As part of a research visit, Assistant Professor Dr. Anmar Abdul Ilah Fadhil, Head of the Department of Archaeology, traveled to the University of Munich to work on a collaborative scientific project between the Department of Archaeology and the Department of Cuneiform Studies at the University of Munich. This partnership has been active since 2018, and focuses on the study and publication of texts from the Sapar literary library
During this visit, Dr. Anmar Abdul Ilah, accompanied by Professor Enrique Jiménez, traveled to the United Kingdom to work at the British Museum on the study of unpublished texts related to this project. He discussed with Dr. Paul Collins, Head of the Near Eastern Department at the British Museum, the possibility of enhancing cooperation with the British Museum’s excavation team at the Kirsu archaeological site in southern Iraq. They explored the possibility of training more students from the Department of Archaeology in practical excavation techniques in coordination with the General Authority of Antiquities and Heritage
In the context of this visit, Dr. Anmar Abdul Ilah Fadhil delivered a scientific lecture at the Near Eastern Department of the British Museum entitled “The Sapar Library: Data and Challenges”. In his presentation, he reviewed the operational mechanisms of the joint scientific project with the University of Munich over the past years and discussed observations related to the preservation, study, and publication of these cuneiform texts. He also highlighted the role of the Babylonian Electronic Library platform, which uses artificial intelligence to locate numerous text fragments for possible reconstruction. Dr. Anmar outlined plans for the continuation of this important project and expanding the collaboration to benefit students and faculty members in the Department of Archaeology, including the involvement of outstanding students shortly Finally, the Head of the Department of Archaeology presented the latest scientific results achieved through this project, culminating in several articles published in peer-reviewed journals with significant international impact factors