Coordinators: Adeline Reynaud, (University Paris Diderot, SPHERE)
PRESENTATION
We are happy to announce the creation of a reading group devoted to mathematical cuneiform texts, that will meet once a month in Université Paris Diderot. Our aim is to read together selected mathematical documents from the Ancient Near East written in cuneiform script, on the basis of their photographs and/or cuneiforme copies and/or previous transcriptions, as well as to discuss their mathematical content and terminology.
| To current year and archives |
The sessions will take place from 2pm to 5pm in room 324 of the building Olympe Gouges*.
| Date | Theme | Organization |
| T 30/08/2018 | The problem of silver rings, BM 85196 #18 | P. Chaigneau |
| T 18/10/2018 & T 08/11/2018 |
A series of illustrated math problems from the MS 3052 tablet (1/3) & (2/3) | A. Reynaud |
This session and the one from November 8th will be devoted to reading several problems of the Palaeo-Babylonian Mathematical Tablet MS 3052, which have in common to deal with an earthen wall and to be illustrated by a figure representing a section of this wall. The study of these problems will allow us in particular to return to the terminology used for the description of three-dimensional mathematical objects (already discussed in a previous session) and to look at one of the rare attestations of representation of these objects by diagrams in cuneiform sources. | ||
| T 06/12/2018
& T 31/01/2019 |
Mathematical texts using a large proportion of Sumerograms (1/2) & (2/2) |
C. Proust |
The December 6 session will be devoted to reading CBS 12648, a early Paleo-Babylonian text from Nippur (photo https://cdli.ucla.edu/P230037). This is probably the oldest procedural text known, and one of the few examples of mathematical text written in Sumerian. It has only recently been understood through a translation by Joran Friberg (2001, Bricks and Mud in Metro Mathematical Cuneiform Texts, p. 149). This text will allow us to address issues related to the Sumerian terminology and syntax used in mathematical texts, and to peculiarities of southern mathematical cultures in the early days of the Paleo-Babylonian era.
The January 31st reading will focus on the MS 3971 tablet (a tablet kept in the Schøyen collection, unknown origin, Paleo-Babylonian era), mainly on problems 2 and 4 of this tablet. Other issues, including Problem 3, will also be discussed in a general discussion of the text as a whole. The tablet was published by Jöran Friberg in 2007 in A Remarkable Collection of Babylonian Mathematical Texts. The photo is available on the CDLI (https://cdli.ucla.edu/P253067). | ||
| 14/02/2019 | A series of illustrated math problems for the MS 3052 tablet (3/3) | A. Reynaud |
| 21/03/2019 | Some mathematical texts of Sippar | P. Chaigneau |
We are going to look at the tablet BM 96954+ recently (re-)published by Friberg, an interesting late Old-Babylonian recombination text dealing with volume computation. We will focus on four of the best preserved sections, numbered by Friberg 1g, 1j, 4a and 4b. The session will start by reading the last two, which are easier, before we dive with the other two into the world of mesopotamian computations dealing with pyramids. [extract A] [extract B] | ||
| !!! 9.30am–12.30am !!! 18/04/2019 2pm–5pm 16/05/2019 |
Paleo-Babylonian Mathematical Exercises on Market Price Changes (1/2) & (2/2) |
L. Quillien |
| 6/06/2019
4/07/2019 |
Mathematical and astronomical texts of the Hellenistic period (1/2) & (2/2) | G. Toucas |
VENUE
*Building Olympe de Gouges, University Paris Diderot, 8 place Paul Ricœur, 75013 - Paris;
Map. Calculate your itinerary with the public transport website RATP
Metro: lines 14 and RER C, stop: Bibliothèque François Mitterrand or line 6, stop: Quai de la gare. Bus: 62 and 89 (stop: Bibliothèque rue Mann), 325 (stop: Watt), 64 (stop: Tolbiac-Bibliothèque François Mitterrand)
