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Magnus Widell

Dr Magnus Widell
BA, MA, PhD

Reader in Assyriology
Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology
Part of
School of Histories, Languages and Cultures
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Contact

M.Widell@liverpool.ac.uk

ResearchGate

Professional Activities

Conference Roles

  • Invited Lecture: Interdisciplinarity in the Humanities: an Example from the Field of Assyriology (Northeast Normal University, Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, 2023)
  • Invited Lecture: Bureaucracy and Bullshit Jobs in Early Babylonia: the Old Babylonian šatammu Official (University of Oxford, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, 2023)
  • Conference Paper: Communication, Collaboration and Organisational Efficiency in the Early Old Babylonian Period: the E-urra of Addayya, Competition and Cooperation in the Ancient World (Eötvös Loránd University - Budapest, Department of Ancient History, 2022)
  • Conference Paper: Research Beyond the Dissertation: Preparing your PhD Students for an Academic Future, PGR Supervisors Network Seminar / 2022 Pedagogic Research Conference (Online, 2022)
  • Conference Paper: The Sumerian Expression a-ra2 X-kam and the Use of Installments in the Ur III Administration, Discussions in Assyriology (Annual Meeting) (Online, 2021)
  • Discussant: North and East, South and West: Thoughts on Living Modern and Ancient Civilizations in Israel and China, Northeast Normal University, Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (Online, 2020)
  • Invited Lecture: Administrative and Economic Structures in Early Babylonia: A (Hesitant) Case for the Un-Archival Approach (Northeast Normal University, Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, 2019)
  • Conference Paper: The Administration of the Dairy Industry in Ur III Umma, American Schools of Oriental Research Annual Meeting (San Diego, United States, 2019)
  • Conference Paper: When Goats get Horny. Ram-ifications of Sheep Thrills in Early Babylonia, IHAC Foreign Experts Conference (Changchun, China, 2018)
  • Discussant: Long-Term Environmental and Social Change in Mesopotamia - Evidence from Ancient Texts (University of Chicago, Oriental Institute, 2018)
  • Conference Paper: Assyriology - Everything you Always Wanted to Know, Studying Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia at University - A Conference for Sixth-Formers (Royal Asiatic Society / British Museum, London, 2017)
  • Invited Lecture: New Light on Ur III (University of Cambridge, McDonald Institute, 2016)
  • Keynote: Water, The Water of Abundance: Perceptions of Water in Archaeology, History and Myth in the Ancient World (University of Liverpool, 2015)
  • Invited Lecture: Love, Locusts and Lettuce. A Story of the Oldest Poetry in the World, Southwest University (Chongqing, China, 2015)
  • Discussant: Digitizing in the Round, by Invitation (University of Oxford, Wolfson College, 2014)
  • Conference Paper: The Reconstruction of an Early Mesopotamian Archive, British Association for Near Eastern Archaeology Annual Conference (University of Reading, 2014)
  • Conference Paper: The Wedding of Sharrum-bani's Son, Annual Meeting of the American Oriental Society (Chicago, 2012)
  • Invited Lecture: Transactions and Writing in Ancient Sumer (University of Oxford, Oriental Institute, 2012)
  • Invited Lecture: Going Against the Grain! How to Understand Transactions and Receipts in Ancient Mesopotamia (Northeast Normal University, Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, 2011)
  • Invited Lecture: Epigraphy and Experimental Archaeology: The Function of Writing in Early Babylonia (Peking University, School of Oriental Literature, 2011)
  • Conference Paper: Clay Tablets, Envelopes and Lots of Breaking News! (University of Liverpool - Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, Management School, Centre for Archive Studies, 2011)
  • Conference Paper: Sheep and Goats in the Ur III Period (Annual Meeting of the American Oriental Society, Chicago, 2011)
  • Conference Presentation: Digitising Cuneiform Clay Tablets (University of Oxford, Wolfson College, 2010)
  • Invited Lecture: Archaeology and Administrative Procedures in Early Mesopotamia (Northeast Normal University - Changchun, Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, 2010)
  • Conference Paper: Time and History in the Ur III Period (Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Barcelona, 2010)
