| Thorkild Jacobsen | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 7 1904 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died | May 2 1993 |
| Residence |  United States |
| Nationality |  Denmark |
| Field | Assyriology |
| Institutions | University of Chicago (1929-1962), Harvard University (1962-1974) |
| Alma mater | University of Copenhagen (M.A.) University of Chicago (PhD, 1929) |
| Known for | The Treasures of Darkness |
| Notable prizes | Guggenheim Fellowship |
Thorkild Jacobsen (Danish pronunciation: [yahkobsen]) was a renowned historian specializing in Assyriology and Sumerian literature. Jacobsen received an M.A. from the University of Copenhagen and then came to the United States to study at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, where he received his PhD. He became a Field Assyriologist for the Iraq Expedition of the Oriental Institute (1929-1937) and in 1946 became Director of the Oriental Institute. In 1962, Jacobsen became a professor of Assyriology at Harvard University, where he remained until his retirement in 1974.
Selected Works
- The Sumerian King List, editor. (1939) Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago; Assyriological Studies, No. 11.
- Towards the Image of Tammuz and Other Essays in Mesopotamian History and Culture, edited by William L. Moran. Cambridge, 1970.
- The Treasures of Darkness (1976)
- The Harps that Once... Sumerian Poetry in Translation (1987)
Awards
- Dr. Jacobsen was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Near Eastern Studies in 1968.
