Remco de Maaijer
Promovendus/buiten
- Name
- Drs. R. de Maaijer
- r.de.maaijer@hum.leidenuniv.nl
- ORCID iD
- 0009-0006-6713-5390
I studied Assyriology at the universities of Leiden and Heidelberg (1987–1993) and, from 1994 to 2002, served as a research fellow and subsequently a visiting scholar in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at Leiden University. During that period, I also taught Sumerian at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and KU Leuven. My areas of expertise are the administration and economy of ancient Mesopotamia during the earliest stages of its written record. In 2026, I began working as an external PhD candidate on a dissertation concerning the political economy of Sumer at the end of the third millennium BCE. In addition to these academic activities, I have extensive experience in various roles and over three decades of experience in social housing—including more than a decade in student and youth housing—as well as many years of experience in local government and several years in the healthcare sector.
More information about Remco de Maaijer
Web pages
Fields of interest
Assyriology, Sumerian, Politics, Economics.
Research
Some 4,000 years ago, in Ancient Mesopotamia, the kings of the city-state of Ur reunited their neighboring city-states after they had been independent for some sixty years following the fall of the kingdom of Akkad. It will be researched whether the impression of a strongly centralized state, given by the ideological texts of the period, is supported by the administrative texts from the province of Lagash in Southern Mesopotamia (called Sumer at that time), one of the formerly independent city-states. The central question is: who stood to gain from the Ur III state and what was the economic and political role of its monarchy?
Curriculum vitae
1993 MA Assyriology, Leiden University
1993 Certificate Assyriology, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg
1994-1998 Research fellow, Leiden University
1998-2002 Visiting scholar, Leiden University
1994-2002 Guest teacher, Free University Amsterdam and KU Leuven
2026 External PhD candidate, Leiden University
Selected publications
1998 “Land Tenure in Ur III Lagaš.“ In Ben Haring and Remco de Maaijer, Landless and hungry? Access to land in early and traditional societies : proceedings of a seminar held in Leiden, 20 and 21 June, 1996. Leiden : Research School CNWS, School of Asian, African, and Amerindian Studies. CNWS publications: 50-73.
2001 “Late third millennium identifying marks.” In W.H. van Soldt, J.G. Dercksen and N.J.C. Kouwenberg, Veenhof anniversary volume. Studies presented to Klaas R. Veenhof on the occasion of his sixty-fifth birthday. PIHANS 89: 301-324.
2008 “Šulgi’s Jubilee: Where’s the Party?” In Piotr Michalowski, On the third dynasty of Ur : studies in honor of Marcel Sigrist. JCS, Supplemental series, number 1: 45-51.
Promovendus/buiten
- Faculty of Humanities
- Leiden Institute for Area Studies
- Maaijer R. de (2016) Review of – Garfinkle/Johnson, The Growth of an Early State in Mesopotamia. Review of: Garfinkle S.J. & Johnson J.C. (2008), The Growth of an Early State in Mesopotamia: Studies in Ur III Administration. Proceedings of the First and Second Ur III Workshops at the 49th and 51st Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, London July 10, 2003 and Chicago July 19, 2005.. Biblioteca del Próximo Oriente Antiguo no. 5. Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Archiv für Orientforschung 53: 4.
- Maaijer R. de (2008), Šulgi’s Jubilee: Where’s the Party?. In: Michalowski P. (Ed.), On the Third Dynasty of Ur: Studies in Honor of Marcel Sigrist. Journal of Cuneiform Studies no. Supplemental Series 1. Alexandria: The American Schools of Oriental Research. 7.
- Maaijer R. de (2006), Pazuzu, Phoenix: bulletin uitgegeven door het Vooraziatisch-Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux 52(2): 4.
- Maaijer R. de & Jagersma B. (2004) Review of The Sumerian Dictionary of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Vol. 1: A Part III. Review of: Sjöberg A.W. & Behrens H. (1998), The Sumerian Dictionary of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Vol. 1: A Part III.. The Sumerian Dictionary of the University of Pennsylvania Museum no. Vol. 1: A Part III.. Philadelphia: Babylonian Section of the University Museum. Archiv für Orientforschung 50: 5.
- Maaijer R. de (2003), Een standbeeldinscriptie van Koning Sjulgi van Ur. In: Demaree R.J. & Veenhof K.R. (Eds.), Zij Schreven Geschiedenis: Historische Documenten uit het Oude Nabije Oosten (2500 – 100 v. Chr.). Mededelingen en Verhandelingen Ex Oriente Lux no. 33. Leuven: Peeters. 8.
- Maaijer R. de (2002) Review of Visicato, The Power and the Writing. Review of: Visicato G. (2000), The Power and the Writing. The Early Scribes of Mesopotamia. . Bethesda: CDL Press. Orientalistische Literaturzeitung 97(1): 4.
- Maaijer R. de (2001), Late Third Millennium Identifying Marks. In: Dercksen J.G., Kouwenberg N.J.C., Krispijn Th.J.H. & Soldt W.H. van (Eds.), Veenhof Anniversary Volume: Studies Presented to Klaas R. Veenhof on the Occasion of his Sixty-Fifth Birthday. PIHANS. Uitgaven van het Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten te Leiden no. 89. Leiden: NINO.