  • Invited Lecture: Early Chinese and Mesopotamian Calendars (Northeast Normal University - Changchun, Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, 2010)
  • Invited Lecture: The Case of the Tablet (University of Wroclaw, Department of Archaeology, 2010)
  • Conference Paper: My Manchurian Summer (International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, London, 2010)
  • Discussant: Fragile Crescent Project, by Invitation (Durham University, Department of Archaeology, 2010)
  • Invited Lecture: The Lunisolar Calendar of Ancient Mesopotamia in the Late Third Millennium BC (University of Oxford, Oriental Institute, 2010)
  • Invited Lecture: Tid och Calendaria i Forntida Mesopotamien (Uppsala University, Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, 2010)
  • Conference Paper: The Sumerian Love Song 'Shu-Suen A' Revisited (Annual Chinese Academic History Research Meeting, Changchun, 2009)
  • Invited Lecture: Sex, Love and Literature in Ancient Sumer (Peking University, School of Oriental Literature, 2009)
  • Conference Paper: Trajectories and Adaptations in the Rain-fed Agricultural Zone of Upper Meso... (Annual Meeting of the Qaternary Research Association, Oxford, 2009)
  • Conference Paper: Water-based Transportation in Southern Mesopotamia in the Late Third Millennium (Annual Meeting of the British Association for Near Eastern Archaeology, Durham, 2009)
  • Invited Lecture: Chaos in Ancient Mesopotamia (University of Cambridge, Trinity College, 2009)
  • Invited Lecture: The Measurement of Time in Ancient Sumer (School or Oriental and African Studies - London, 2008)
  • Invited Lecture: Some Reflections on Time Keeping in Early Babylonia (University of Liverpool, School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, 2008)
  • Invited Lecture: Chaos in Ancient Mesopotamia (Chuo University - Tokyo, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2008)
  • Symposium Paper (Invited): Agriculture (Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, 2008)
  • Conference Paper: Who's who in A Balbale for Shu-Suen (Shu-Suen A) (Annual Meeting of the British Association for Near Eastern Archaeology, Liverpool, 2008)
  • Invited Lecture: Mesopotamia in the Late Third Millennium (Peking University, Department of Oriental Studies, 2007)
  • Conference Paper: The Sumerian igi-kar2 Revisited (Annual Meeting of the American Oriental Society, San Antonio, 2007)
  • Conference Paper: The Oxen of Umma (Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Chicago, 2006)
  • Conference Paper: Cultivated Plots and Administrative Fields in Ancient Babylonia (Hawaii International Conference on Social Sciences, Honolulu, 2006)
  • Conference Paper: Calculating Economic Sustainability in the Ancient Near East (Peking University, 2006)
  • Conference Paper: Fields and Irrigation (co-authored with C. Hritz) (Annual Meeting of the British Association for Near Eastern Archaeology, Edinburgh, 2006)
  • Poster Session: Modeling Ancient Settlement Systems in a Dynamic Environment (National Science Foundation Annual Meeting (Biocomplexity), Arlington, VA, 2005)
  • Conference Paper: Modeling Mesopotamia (Annual Meeting of the American Oriental Society, Philadelphia, 2005)
  • Conference Paper: Exchange(s) in the Ur III Period (2112-2004 B.C.) (American Schools of Oriental Research Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, 2004)
  • Invited Lecture: Modeling Ancient Settlement Systems (MASS), by Invitation (University of Chicago, Oriental Institute, 2004)
  • Invited Paper: Reconstructing a Third Millennium BC City State (co-authored with TJ Wilkinson) (Santa Fe Institute, NM, 2004)
  • Conference Paper: Text Based Modeling of Upper Mesopotamia (co-authored with D Schloen et al.) (Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archaeology, Montreal, 2004)
  • Conference Paper: The Calendar of Ur and its Political Significance (Annual Meeting of the American Oriental Society, San Diego, CA, 2004)
  • Invited Lecture: An Imperial Capital of the 21st Century B.C. Ur of the Chaldeans (University of California - LA, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, 2004)
  • Conference Paper: The Ur III Metal Loans from Ur (Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, London, 2003)
  • Conference Paper: "Inside" and "Outside" in the Ur III Administration (Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society for Ancient Civilizations, Beijing, 2001)

