Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations

The Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC) is an ancient science university institute at the School of History and Culture of the Northeast Normal University in Changchun ( Jilin Province , People's Republic of China ). It deals with research into the history of antiquity , ancient languages and the archeologies of the Mediterranean. Here is both the Classical Studies and the Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies (Assyriology) into account.

History, research and teaching

The IHAC was founded in 1984 by the Chinese professor Lin Zhichun (Northeast Normal University) in cooperation with the professors Zhou Gucheng ( Fudan University ) and Wu Yujin ( Wuhan University ). This makes it the oldest research institution with chairs for Egyptology, Assyriology, Hittitology and Classical Classical Studies in China. It started operations in autumn 1985; In 1986, 20 graduates from historical institutes in the country received postgraduate studies specializing in ancient studies and, at that time, also in the European Middle Ages . The declared aim of the new establishment was to close a large gap in the Chinese research landscape by researching the early cultures of the West and to give the country a role in international classical studies. The founders explained that the specific perspective of East Asian researchers could, on the one hand, open up new perspectives on the ancient Orient and the ancient Mediterranean region, and on the other hand, the preoccupation with “other ancient cultures” also promised new insights for Chinese culture.

Masters and doctoral programs are currently offered in the fields of Egyptology, Assyriology and “Classics” ( Greek Philology and History or Latin Philology and Roman History ). In addition to the mostly Chinese academic staff, since the IHAC was founded, up to four one-year visiting professorships have been awarded annually to external scientists (see section Visiting Professorships ).

The IHAC also publishes the Journal of Ancient Civilizations (JAC), which publishes articles from the research areas represented in the IHAC and whose contributions have been double-blind reviews since the 2016 edition (year 31) . In October 2014 the institute celebrated its 30th anniversary with a large international conference entitled Past and Future of IHAC .

The following full professors are currently (as of October 2017) working at the IHAC:

Egyptology: Li Xiaodong, Guo Dantong
Assyriology: currently vacant
Classical Classical Studies: Zhang Qiang (Greek Philology and History; currently Director of the Institute), Sven Günther (Latin Philology and Roman History; Vice Director since April 2017)

Visiting professorships

Assyriology / Hittitology / Archeology of the Middle East

1985–1986: Karen Bradley (History of Syria and Palestine)
1985–1986: Steven W. Cole (Assyriology)
1986–1991: David Jacobsen (Yang Dawu) (Assyriology)
1986–1987: Silvin Košak (Hittitology)
1987–1988: Chantal Clerex (Assyriology)
1987–1988: Johan de Roos (Hittiteology)
1988–1990: Hanna Roszkowska (Hittitology)
1990–1991: Billie Jean Collins (Hittite Studies)
1990, 1991, 1994, 1996: Johan de Roos (Hittitology)
1991–1994: Lilia Bayun (Hittite Studies)
1992–1993: Tova Meltzer (Assyriology)
1994–1996: Thomas Lee (Assyriology)
1996–1997: Branwen E. Denton ( Archeology of the Middle East )
1998–1999: Farouk al-Rawi ( Semitic Studies and Archeology )
2001–2002: Magnus Widell (Assyriology)
2003–2004: Victor Rebrik (Assyriology)
2004–2006: Marie Besnier (Assyriology)
2006–2007: Wayne Horowitz (Assyriology)
2007: Li Ma (Assyriology)
2007–2009: Nicolas Gailhard (Archeology of the Middle East)
2009–2012: Tohru Ozaki (Assyriology)
2013–2014: Elizabeth Wheat (Assyriology)
2014–2015: Alvise Matessi (Assyriology)
2016–2019: Michela Piccin (Assyriology)
2019–: Parsa Daneshmand (Assyriology)

Egyptology

1984–1987: Rainer HG Hannig
1985–1986: Lisa Heidorn (Egyptian archeology)
1987–1988: Johnny Schepens
1988-1990: Allyn Kelley
1991-1996: Edmund Meltzer
1996-1997: David Warburton
1998-1999: Sheldon Lee Gosline
1999–2000: Katja Reinhardt
2002-2004: Peter Beylage
2004–2006: Mirco Hüneburg
2007–2013: Peter Beylage (most recently Associate Professor)
2013–2014: Kim Ridealgh
2014–2015: Ǻke Engsheden
2015-2017: Maria Cannata
2017–: David Warburton
2017–: Barbara Kündiger

Classical ancient studies

1987–1991: Bernhard Kytzler
1988–1992: Fritz-Heiner Mutschler
1992, 1993: Carl Joachim Classen
1992-1994: Charles Crowther
1993-1994: Frans Alheid
1994-1995: Ruth Taylor-Briggs
1995–1996: Bernhard Kytzler
1995–1996: Elke Steinmeyer
1996-1997: Mark MacDermot
1997-1998: Antony Keen
1997-1999: Lester J. Ness
1998–1999: Christopher Ehrhardt
1999-2001: George WM Harrison
1999-2001: Carol Hershenson
2001-2002: James Steward
2001-2002: Mary Zingross
2002-2003: Shamus Sillar
2002–2003: Maria Rybakova
2003-2004: Burkhard Fehr
2004-2005: Victor Rebrik
2005–2007: Oliver Wehr
2007-2009: Adam Marshall
2009–2014: Juan Pablo Sánchez Hernández
2014–2015: Sven Günther (full professor since 2015)
2014–2017: Matylda Amat Obryk
2017-2018: Irene Berti
2018–: Peter Kató

literature

William Brashear: Classics in China. In: The Classical Journal. 1990, Vol. 86, No. 1, pp. 73-78.
William Brashear: China Update 1997. In: The Classical Journal. 1998, Volume 94, No. 1, pp. 81-85 (further references p. 82, note 4).
Sven Günther: Past and Future of IHAC. International Conference for the 30th Anniversary of the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations. In: Journal of Ancient Civilizations. Volume 29, 2014, pp. 117-120.

Web links

Chinese , English websites of the institute
Conference report of the conference on the 30th anniversary

Individual evidence

^ Foreword. In: Journal of Ancient Civilizations . Volume 1, 1986, p. 1 f.
↑ Zhou Gucheng, Wu Yujin, Lin Zhichun: The Void in the Study of Ancient Civilizations in our Country must be filled. In: Journal of Ancient Civilizations. Volume 1, 1986, pp. 3-11.
^ Past and Future of IHAC - International Conference for the 30th anniversary of the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations. Conference report on H-Soz-Kult , accessed on April 7, 2017.

[1] Foreword. In: Journal of Ancient Civilizations . Volume 1, 1986, p. 1 f.

[2] Zhou Gucheng, Wu Yujin, Lin Zhichun: The Void in the Study of Ancient Civilizations in our Country must be filled. In: Journal of Ancient Civilizations. Volume 1, 1986, pp. 3-11.

[3] Past and Future of IHAC - International Conference for the 30th anniversary of the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations. Conference report on H-Soz-Kult , accessed on April 7, 2017.