My research focuses on the socio-economic history of 1st millennium BCE Mesopotamia. It is based on the cuneiform archival documentation dating to the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods. On the one hand, I am looking into state structures and the composition and role of their key institutions palace and temple. On the other, I am investigating the conduct of life and professional activities of well-off urban citizens. I study these issues also from a comparative historical perspective.

More information about Melanie Gross

Research

My research focuses on the socio-economic history of 1st millennium BCE Mesopotamia. It is based on the cuneiform archival documentation dating to the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods. On the one hand, I am looking into state structures and the composition and role of their key institutions palace and temple. On the other, I am investigating the conduct of life and professional activities of well-off urban citizens. I study these issues also from a comparative historical perspective.

CV

Education:
2014: Dr.phil. in Assyriology, Vienna University
2009: Mag.phil. in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology, Innsbruck University

Employment:
2017-2021: Post-doctoral researcher in the project "Persia and Babylonia: Creating a New Context for Understanding the Emergence of the First World Empire," headed by C. Waerzeggers, Leiden University

2015-2017: Post-doctoral fellow, staff of the project "The Neo-Babylonian Cuneiform Corpus (NaBuCCo)," headed by K. Abraham, KU Leuven

2015: University assistant, Oriental Institute, Vienna University

2009-2015: Doctoral/Post-doctoral researcher in the project "Royal Institutional Households in First Millennium B.C. Mesopotamia," headed by H.D. Baker, sub-project of the National Research Network (NFN) "Imperium and Officium," headed by M. Jursa, Vienna University

Teaching activities and supervision

2020/21 "The Ancient Near Eastern Royal Court in Diachronic Perspective," Seminar, Institute for Area Studies, Leiden University

2020 "Legal texts in 1st millennium BCE Assyria and Babylonia," Seminar, Institute for Area Studies, Leiden University

2018/19 "Royal Inscriptions from the Assyrian to the Persian Empire," Seminar, Institute for Area Studies, Leiden University

2018 "Tempel und Palast – Institutionelle Haushalte in Mesopotamien im ersten Jahrtausend v. Chr.," Altorientalisches Institut, University Leipzig, with J. Hackl

2015 "Akkadische Lektüre I oder II: Altbabylonische Erzählungen (Gilgameš, Anzû, Etana)," Oriental Institute, Vienna University

Grants and awards

 07–08/2016: Visiting Research Fellow at the Martin Buber Society of Fellows in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

2016: Approved LMU Research Fellowship, Neo-Assyrian Legal and Administrative Documents. Typology, Contents and Archives, K. Radner, Historisches Seminar, LMU Munich

Publications