. Inka Nokso-Koivisto, MA

Ms. Riikka Tuori, MA

Mr. Ilkka Lindstedt, MA

A former participant, Dr. Erik van Dongen, is now part-time Professor at Saint Mary’s University (Canada).

The various specialists working together in the project cover many disciplines, such as Assyriology as well as Greek, Iranian, Arabic, Islamic, and Hebrew studies. Together, we form a tight network of both senior and junior scholars interested in the same questions from different angles. We are also cooperating with colleagues in other Universities, first and foremost the University of Innsbruck.

It is our hope that studies in various cases of cultural contact and interaction will help to understand the relations between the Near East and Europe also on a more general level. The present blog is aimed at telling you about things that are going on in our project. So, keep us in mind! We will bring up interesting topics twice a month and tell more about what we are up to.

Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila, Prof.Dr.