Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Ernst Herzfeld Papers

Announced today at the Smithsonian Collection Blog: New Freer|Sackler Archives Image Galleries

Ernst Herzfeld Papers
A foremost scholar in the field of Iranian studies, Ernst Herzfeld (1879–1948) explored all phases of Near Eastern culture from the prehistoric period to Islamic times. The collection documents Herzfeld's archaeological activities including Samarra, Persepolis, Pasargadae, Paikuli, and Aleppo and includes correspondence; field notebooks; drawings; sketchbooks; inventories of objects; squeezes of architectural inscriptions and details; and photographs.

Preservation, digitization, and cataloging has been made possible by the Leon Levy Foundation. The cataloging of this collection commenced in September 2009, and will be ongoing until Summer 2011. Please be advised that some of the Series and categories are not hot linked to images yet as we are in the process of making them available.

Cataloging and descriptions for the Ernst Herzfeld papers were created based on primary materials within the Ernst Herzfeld papers, notes and organization from Joseph Upton, and from secondary sources listed in the Ernst Herzfeld Resource Bibliography.

It is our hope that by providing the Ernst Herzfeld papers online we are contributing to the scholarship of, and interest in, the archaeological sites of the ancient Near East. We welcome additional insight and scholarship you may be able to add. If you hold, or know where related materials may be, please contact us so that we can maintain an up to date record of all Ernst Herzfeld resources. In the future, the Freer|Sackler hopes to expand upon this web resource to include all Ernst Herzfeld materials.

Permission to reproduce and publish an item from the Archives is coordinated through the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery's Rights and Reproductions department. For inquiries on selecting images or appointments to research the collection, please contact the Archives

Go read our latest news on the collection available on our blog and view our video tutorial on how to search the Archives. Click here to view a list of the locations for which we have Herzfeld materials. 

See earlier postings in AWOL on Herzeld:

Herzfeld at Samarra



Ernst Herzfeld Papers

 

Monday, June 27, 2011

Open Access Travel Literature


The history of travel, travelers, and travel writing is an academic discipline in it's own right. Travelers accounts of journeys from before Pausanius to the present form an important corpus of descriptive documentation of ancient monuments and sites, many of them no longer visible. ASTENE: The Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East organizes conferences and publishes a Bulletin devoted to the topic.  The venerable Hakluyt Society has been the focus of publication of scholarly editions of primary records of voyages, travels and other geographical material since 1846. Shirley Weber's compendious bibliography Voyages and travels in Greece, the Near East, and adjacent regions, made previous to the year 1801; being a part of a larger catalogue of works on geography, cartography, voyages and travels, in the Gennadius Library in Athens has been available online for some time.

The discipline seems to be an attractive one for the development of open access digital libraries. For the region around the Mediterranean there are four such collections worthy of note here.
A search for the word "travel" in Abzu will today yield 237 items, many of them included in the collections described above, but also many others found elsewhere on the Internets.

I encourage readers here to let me know by means of the comments or otherwise, of other useful open access collections.

Open Access Digital Archive: TIMEA


TIMEA

"The Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA) is a digital archive that focuses on Western interactions with the Middle East, particularly travels to Egypt during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. TIMEA offers electronic texts such as travel guides, museum catalogs, and travel narratives, photographic and hand-drawn images of Egypt, historical maps, and interactive GIS (Geographic Information Systems) maps of Egypt and Cyprus.

In addition, TIMEA provides educational modules that set the materials in context and explore how to conduct historical research."

Open Access Compendium: Sunnah and Hadith

CRCC: Sunnah and Hadith


This compendium of Sunnah and Hadith offers a large online collection of some of the most important traditional sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. Included in the compendium are Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, 40 Hadith Qudsi, amongst others.

