urn:taro:utexas.cah.01254 A Guide to the Denise Schmandt-Besserat Papers, 1953-2008 Original EAD encoding by Shelley Rowland according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. June 2009 Finding aid written in English. September 2009 Revised with 2009-250 addition by Laurel Rozema and Emily Rapoport. November 2009 Revised with 2009-305 addition by Laurel Rozema. Descriptive Summary Schmandt-Besserat, Denise. Denise Schmandt-Besserat Papers 1953-2008 Materials are written in English and French. 92-234; 93-293; 2000-147; 2003-031; 2003-054; 2003-101; 2007-100; 2009-052; 2009-250; 2009-305 44 ft. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin Denise Schmandt-Besserat is a professor emerita of Art and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and a scholar of the art and archaeology of the ancient Near East. Her papers include research materials, manuscript drafts, subject files, correspondence, reviews, clippings, publications, and teaching materials. Biographical Note

Denise Schmandt-Besserat is a professor emerita of Art and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Schmandt-Besserat studies the art and archaeology of the ancient Near East. Her research has focused on the origin of writing and counting, and her published works include: Before Writing (1992), How Writing Came About (1996), The History of Counting (1999), and When Writing Met Art (2007). Dr. Schmandt-Besserat trained at the Ecole du Louvre in Paris, France. She received an honorary doctorate from Kenyon College in 2008.

 Scope and Contents

Research materials, manuscript drafts, page proofs, and editorial materials document the creation of Denise Schmandt-Besserat’s published works, including Before Writing (1992), How Writing Came About (1996), When Writing Met Art (2007), and scholarly articles. Also included in the collection are subject files, correspondence, reviews and press clippings, publications, teaching materials, and research materials that document Dr. Schmandt-Besserat’s scholarly activities, research, teaching, lectures, and travel.

Note that the inventory below is in abridged form. For a complete folder listing, contact the repository.

 Access Restrictions

Access to portions of this collection are restricted. See inventory below for details. Contact repository for further information.

 Use Restrictions

A portion of these papers is stored remotely. Advance notice required for retrieval.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Schmandt-Besserat, Denise -- Archives. Subjects Writing and art -- Middle East. Art, Ancient -- Middle East. Art, Prehistoric -- Middle East. Writing -- History. Archaeology and art--Middle East Places Middle East--Antiquities. Middle EAst--Studying and teaching. Middle East -- Antiquities. Separated Material

Some material has been separated to the Artifact Collection.

 Preferred Citation

Denise Schmandt-Besserat Papers, 1953-2008, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

