Bertrand Lafont

Assyriologist, Historian of ancient Mesopotamia

Director of Research at the CNRS (National Center of Scientific Research, Paris)
CNRS Research Team: HAROC

email: bertrand.lafont@cnrs.fr

Address (office):
Maison de l’Archéologie et de l’Ethnologie R. Ginouvès
CNRS UMR 7041, casier 17
21, allée de l’Université
92001 Nanterre, France

Curriculum vitae:

  • PhD in Ancient History (1981, University of Paris I-Sorbonne).
  • Habilitation conferred to research direction (1996).
  • Former Member of the French Institute of Anatolian Studies in Istanbul (1981-1983).
  • Former Scientific Director of Archaeology and Ancient History at the IFPO (French Institute of the Near East) in Beirut, Damascus and Amman (2003-2008).
  • Principal Investigator of the project CDLI (Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative, Los Angeles, Berlin, Oxford); chief editor, Cuneiform Digital Library Preprints.

Current Research:

  •  Socio-economic and political history of the ancient Near East during the 3rd and 2nd millennium B.C. Edition of cuneiform documents af that period.

Selected publications:

  • Sceaux et empreintes de sceaux du Proche-Orient ancien (SESPOA), Paris, 2019ff.
  • “Nouvelles recherches sur la collection des sceaux-cylindres orientaux de la Bibliothèque nationale de France” (co-authored with J. L. Dahl and N. Ouraghi), Syria 96, 2019: 1-26.
  • Mésopotamie. De Gilgamesh à Artaban, 3300-120 avant J.-C. Collection Mondes Anciens (1017 pages, co-authored with F. Joannès, A. Tenu and Ph. Clancier), Paris, Belin, 2017.
  • “Women at Work and Women in Economy and Society during the Neo-Sumerian Period”. B. Lion and C. Michel, The Role of Women in Work and Society in the Ancient Near East, SANER 13, Boston-Berlin, Walter de Gruyter, 2016: 149-173.
  • “Game of Thrones: the Years when Šu-Sin Succeeded Amar-Suen in the Kingdom of Ur”. L. Feliu, F. Karahashi, G. Rubio, The First Ninety Years. A Sumerian Celebration in Honor of Miguel Civil, SANER 12, Boston-Berlin, Walter de Gruyter, 2016: 184-199.
  • Cuneiform Texts Primarily from Iri-Sagrig/Al-Šarraki and the History of the Ur III Period. Nisaba 15 (co-authored with D. I. Owen, H. Brunke, D. R. Frayne, W. Heimpel, A. Kleinerman, G. Rubio, and C. Woods). Bethesda, MD: CDL Press, 2013.
  • “Contribution de la documentation cunéiforme à la connaissance du 'Très Long Mur' de la steppe syrienne,” Paléorient 36, 2011: 73-89.
  • “Introduction au sumérien", Lalies 31, Actes des Sessions de Linguistique et de Littérature ENS-CLELIA 31, 2011: 95-176.
  • “The Army of the Kings of Ur : The Textual Evidence,” Cuneiform Digital Libra­ry Journal 2009/5.
  • “Relations internationales, alliances et diplomatie au temps des royaumes amorrites. Essai de synthèse,” Amurru 2, Paris, ERC, 2001: 213-328.
  • “Sumer : institutions, économie, société,” article “Sumer” II/1, in Supplément au Dictionnaire de la Bible 72, Paris, Letouzey & Ané, 1999, pp. 124-204.
  • Archives épistolaires de Mari, I = Archives Royales de Mari XXVI/2, ERC, Paris, 1989; co-authored with D. Charpin, F. Joannès et S. Lackenbacher.
  • Tablettes cunéiformes de Tello au Musée d'Istanbul, I et II, Publications de l'Institut néerlandais de Stamboul (PIHANS 65 et 77), Leiden-Istanbul, 1989 et 1996; co-authored with F. Yildiz.
  • Archives administratives de Mari, I = Archives Royales de Mari XXIII, ERC, Paris, 1984; co-authored with G. Bardet, F. Joannès, D. Soubeyran et P. Villard
Version: 1 July 2020