Princeton Online Arabic Poetry Project

Princeton Online Arabic Poetry Project

 Princeton Online Arabic Poetry
Acknowledgements
• Lance Herrington, Eric Huang, David Herrington, Michael Muzzie for their technical and artistic skills.
• Samer Traboulsi and Omar Mohammad for their readings.
• All translations by Nancy Coffin.
• This project was created by the CIT Academic Technology Services PLACE with the generous support of the Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning.

Open Access Dissertations: PQDT Open


Open Access Dissertations: PQDT Open

h/t AWOL

Here are some dissertations on the Middle East from Open Access ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT Open), exemplorum gratia:

Rethinking the status quo: The British and Islam in Palestine, 1917--1929 by Roberts, Nicholas E. ,Ph.D., New York University, 2010, 386; AAT 3396714. Full text - PDF

The Pentecostal mission in Palestine, 1906--1948: A postcolonial assessment of Pentecostal Zionism by Newberg, Eric Nelson, Ph.D., Regent University, 2008, 678; AAT 3305402. Full text - PDF

The limits of detente: The United States, the Soviet Union, and the Arab-Israeli conflict, 1969--1973 by Daigle, Craig A., Ph.D. The George Washington University. 2008: 420 pages; AAT 3311383. Full text - PDF

Cultural awareness and the U.S. military advisor in the Arab Middle East: A phenomenological study by Kolaski, Gerard W., Ph.D., University of Phoenix, 2010, 418; AAT 3446273. Full text - PDF

Jordan first: A history of the intellectual and political economy of Jordanian antiquity by Corbett, Elena Dodge, Ph.D., The University of Chicago, 2009, 532; AAT 3362463. Full text - PDF

The inluence of cultural identity and intergroup contact on adolescents' evaluations of Arab-Jewish peer relationships by Brenick, Alaina Faye ,Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, 2009, 233; AAT 3391368. Full text - PDF


The elegance of research on PQDT Open is remarkable.
For other aggregations of open access dissertations see

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Open Access Journal: The Palestinian strategic report

The Palestinian strategic report.
Publisher: Beirut, Lebanon : Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies & Consultations.
Other Titles: Strategic report, Palestinian annual strategic report, Taqrīr al-istirātījī al-Filasṭīnī.
Issued also in Arabic as : التقرير الاستراتيجي الفلسطيني
Frequency : Annual

"The Palestinian Strategic Report is a highly academic annual report that assesses the Palestinian situation. It rigorously studies the developments of various aspects of the Palestinian issue, i.e., internal political affairs, economic development, demographic indicators, the Arab, Islamic and international stands and the Israeli attitudes and policies, all within an academic, well-documented context that is supported with the most recent statistical data..."


Alphabetical List of Open Access Journals in Middle Eastern Studies

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Translations of Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Texts



Translations of Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Texts

"Translations of Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Texts is a Digital Publication Series of H-Bahai. Authors publishing here grant H-Net the right to maintain this draft of their translations in electronic form on this site in perpetuity.
The authors retain print publication rights as long as further publication in print form does not prevent H-Net from continuing to display this draft in digital form on this site."

Open Access Journal: Online Journal of Bahá’í Studies

Online Journal of Bahá’í Studies (OJBS)

The Online Journal of Bahá’í Studies is an international open-access peer-reviewed journal within the field of Bahá‘í studies.
ISSN 1177-8547

Alphabetical List of Open Access Journals in Middle Eastern Studies

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Monday, June 20, 2011

Open Access Database: Congressional Monitor Database

The Congressional Monitor Database - A Project of the Institute for Palestine Studies

"The Institute for Palestine Studies’ Congressional Monitor project, launched in 2006, tracks every legislative initiative introduced in the U.S. Congress that mentions Palestine or Israel or has bearing on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."


Sunday, June 19, 2011

Open Access Reports: Open CRS

Open CRS provides access to Congressional Research Service reports in public domain.

"American taxpayers spend over $100 million a year to fund the Congressional Research Service, a "think tank" that provides reports to members of Congress on a variety of topics relevant to current political events. Yet, these reports are not made available to the public in a way that they can be easily obtained. Open CRS provides citizens access to CRS Reports that are already in the public domain."

