author
H. V. (Hermann Vollrat) Hilprecht
1859–1925
A pioneering Assyriologist and archaeologist, he helped bring the ancient world of Mesopotamia to a wider public through excavation, teaching, and the study of cuneiform texts. His work is closely tied to the University of Pennsylvania’s early expeditions at Nippur, one of the great archaeological sites of the ancient Near East.
1 Audiobook
Die Ausgrabungen der Universität von Pennsylvania im Bêl-Tempel zu Nippur
by H. V. (Hermann Vollrat) Hilprecht
About the author
Born in Prussia in 1859, Hermann Volrath Hilprecht studied theology, philology, and law before turning to Assyriology. He continued his work in cuneiform studies in Europe and then moved to the United States, where he became a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and an important figure in the growth of Near Eastern studies there.
Hilprecht is best known for his connection to the University of Pennsylvania’s excavations at Nippur in present-day Iraq. He served as a scientific leader of the project and worked extensively on the interpretation and publication of cuneiform tablets and other finds, helping scholars better understand the languages, religion, and daily life of ancient Mesopotamia.
He died in Philadelphia in 1925. Although parts of his career were debated by contemporaries, his influence on Assyriology was lasting, and his name remains associated with the early study of Babylonian and Sumerian civilization and with museum and archival collections connected to Penn.