 Detailed Description of the Papers Onsite at SRH: 2.325/D8c Galley proofs of Before Writing, Vols. 1 and 2 2.325/T63a Page proofs of How Writing Came About, 1996 3X138c Filmstrips: 3X138c ‘Origin of Writing,’ The Reading Laboratory, Inc., Archaeological Perspectives on Man, undated 3X138c ‘How Writing Began,’ The Reading Laboratory, Inc., undated 3X138c VHS Tapes: 3X138c ‘Treasures from the Royal Graves of Ur’ The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, undated 3X138c ‘Origins of Writing,’ Discover Magazine, undated 3X138c ‘How Writing Began,’ Alarion Press, History through Art and Archaeology, 1987 3X138c ‘The Origin of Writing,’ First UU Church of Austin Public Affairs Forum, undated 3X138c ‘Origins of Writing,’ Scotch home tape, undated 3X138c ‘Origins of Writing,’ Scotch home tape, undated ‘Ain Ghazal’ Edit, TRT 10 mins, February 1999 3X138c ‘How writing began’ Alarion Press, History through Art and Archaeology, 12 mins, undated 3X138c Umatic Tapes: 3X138c ‘The Royal Archives of Elba,’ undated 3X138c ‘Science Magazine, Show #3, Interview with Denise Schmandt-Besserat, discussion of the Origin of Writing’ CBC Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, undated 3X138c ‘Odyssey – Key to the Land of Silence’, undated 2X83c Audio material: 2X83c Origins of Writing Event, 9658-59 3037/Quad, Tapes 1-6, August 10-11, 1990 2X83c Mexico, Denise Schmandt-Besserat, February 8, 1993 2X83c Utah Public Radio Interview Broadcast, February 9, 2000 2X83c Origin and Development of Writing, automatic, undated 2X83c Madison lecture, Symbols, April 1988 2X83c Canadian Broadcast Corporation Broadcast, Tapes 1-2, January 19, 1994 2X83c Frontiers of Communication, Tape 2, Media Centre Audio Production Services, undated 2X83c Una’s Lecture, “Origin of Writing” Tapes 1-2, March 7, 1989 2X83c Lecture on the “Origins of Writing” Oriental Lab, April 16, 1980 2X83c Held in the residence of Ms. Safeya Binzagr, undated 2X83c American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Science Update, “Numbers and Taxes,” April 1989 2X83c “How Writing Began,” 1987 (Includes a short filmstrip, VHS tape and maps at 3X138c) 2X83c “Archaeological perspectives on man; The Origin and Development of Writing,” 1980 (Includes a short filmstrip, VHS tape and maps at 3X138c) 2/FILM E70 Search for Solutions flat film 2.325/D20b Certificate 2W15 Computer printout of token discovery location, size, shape and museum location 2W15 Display Cards showing token shapes 2W15 Map of Token locations 2W15 Photographic paper of Token illustrations 3Y387 Photographs of tokens with a colorized overlay. Separated in envelopes by figure numbers from the book “Before Writing” 3So100 Illustrations in small envelopes 3R38a Diskettes (77) 3W105 VHS Introduction I 2.325/P17 Subject files: 2.325/P17 Letters of recommendation, educational certificates, early professional history, 1953-1984 2.325/P17 Notes (Photocopied articles and book excerpts), 1981-2005 2.325/P17 Language Origins Society, 1991, 2002 2.325/P17 W. W. Norton & Company, correspondence, 1992-1993 2.325/P17 Japan (Translations of Schmandt-Besserat’s works), 2000-2008 2.325/P17 Retirement, 2001-2002 2.325/P17 The Warburg Institute – London (Colloquium on “Iconography without Texts,” June 2005), 2004-2005 2.325/P17 Handbook of Writing Research (chapter contribution), 2004-2006 2.325/P17 Elsevier (Article on “Writing Systems” for the Encyclopedia of Archeology), 2005-2007 2.325/P17 Henri Contenson (Article for Syria in his honor), 2006-2007 2.325/P17 Georgia (Paper presented to the Georgian National Academy of Sciences), 2007 2.325/P17 92nd Street Y, Young Men & Young Women’s Hebrew Association – New York (October lecture), 2007 2.325/P17 Archeological Institute of America lecture (Talks for Seattle, Spokane, and Walla Walla societies), 2007 2.325/P17 Chicago (American Accounting Association lecture), 2007 2.325/P17 Correspondence