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