Complete a compilation dictionary for 90 years

The project has compiled a dictionary that lists, explains and provides references to wedge-shaped words on the shale and stones of Mesopotamia residents that have just been completed after 90 years.

>> Ancient mathematical heritage
>> The bloody war in Mesopotamia ancient city

' I feel proud and privileged to bring this project home. I feel this will be the foundation for doing many other dictionary projects in the future , 'said Martha Roth, who is in charge of editing the dictionary and head of the anthropology department at the University of Chicago . Roth has been involved in the project since 1979.

The Assyrian Chicago Dictionary is one of the Eastern Institute 's most important and unique contributions to the understanding of the ancient Near East civilizations, Roth said.

' The Assyrian dictionary is the biggest effort I have ever known to systematize and help people access to the Akkadia language bearing the imprint of Mesopotamia civilization .'

A shale with the wedge-shaped language of the Mesopotamia.
(Source: Guardian ).

According to researchers at the University of Chicago , the Assyrian dictionary is not just a list of words. By detailing the history and scope of use of each word, this unique dictionary is basically the region's historical, social, literary, legal, religious encyclopedia Mesopotamia, as well as an irreplaceable research tool for any scholar who wants to discover the writing of Mesopotamia civilization.

The Assyria Chicago Dictionary Project was started by James Henry Breasted in 1921. Breasted is the founder of the Oriental Research Institute and one of America's leading Middle Eastern archaeologists.

Over the years, researchers have added millions of entries related to the use of 28,000 words, with different uses and circumstances. For example, the word 'umu', meaning ' day' , has occupied 17 pages with detailed explanations.

Robert Biggs, emeritus professor at the Oriental Research Institute , is a contributor to the dictionary and also the founder of clay slabs.

'When we brushed off the dust, we saw a letter from someone who could write about a new baby in the family, another could talk about a loan until the harvest,' Biggs said. ' You can realize this is not just the culture of the king and the queen, but of ordinary people, like us, with similar concerns for safety, food, and housing. , and family " .