Sample reports:

Egypt in Transition
March 29, 2011 - RL33003

Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses
April 18, 2011 - RL32048

Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy
March 2, 2011 - 95-1013

Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
April 15, 2011 - RL30588

Open Access Journal: Al-Ahram Weekly

Al-Ahram Weekly
ISSN:1110-2977
Publisher: Mu'assasat al-Ahram
Country: Egypt
Start Year: 1991
Frequency: Weekly
Language: English

Archives available from 1998.

Alphabetical List of Open Access Journals in Middle Eastern Studies

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Friday, June 17, 2011

Open Access Encyclopedia: Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia

Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia


 The Coptic civilization is one of the most ancient civilizations still in existence, and has vibrant manifestations in Egypt and around the world.  Various aspects of Western civilization have their roots in, or are influenced by Coptic civilization and Egyptian Christianity.
An invaluable reference tool for Coptic Studies is The Coptic Encyclopedia (Aziz S. Atiya, ed. NY: Macmillan, 1991). This monumental work, with approximately 2800 entries written by 215 scholars, covers treasures of Coptic language and literature; Copto-Arabic literature; Coptic art, architecture, archaeology, history, music, liturgy, theology, spirituality, monasticism; and biblical, apocryphal, social, and legal texts. The encyclopedia was the fruit of years of effort on the part of its Editor-in-Chief, Aziz S. Atiya (1898-1988, Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Utah), and its Principal Investigator, Lola Atiya (1917-2002, Doctor of Humane Letters). Donations by the Coptic communities in the Diaspora, a matching grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1979 to 1990, along with numerous other sources, made the project possible.
In 2009 the Claremont Graduate University (CGU) School of Religion acquired the right to develop an updated and continuously expanding and evolving web-based version of The Coptic Encyclopedia. Since then, the Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia (CCE) has been gradually posting the articles of the 1991 Coptic Encyclopedia and will be continuously adding updates and new topics from the growing body of scholarship in Coptic studies at worldwide institutions. Again, the participation of the Coptic community in envisioning and funding this project was instrumental in the project coming to fruition. The partnership of CGU and the Coptic community is one of the missions of the Council for Coptic Studies at the CGU School of Religion. Please visit the Council’s website at http://www.cgu.edu/pages/5446.asp.

The progress of the CCE project depends on the strength and continuity of Coptic studies at CGU, the participation of scholars worldwide, and the availability of financial resources. It is a work in progress; please check back or subscribe to the RSS to see updates.

The CCE digital project student staff members include: Mary Ghattas, Prinny Miller, Sarah Morcos, and Ian Sundwall-Byers – all of CGU.

And see also other collections relating to antiquity in the

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Open Access Journal: Vaseteh - Journal of the European Society for Iranian Studies


Vaseteh - Journal of the European Society for Iranian Studies
ISSN: 1827-1367

"Published by the European Society for Iranian Studies - Rome-based non-profit institution aimed at developing a European network of academics, scholars and experts on Iranian politics, economy, history and socio-religious issues. The European Society for Iranian Studies was founded in 2005 to support and promote the field of Iranian studies and research at an international level in Europe and worldwide. The Society develops studies in economic, political, military, social and cultural change in Iran in the twentieth century as well as the expectations for change in the twenty-first century. "

Only one issue published to date.

Alphabetical List of Open Access Journals in Middle Eastern Studies

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Open Access Report: Local Governance in Afghanistan: A View from the Ground

Local Governance in Afghanistan: A View from the Ground

New report from Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU).
Author: Douglas Saltmarshe, Abhilash Medhi
June 2011.
This report finds that insufficient attention has been given to local governance in Afghanistan, despite the fact that most Afghan citizens encounter the state in provinces and districts. This neglect is inhibiting the significant efforts made in Kabul from having much impact on the ground.