Editorships

  • Cuneiform Digital Library Journal (Editorial Board Member, 2011 - 2019)
  • Cuneiform Digital Library Bulletin (Editorial Board Member, 2011 - 2019)
  • Journal of Near Eastern Studies (Associate Editor, 2006 - 2007)
  • Journal of Ancient Civilizations (Senior Editor, 2001 - 2002)
  • Journal of Ancient Civilizations (Consultant Editor, 1999 - 2001)

Examination Roles

  • University of Liverpool, PhD (2023)
  • University of Oxford, MPhil (2021)
  • University of Oxford, MA (PGT, 2021)
  • University of Oxford, BA (UG, 2021)
  • University of Oxford, MPhil (2020)
  • University of Oxford, MA (PGT, 2020)
  • University of Oxford, BA (UG, 2020)
  • University of Oxford, MPhil (2019)
  • University of Birmingham, PhD (2015)
  • University of Liverpool, PhD (2015)
  • University of Liverpool, PhD (2014)
  • University of Oxford, MA (PGT, 2014)
  • University of Oxford, BA (UG, 2014)
  • University College London (University of London), PhD (2013)
  • University of Oxford, MA (PGT, 2013)
  • University of Oxford, BA (UG, 2013)
  • University of Birmingham, MA (PGT, 2012)
  • University of Birmingham, BA (UG, 2012)
  • University of Oxford, MA (PGT, 2012)
  • University of Oxford, BA (UG, 2012)
  • University College London (University of London), PhD (2011)
  • University of Oxford, MA (PGT, 2011)
  • University of Oxford, BA (UG, 2011)
  • University of Birmingham, MA (PGT, 2011)
  • University of Birmingham, BA (UG, 2011)
  • University of Birmingham, MPhil (2010)
  • University of Birmingham, MA (PGT, 2010)
  • University of Birmingham, PhD (2010)
  • University of Oxford, MPhil (2010)
  • University of Oxford, MA (PGT, 2010)
  • University of Oxford, BA (UG, 2010)
  • School of Oriental & African Studies (University of London), PhD (2010)
  • University of Birmingham, BA (UG, 2010)
  • University of Birmingham, MPhil (2009)
  • University of Birmingham, MA (PGT, 2009)
  • Northeast Normal University, PhD (2009)
  • University of Birmingham, BA (UG, 2009)
  • University of Birmingham, PhD (2008)
  • University of Cambridge, PhD (2008)
  • University of Liverpool, PhD (2008)
  • University of Birmingham, MPhil (2008)
  • University of Birmingham, MA (PGT, 2008)
  • University of Birmingham, BA (UG, 2008)
  • University of Birmingham, PhD (2007)

External Administrative or Committee Roles

  • Committee Member: General Fund for Assyriology at Wolfson College, University of Oxford (2022 - 2023)
  • Board Member: Gerald Averay Wainwright Fund for Near Eastern Archaeology (2013 - 2019)

Internal Administrative or Committee Roles

  • Chair, Module Review Board (Department, 2022 - 2023)
  • China Strategy Lead - Education and Research (Department, 2020 - 2023)
  • International Exchange Coordinator (Department, 2022)
  • Academic Lead, Postgraduate Taught Programmes in Archaeology (Department, 2019 - 2022)
  • Academic Lead, Undergraduate Programmes in Archaeology (Department, 2020 - 2022)