Dr. Matthew Rutz

Associate Professor

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Biography

Matthew Rutz works in the field of Assyriology, focusing on the interdisciplinary study of texts written in cuneiform, the wedge-shaped writing system of ancient Mesopotamia, located in present-day Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. He specializes in the languages and cultures of the region, with an emphasis on Akkadian (Babylonian/Assyrian) and Sumerian documents from the half millennium BCE. His research covers the social and political history of Late Bronze Age Syria and includes a strong interest in Babylonian literary and scholastic texts, particularly those from the archaeological site of Nippur in Iraq. Rutz's scholarly work includes the authoring of 'Bodies of Knowledge in Ancient Mesopotamia: Diviners of the Late Bronze Age Emar Tablet Collection' and serving as co-editor of 'Archaeologies of Text: Archaeology, Technology, Ethics.' He received his PhD in Cuneiform Studies (Assyriology) from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008 and has been with Brown University since 2009, following a postdoctoral position with the Royal Inscriptions Neo-Assyrian Period Project that was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Professor

2009-01-01 — Present

Brown University • Providence, RI

Teaching Assyriology and conducting research in ancient Mesopotamian studies.

Awards

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Louis J. Kolb Foundation Fellowship

2004-01-01
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Abraham M. Ellis Fellowship

2002-01-01
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William Penn Fellowship

1998-01-01
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Elected to Phi Beta Kappa Society

1998-01-01

Courses

ASYR 1000 - Introduction to Akkadian ASYR 1010 - Intermediate Akkadian ASYR 1050 - Brotherhood of Kings: History of the Ancient Middle East's International Age, 2000-1200 BCE ASYR 1100 - Imagining Gods: Myths and Myth-making in Ancient Mesopotamia ASYR 1400 - Introduction to Sumerian ASYR 1500 - Ancient Babylonian Magic and Medicine ASYR 2310A - Ancient Scientific Texts: Akkadian ASYR 2400 - Akkadian Literary and Religious Texts ASYR 2420 - Akkadian Divinatory Texts ASYR 2430 - Akkadian Historical Texts ASYR 2800 - Archaeologies of Text

Requirements for Brown University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GRE General
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Undergraduate degree in Economics or related field
Application Checklist
  • Personal Statement
  • Transcripts
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • GRE Scores
  • TOEFL/IELTS Scores (if applicable)
Specialization Notes

Department: Department of Economics