The research was undertaken over a 14 month period finishing in December 2010. It took place in 47 districts of Samangan, Jawzjan, Sar-i-Pul, Laghman, Wardak and Day Kundi Provinces, with additional time spent in two districts of Helmand. Key findings are presented under the following themes: Local Government Administration, Security and Justice, Service Delivery, and Representation.

Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) is an independent research institute based in Kabul. AREU's mission is to inform and influence policy and practice through conducting high-quality, policy-relevant research and actively disseminating the results, and to promote a culture of research and learning.
See other AREU publications.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Open Access Journal: Oral Tradition

Oral Tradition
E-ISSN: 1542-4308
Print ISSN: 0883-5365
Publisher: Slavica Publishers, Inc.
Country: United States
Start Year 1986
Frequency: Semi-annually
Text in: English

"OT was founded in 1986 to serve as an international and interdisciplinary forum for discussion of worldwide oral traditions and related forms."

Special Issue 2010: Oral Tradition in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (vol. 25, no. 1)

Alphabetical List of Open Access Journals in Middle Eastern Studies

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Archive of Turkish Oral Narrative (ATON) - Türk Öykürleri Sandığı


Uysal-Walker Archive of Turkish Oral Narrative
- Türk Öykürleri Sandığı


"... more than 3,000 folktales and related forms make it one of the largest collections of Turkish oral narrative in the world.
Almost all of its holdings were collected by the donors between 1961 and the present."

Read more at: http://journal.oraltradition.org/files/articles/7i/12_walker.pdf

Bibliographical site: Hell on line


Hell on line

(Work in progress by Eileen Gardiner) "...developing as a comprehensive on-line collection of over 100 visions, tours and descriptions of the infernal otherworld from the cultures of the world: principally from the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Zoroastrian, Islamic and Jewish traditions from 2000 BCE to the present. These texts reveal the development of hell and its relationship to ideas of judgment, reincarnation, salvation, the apocalypse, and cyclic time. (...)"

Monday, June 13, 2011

Open Access Monograph Series: Islam in Southeast Asia

Islam in Southeast Asia
For the past two decades, The Australian National University has had a program for the study of Islam in Southeast Asia. Over the years, this program has produced an impressive array of graduates, many of them from the region, whose theses document the variety and vitality of Islam in Southeast Asia. This new series of publications makes this research internationally accessible.

Rituals of Islamic Spirituality

Arif Zamhari

ISBN 9781921666247 $24.95 (GST inclusive)
ISBN 9781921666254 (Online)

The Islamic Traditions of Cirebon

The Islamic Traditions of Cirebon

A.G. Muhaimin

ISBN 1 920942 30 0 (Print version) $24.95 (GST inclusive)
ISBN 1 920942 31 9 (Online)

Islamising Indonesia

Islamising Indonesia

Yon Machmudi

ISBN 9781921536243 (Print version) $24.95 (GST inclusive)
ISBN 9781921536250 (Online)

A Quest for True Islam

A Quest for True Islam

Rifki Rosyad

ISBN 1 920942 32 7 (Print version) $19.95 (GST inclusive)
ISBN 9781921313080 (Online)

Reformist Muslims in a Yogyakarta Village

Reformist Muslims in a Yogyakarta Village

Hyung-Jun Kim

ISBN 1 920942 34 3 (Print version) $24.95 (GST inclusive)
ISBN 1 920942 35 1 (Online)

Signs of the Wali

Signs of the Wali

Tommy Christomy

ISBN 9781921313691 (Print version) $24.95 (GST inclusive)
ISBN 9781921313707 (Online)

Struggling for the Umma

Struggling for the Umma

Endang Turmudi

ISBN 1 920942 42 4 (Print version) $24.95 (GST inclusive)
ISBN 1 920942 43 2 (Online)

The Workshop for Morality

The Workshop for Morality

Dindin Solahudin

ISBN 9781921313677 (Print version) $19.95 (GST inclusive)
ISBN 9781921313684 (Online)