Boban Dedovic - Inanna's Descent to the Netherworld - Centennial Survey - REV2C.pdf (17.82 MB)
"Inanna's Descent to the Netherworld": A centennial survey of scholarship, artifacts, and translations
Version 2 2020-02-20, 04:52
Version 1 2019-07-17, 04:54
thesis
posted on 2020-02-20, 04:52 authored by Boban DedovicBoban DedovicAbstract
An ancient Sumerian proverb may be read as “good fortune [is embedded in] organisation and wisdom.” 1 The present centennial survey is solely about organizing the last one hundred years of scholarship for a Sumerian afterlife myth named “Inanna’s Descent to the Netherworld.” The initial discovery of artifacts with snippets of the myth can be dated to as early as 1889. English translations of the myth emerged around 1920 and were followed by numerous archaeological expeditions and subsequent translation efforts. Such efforts, by many scholars and institutions, resulted in an authoritative 2001 version of the myth published by the University of Oxford via the Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL). The 2001 version, titled “Inana’s descent to the nether world” is 412 lines long and utilizes over fifty cuneiform artifacts (sources). The impact of this work has been mainstream and interdisciplinary interest in Inanna, the myth, and her role in antiquity. However, the technical nature of studying ancient Sumer may alienate a broader audience. The survey contained herein attempts to organize and explain the key people, concepts, events, and institutions involved with the discovery of “Inanna’s Descent.” Non-technical readers can expect to learn how and why we arrived at the likely complete translation we have today. Light background information and a chronology of scholarly work are followed by a brief discussion on promising areas of further research. The appendix contains a comprehensive catalog of referenced artifact data.[1] Jeremy A. Black and Graham E. Cunningham, “Proverbs: Collection 1,” The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), University of Oxford (1998-2003), last modified June 13, 2002, http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/proverbs/t.6.1.01.html. [Segment A, No. 25]
Dedication
For Huey
Contents
Figures
Tables
Introduction
Background
Scholarship Chronology
Discovery and Initial Publication (1889-1919)
More Artifacts and Assignments (1920-1934)
Kramer’s First Wave (1935-1951)
New Artifacts and Commentary (1952-1973)
The First Semi-Complete Translation (1974-1996)
The Digital Age (1997-2006)
Current Scholarship (2007-2019)
The Future of ID (2020 and Beyond)
Conclusion
Appendix A: Artifacts Table and Visualizations
Appendix B: All Artifact Data
Appendix C: Translations of “Inanna’s Descent”
Bibliography
Figures
Figure 1.1. Sumer in Mesopotamia
Figure 1.2. Cylinder Seal VA 243
Figure 1.3. Mask of Warka
Figure 1.4. Warka Vase
Figure 1.5. Inanna’s Family Tree
Figure 1.6. Table illustrating the simplification of cuneiform signs
Figure 1.7. Artifact terminology table
Figure 1.8. Three of the ‘big five’ scholars of ID
Figure 2.1. Artifact CBS 9800
Figure 2.2. Artifact YPM BC 018686 (formerly YBC 4621)
Figure 2.3. Artifact UET VI 9 (6/1 9)
Figure 2.4. Sladek’s published artifacts
Tables
Table 1.1. Artifact waterfall view of cuneiform sources for “Inanna’s Descent” (abridged)
Table 2.1. Detail artifact table for “Inanna’s Descent”
Table 2.2. Artifact waterfall view of cuneiform sources for “Inanna’s Descent” (full)
Table 3.1. Top translation publications of “Inanna’s Descent” (1900-2019)
*Updates
Feb. 2020: Per inquiries, I uploaded a compressed (reduced size) version of the PDF file.
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Boban Dedović
University of Maryland, College Park
Released on May 22, 2019