and applications, 2007 2.325/P17 New York Y, 92nd Street Young Men & Young Women’s Hebrew Association (May lecture), 2007 2.325/P17 Ravenna (XIX International Conference on South Asian Archeology, Italy), 2007 2.325/P17 UT Business School (lecture), 2007 2.325/P17 Kenyon College (honorary doctoral degree conferral), 2007-2008 2.325/P17 New Orleans – Charles Bazerman (Conference on College Composition and Communication, “Writing Realities, Changing Realities”), 2007-2008 2.325/P17 Business (correspondence), 2008 2.325/P17 Georgia (Tblisi visit), 2008 2.325/P17 Neolithic – Leiden (Conference on “Interpreting the Late Neolithic of Upper Mesopotamia”), 2008 2.325/P17 University of Oklahoma (speaking engagement), 2008 2.325/P17 Illustrations for When Writing Met Art, University of Texas Press, 2007 2.325/P17 Publications: 2.325/P17 Korean translation of The History of Counting, 2007 2.325/P17 Assorted collected publications, 2007-2008 2.325/P17 Diploma, honorary doctorate, Kenyon College, May 17, 2008 2.325/E486 RESTRICTED: 2.325/E486 Personal and financial information [2009-052], 1933-2007 2.325/E486 --- Offsite at the LSF: 2.325/F36 Manuscript, rough draft and galley proofs, Before Writing: From Counting to Cuneiform, Vol. 1 CDL2/L335 Before Writing, book: CDL2/L335 Permissions, 1990 CDL2/L335 UT Press, correspondence and publications, 1990-1991 CDL2/L335 Readers, 1989 CDL2/L335 Preface, correspondence, 1990-1991 CDL2/L335 Book edition, 1990 CDL2/L335 Corrections CDL2/L335 Index CDL2/L335 Vol. II, catalog CDL2/L335 Map CDL2/L335 Drawings CDL2/L335 Original manuscript to UT Press, August 3, 1989 CDL2/L335 Illustrations CDL2/L335 Proofs CDL2/L335 Galleys CDL2/L336 Drafts of book CDL2/L336 Chapters on Iraq, Iran, tablets CDL2/L336 Tokens: Cones; Spheres; Discs; Cylinders; Tetrahedrons; Others CDL2/L336 Clay analysis CDL2/L336 Correspondence, circa 1979 - circa 1989 CDL2/L337 Grants, circa 1980 - circa 1990 CDL2/L337 Articles on origin of writing CDL2/L337 Correspondence, 1980-1985 CDL2/L338 Articles on origin of writing, 1980s CDL2/L338 Correspondence, 1980s CDL2/L339 Articles on origin of writing, 1980s CDL2/L339 Correspondence, 1980s CDL2/L339 Critics' press reaction, magazines, and newspaper clippings CDL2/L340 Computer printouts: CDL2/L340 Key to computer program CDL2/L340 Per Millennia CDL2/L340 Reserve CDL2/L340 Envelopes CDL2/L340 Tablets CDL2/L341 Data forms file CDL2/L341 Computer tapes CDL2/L342 Token catalogs: CDL2/L342 Syria CDL2/L342 Turkey CDL2/L342 Iraq CDL2/L342 Iran CDL2/L342 Palestine CDL2/L342 Statistics CDL2/L342 Masters CDL2/L342 Sites CDL2/L342 Tokens CDL2/L342 Envelopes CDL2/L342 Tablets CDL2/L342 Token charts CDL2/L342 Tokens typed per millennium CDL2/L342 Eighth Millennium CDL2/L342 Subtypes CDL2/L342 Forms CDL2/L342 Computer masters CDL2/L342 Coded sheets CDL2/L343 Data sheets, notes, printed material CDL2/L343 Seals: Bullae, Tablets CDL2/L343 Impressed tablets CDL2/L343 Envelopes CDL2/L343 Pictographic tablets CDL2/L344 Site files: CDL2/L344 Uruk, miscellaneous materials CDL2/L345 Syria CDL2/L346 Iraq CDL2/L346 Turkey, Palestine, Egypt, and others CDL2/L347 Iran CDL2/N205 Miscellaneous oversized files 2000-147/1 Before Writing, Abridged Version: 2000-147/1 Figures, May 15, 1995 2000-147/1 Copy 2, May 15, 1995 2000-147/1 Corrected by Teresa, February 16, 1995 2000-147/1 American Scientist, “The Top 100 Science Books of the Century,” reprint, 1999 2000-147/2 How Writing Came About, edited drafts, circa 1995 2000-147/2 Before Writing, Abridged Version, copy 1, May 15, 1995 2003-054/1 Teaching materials, 1998-2002 2003-054/1 Book Lists, 1974-2000 2003-054/1 Course Descriptions, 1981-1994 2003-054/1 Course Manuals 2003-054/2 Publications, 1967-1995, undated 2003-054/3 Publications, 1977-1994, undated 2003-054/4 Art and Token letters, 1993-2002 2003-054/4 Tokens, 1979-1998 2003-054/4 Visible Language, undated 2003-054/4 