This is the fourth and final installment in the Etched in Stone blog series. In it, we delve into the remarkable discoveries that followed the decoding of cuneiform script. Topics include the invention of timekeeping and the 24-hour day, advancements in sailing, labor organization, written correspondence, women’s rights, religious beliefs and parables, ancient cuisine, early customer complaints, and much more.
Aldini’s Italian manual on fire safety was published in 1833. It offered detailed instructions, diagrams, and practical strategies for surviving and preventing fires. Yet two years before its publication, an Armenian version of the same manual was printed by the Mekhitarists, an Armenian Catholic monastic order, in Venice.
On May 8, experience the vibrant intercultural tapestry of Jewish and Islamic musical traditions from Spain and North Africa. From the eighth century onward, Southern Spain—known as al-Andalus—became a vibrant crossroads of faith and culture. Jews, Muslims, and Christians cultivated rich traditions in the arts, sciences, and music under the rule of Muslim caliphs.
The cuneiform script from Ancient Mesopotamia, arguably the oldest script in human civilization. This blog discusses the various attempts to understand cuneiform and the processes which led to the ultimate decipherment of the seemingly impervious script entailed.
The blog “Afghanistan Reflected in the Collections at the Library of Congress” captures the full range of collections, print, digital and rare books produced in the local and international languages in and about Afghanistan and currently available for research at the Library of Congress.
Using AMED’s unparalleled research resources on African, Jewish and Middle Eastern studies, this post showcases a reading room display that offers a taste of diversity reflected in the religions and cultures of Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.
Using the Library of Congress’ Cuneiform Tablet Collection, this blog examines the history of the cuneiform script, its spreading, and adoption by various civilizations.
(The following is a repost by Olivia Dorsey, an innovation specialist on the LC Labs team. The post originally appeared as the fifth in a series that features the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative (CCDI) Junior Fellows from the Library’s 2022 Junior Fellows program. These posts highlight each fellow and the projects they developed. CCDI funded …