- Maaijer R. de (2001) Review of UTI 5. Review of: Yildiz F. & Ozaki T. (2000), Die Umma-Texte Aus Den Archaologischen Museen Zu Istanbul. Band 5.. UTI no. 5. Bethesda: CDL Press. Bibliotheca Orientalis 58(5/6): 2.
- Maaijer R. de (2000) Review of Sallaberger, Der babylonische Töpfer und seine Gefäße. Review of: Sallaberger W. (1996), Der babylonische Töpfer und seine Gefäße. Nach Urkunden altsumerischer bis altbabylonischer Zeit sowie lexikalischen und literarischen Zeugnissen. . Mesopotamian history and environment no. 2/3. Ghent: University of Ghent. Archiv für Orientforschung 46/47: 7.
- Maaijer R. de (2000) Review of Mélanges offerts à Monsieur H. Limet. Review of: Tunca Ö. & Deheselle D. (1996), Tablettes et images aux Pays de Sumer et d'Akkad. Mélanges offerts à Monsieur H. Limet.. A.P.H.A. Mémoires no. 1. Liège: Université de Liège. Bibliotheca Orientalis 57(1/2): 4.
- Maaijer R. de (1999), Another text belonging to the «Isin Craft Archive», Nouvelles Assyriologiques Brèves et Utilitaires 1999(4): 1 (91).
- Maaijer R. de (1999), IB.TUR.KI = Tummal, Nouvelles Assyriologiques Brèves et Utilitaires 1999(4): 1 (92).
- Maaijer R. de (1999), The reading of UN.IL, Nouvelles Assyriologiques Brèves et Utilitaires 1999(4): 2 (93).
- Maaijer R. de (1999) Review of TCTI 2. Review of: Lafont B. & Yildiz F. (1996), Tablettes cunéiformes de Tello au Musée d'Istanbul. Datant de l'époque de la Ille Dynastie d'Ur III.. PIHANS no. LXXVII. Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten. Bibliotheca Orientalis 56(1/2): 4.
- Maaijer R. de & Sallaberger W. (1999), 4.2 Appendix 2: Veröffentlichte Ur III-Urkunden: Nachtrag zu Sigrist, Gomi, Catalogue. In: Sallaberger W. & Westenholz A. (Eds.), Mesopotamien: Akkade-Zeit und Ur Ill-Zeit.: Annäherungen 3 no. 160/3. Freiburg/Göttingen: Universitatsverlag Freiburg Schweiz - Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. 20.
- Maaijer R. de & Jagersma B. (1998) Review of The Sumerian Dictionary of the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania. Volume 1 A Part I. Review of: Sjoberg A.W., Behrens H. & et al. (1992), The Sumerian Dictionary of the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania. Volume 1 A Part I. Philadelphia: Babylonian Section of the University Museum. Archiv für Orientforschung 44-45: 12.
- Maaijer R. de (1998) Review of Sigrist, Figulla & Walker - Catalogue of the Babylonian Tablets in the British Museum 2. Review of: Sigrist Figulla & Walker (1996), Catalogue of the Babylonian Tablets in the British Museum 2. London: British Museum Publications. Archiv für Orientforschung 44-45: 5.
- Maaijer R. de (1998), Het Schrijven van Spijkerschrift, Scriptores: Tijdschrift van de Nederlands -Vlaamse Vereniging voor Kalligrafen 13(2): 5.
- Haring B. & Maaijer R. de (Eds.) (1998), Landless and Hungry?: Access to Land in Early and Traditional Societies. Proceedings of a Seminar held in Leiden, 2O and 21 June, 1996. CNWS Publications no. 67. Leiden: Research School CNWS, Leiden University, The Netherlands..
- Maaijer R. de (1998), Land Tenure in Ur III Lagaš. In: Haring B. & Maaijer R. de (Eds.), Landless and Hungry?: Access to Land in Early and Traditional Societies. Proceedings of a Seminar held in Leiden, 20 and 21 June, 1996.. CNWS Publications no. 67. Leiden: Research School CNWS, Leiden University, The Netherlands.. 24.
- Maaijer R. de (1996), Review of Marcel Sigrist, Drehem, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 39(2): 4.
- Maaijer R. de (1996), Recently acquired cuneiform texts, Oudheidkundige mededelingen uit het Rijksmuseum voor Oudheden te Leiden 76: 16.
- Maaijer R. de (1996), The Ancient Near Eastern Collection of the Museon (The Hague). A. Six Ur III Texts, Jaarbericht van het Vooraziatisch Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux 34: 8.
- Fischer C. & Maaijer R. de (1995), Miscellaneous objects from a Dutch collection, Acta Sumerologica 17: 6.
- Maaijer R. de (1995), Two cuneiform texts in the National Museum of Antiquities, Oudheidkundige mededelingen uit het Rijksmuseum voor Oudheden te Leiden 75: 6.
- Maaijer R. de & Fischer C. (1994), Cuneiform Tablets in the Schoneveld Collection. B. Ur III-Texts (Nos. 2-15), Jaarbericht van het Vooraziatisch Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux 33: 22.
- Maaijer R. de (1993), A Neo-Sumerian Administrative Tablet, Acta Sumerologica 15: 2.