Written Communication, undated 2003-054/4 Art, 1993-2002 2003-054/4 Man, undated 2003-054/4 Written Communication Xerox, undated 2003-054/4 Internationale de l’ Imaginaire. Editor Cherif Khaznadar, Maison Des Cultures Du Monde: Paris, 1985 2003-054/4 Visible Language. Volume 20:3. Editors David Olson, Derrick de Kerckove, Visible Language: Cleveland, Ohio, 1986 2003-054/4 Journal of Library History, 1986 2003-054/4 Tokens and Pictography, undated 2003-054/4 Xerox – International Encyclopedia of Communications, undated 2003-054/4 Strasbourg, undated 2003-054/4 Visible Language Volume 8:1 Editor Merald E. Wrolstad, Visible Language: Ohio, 1984 2003-054/4 Collected Papers of the Society for Near Eastern Studies, Volume 2. Editor Robert Chadwick, Society for Near East Studies: Quebec, 1984 2003-054/4 Clay in Anatolia, undated 2003-054/4 Clay in Syria, undated 2003-054/4 Syria reprints, undated 2003-054/4 On the Invention of Writing, undated 2003-054/4 The Legacy of Sumer, undated 2003-054/4 Immortal Egypt, undated 2003-054/4 On the Origins of Writing, undated 2003-054/4 Early Technologies-Technology and Cultures 2003-054/5 Newspaper clippings, 1975-2001 2003-054/6 Lectures, 1985-2000, undated 2003-054/6 Material for children's books, 1994-1999, undated 2003-031/1 Research material, 1977-2001, undated 2003-031/2 Quotes, 1977-2002, undated 2003-031/3 Publications, A-Z by title, 1967-2000 2003-101/1 Reviews, 1992-1999, undated 2003-101/1 Citation: Art, 2003 2003-101/1 Salary: Past annual reports, letters 2003-101/2 Reviews, 2000-2003, undated 2003-101/2 Computer Printouts, 1986 2003-101/2 Cones, Spheres, Discs 2003-101/2 Vessels 2003-101/2 Tools 2003-101/2 Biconoid 2003-101/2 Paraboloid 2003-101/2 Oviod 2003-101/2 Tetrahedron 2003-101/2 Animal 2003-101/2 Miscellaneous 2003-101/2 Bent Coil 2003-101/2 Oval 2003-101/2 Cylinder 2003-101/2 Rectangle 2003-101/2 Triangle 2003-101/2 Publications 2003-101/2 Drawings used in Volume 1 of Before Writing 2003-101/2 Drawing references 2003-101/2 Volume 1, Before Writing 2003-101/2 Photocopies: Printout of Token location, number, museum location and size 2003-101/2 --- 2009-250/1 Course Notes: Syria sites Jordon Lebanon Liban Palestine Islamic Era 2009-250/2 Turkey Materials--metal Persia-symbols/writing, 1997. Islamic Persia Islamic Iran Luristan 2009-250/3 Egypt: Paleo/pre-dynasty Amarna/late Everyday life Middle Kingdom Topics Early New Kingdom Old Kingdom 2009-250/4 Late Egypt Religion: Death Pantheon Sumer: Sites Topics--economy, warfare Babylon Uruk: Civilization Artifacts 2009-250/5 Assun: Topics Reliefs Texts Magic Art Akkad UrIII 2009-250/6 Achaemenian: History and objects Sites Reliefs Elam Iran 2009-250/7 Theory Early Mesopotamia, Zawi-Cheri, Ubald Spychet [Uruk notes in French]. Diskettes, 1996-1997 AG Articles Class Seminars Kid books Diskettes, 1998-2000 Accounts AG Articles Class Kid books Diskettes, 2001 AG Articles Class 302 Kid books (none on "articles") Grants Lecture Recom[mendations?] Reviews Writing 2009-305/1 Photo albums: Family, 1997-2001 Turkey, 2005 Egypt, 2000 Reunions, 2006 2009-305/2 Family, 1987-2000 Schmandt Chronicles for mama’s fiftieth birthday [articles by Jurgen, Phillip, and Alex Schmandt] Course notes: Kings I Kings II Sumer topics 2009-305/3 Ed Ed art Photo album, 1990-1994 Floppy disks: Book part I: Intro – outline – chap. 1-4. Abbrev. Title. Title pt. I., March 1, 1990 (3 disks) Drawer Uruk/Berlin, 1987, Final. Map. Photos. Tiefschmitt, May 25, 1989 Book II. Chap 5-9 – concl – title cat – title pt. 2 charts, March 1, 1990 (3 disks) 2009-305/4 Teaching and writing files 2009-305/5 Rolled negatives Offsite at CDL 3, Range 66, Section 1: 2007-100/1 Research materials for the book When Writing Met Art 2007-100/2 Research materials for the book When Writing Met Art 2007-100/3 Business, 2003-2006 2007-100/4 Business, 2007 2007-100/4 Middle Eastern tours, 2001-2006 2007-100/4 Lectures