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Train station Exit 1 „City“ Schlösslistrasse 5, 3008 Bern Tram stop Kocherpark Nos. 3, 6,8,7,17 from train station Many thanks to all our generous sponsors... SGOA P R O G R A MM E Train station Exit 2 „Welle“ 24 JUNE 2016 14:00-18:30 CONFERENCE DESK OPEN FOR REGISTRATION 18:30-19:30 OPENING: KEYNOTE LECTURE BY PROF. ANDREAS FUCHS (TÜBINGEN): GEDANKEN ZUM "DIALOG DES PESSIMISMUS" 19:30 RECEPTION HOSTED BY THE SWISS SOCIETY FOR ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN STUDIES 25 JUNE 2016 - MORNING 9:00 - 9:15 GREETING AND BRIEFING (BASEMENT) ROOM 1 P1: Reconstructing missing evidence 9:15-9:30 9:30-9:45 9:45-10:00 10:00-10:15 10:15-10:30 10:30-10:50 P2: Contextualising symbolism Beck, Julien et.al. (Geneva): The Bay of Kiladha Project (Argolid, Greece): Bridging East and West Dermech, Sarah (Strasbourg): The Tell 'Uqair temple (4th mill.BC) : colours and iconography Fasnacht, Walter (Meilen, CH): Agia Varvara - Almyras (Cyprus). The only complete chain of ancient copper production on the Copper Island Beck, Julien et.al. (Geneva): Linking a rural sanctuary with ancient metallurgy at Kataliondas Kourvellos (Cyprus) Boertien, Jeannette (Groningen): Loom weights as a research tool Kapiec, Katarzyna (Warsaw): Oils and linen in Ancient Egyptian mortuary temple rituals (Thutmosid period) Wespi, Fabian (Heidelberg): Puzzling Papyrus Puzzles Kühne, Carina (Heidelberg): Egyptian Execration Figurines First, Grzegorz (Krakow): Polymorphic iconography common influences or individual features in the Near Eastern perspective Masson, Emilia (Paris): Recent Discovery of Sacred Marriage in Vallée des Merveilles (Protohistoric Site of Mont Bego) COFFEE BREAK / BOOK PRESENTATIONS (10:35 STAVI) 10:50-11:05 Čech, Pavel (Prague): Easy-going: the treatment of written records in the ancient Syropalestine 11:05-11:20 Mäder, Michael (Bern) et. al.: Some new Linear Elamite inscriptions 11:20-11:35 ROOM 2 P1: Final Q & A (Moderation: A. Sollee) Jacobson, Ofir (Tel-Aviv): The Motive of Hieros Gamos in Jesus's Baptism in the Jordan River and in Jewish Kabballah Shamir, Orit (Jerusalem): Garments and Shrouds of Egyptian and Nubian Pilgrims from Qasr el-Yahud, Ninth Century CE P2: Final Q & A (Moderation: F. Lippke) 11:40-12:15 ROUND TABLES (1ST FLOOR) 12:15-13:45 LUNCH (GROUNDFLOOR) 25 JUNE 2016 - AFTERNOON ROOM 1 ROOM 2 P3: Localising influence and identity P4: Identifying ancient paradigms Mouheyddine Ossman (Bern): Thoughts on the possible Iranian origins of the Jemdet Nasr painting style Bartash, Vitali (Munich): Children in Sumerian Palaces and Temples as a Socioeconomic Phenomenon (4-3 mill. BC) Loktionov, Alexandre (Cambridge): Importing the law? Possible elements of the Mesopotamian legal tradition in New Kingdom Egypt Nebiolo, Francesca (Paris): «A foe of God whoever...»: an oath-curse in the Old Babylonian Sippar 14:35-14:50 Redina-Thomas, Marina (St. Petersburg): Provincial Administration in Babylonia: A Case of Kassite Nippur Pallavidini, Marta (Pavia/Berlin): Political Metaphors in Hittite Diplomatic and Historiographic Texts 14:50-15:05 Frei, Philipp (Bern): Urartu, Kingdom of the Mountains. A Forgotten Site of Memory? Ito, Sanae (Helsinki): Scribes and Royal Archives in the Assyrian Empire: the Mechanisms of the Linguistic Management and the Knowledge Transfer Davtyan, Ruben (Munich): Mesopotamian cylinder seal from Lori Berd (Armenia): An object in an unusual location? 13:45-14:00 Fraser, James (London) et.al.: The visible dead: dolmens and the landscape in Early Bronze Age Jordan 14:00-14:15 Stavi, Boaz (Kiryat Tiv'on, Haifa province, Israel): The Treatment of Troublesome Regions 14:15-14:30 15:05-15:20 15:20-15:35 Venanzi, Alessia (Paris): «All Aram» and «Upper and Lower Aram»: what the Sefire Inscription suggests us about the Aramaean ethnicity P3: Final Q & A P4: Final Q & A (Moderation: A. Sollee) (Moderation: M. Gander) 15:35-16:10 COFFEE BREAK / BOOK PRESENTATIONS (15:40 MASSON, 15:55 ČECH) P5: Assessing transition 16:10-16:25 16:25-16:40 16:40-16:55 16:55-17:10 17:10-17:25 Benz, Marion (Freiburg i. Br.) et.al.: Evidence for early sedentism at Körtik Tepe, southeastern Turkey, during the Younger Dryas Lippke, Florian (Fribourg): In search of Late Phoenician Culture – test cases between text and image Alkhalid, Mohammed (Bern): Following the Collapse; Regeneration or Transformation of the Urban Societies? Charaf, Hanan (Paris): The Iron Age I in the Northern Levant: New perspectives from Lebanon P6: Reconsidering the past Martin Worthington (Cambridge): Questions and Reconstruction of Akkadian Etiquette Durgun, Pinar (Providence, RI): The never-ending Quest for the Elites: New Approaches to the Study of Cemeteries and Social Organization Von Peschke, Sebastian (Bern): Adaptability in the early development of new oriental religions P5: Final Q & A P6: Final Q & A (Moderation: M. Novák) (Moderation: H. Mönninghoff) 17:25-18:00 COFFEE BREAK / BOOK PRESENTATIONS (17:35 PALLAVIDINI) 18:00-18:30 SUMMARY OF RESULTS (BASEMENT) 18:30 -19:00 MUSICAL CLOSING SESSION: NAJAT SULEIMAN & HASSAN TAHA (GROUNDFLOOR) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The idea for a "Berner Altorientalisches Forum" sparked out of a conversation with Mirko Novák who has been actively involved in this project from the beginning and invested much of his time and expertise to make it happen. Of course, the organisation of the 1st Berner Altorientalisches Forum would not have been possible without the time and support provided by the various members of the BAF committee: Pascal Attinger, Universität Bern Susanne Bickel, Universität Basel Max Gander, Universität Zürich Florian Lippke, Université de Fribourg Josy Luginbühl, Universität Bern Patrick Michel, Université de Genève Hannah Mönninghoff, Universität Bern Mirko Novák, Universität Bern Alexander Sollee, Universität Bern Vincent Serneels, Université de Fribourg Johanna Tudeau, Universität Bern Special thanks go to Max Gander, Florian Lippke, Mirko Novák and Alexander Sollee for taking up the role of moderators. Also to be thanked here are Michelle Brunner, Patric Guggisberg and Alexandra Kull for their technical support during the event, Michael Mäder for his general help, as well as the rather cool persons __________, __________, __________, (fill in the gaps) who will be heading the round tables on Saturday and whose identities are still unknown as this programme goes into print... Our gratitude equally goes to Najat Suleiman and Hassan Taha for bringing music to the BAF. Last but not least, we would like to acknowledge the excellent support and service provided throughout the organisation of this forum by Mr Martin Affolter and his team (Haus der Universität, Universität Bern), Mr Thomas Habegger and his colleagues (Informatikdienste, Universität Bern), and Mr Dirk Verdicchio and Mrs Nicole Kneubühl (Universitätsbibliothek, Universität Bern). 1 ROUND TABLES: INSTRUCTIONS Saturday, 11:40- 12:15 (1st Floor) Optional. For those interested in something kind of new... Make your way to the first floor. Look out for the "Round Tables" signs. They will take you to three tables, each table chaired by a different person. Please join the table of your choice. You are invited to sit around the tables and meet other participants around some very general questions. A different question is asked at each table. Feel free to circulate. MUSICAL CLOSING SESSION Saturday, 18:45-19:30 (Basement) The day will conclude with some music... We are delighted to welcome the Syrian musicians Najat Suleiman (singing) and Hassan Taha (oud) who will perform traditional and popular songs from the Middle East that reflect upon love, liberty and peace, drawing on various oriental musical styles and Arabic singing techniques. Najat Suleiman studied singing at the Damascus School of Music, where she completed a degree in singing. As she lived in Syria and also during her time in Switzerland, she held various concerts in Syria and across European cities. Suleiman performs traditional oriental songs as well as the works of her husband Hassan Taha. Hassan Taha, composer, oud player and hornist, completed his musical degree at the Damascus School of Music. In 2003 he studied composition at the conservatory of Maastricht (Holland). In 2012 he obtained the master in composition at the Hochschule der Künste in Bern. Taha's works have been performed in Syria as well as in various Arab and European countries. Songs to be performed for the BAF: 1. The moon shines (Rahbani brothers, Lebanon) 2. As she seemed to sway (Andalusian poem) 3. Charming girl (Old Syrian tune) 4. Tell me about my country, tell me. (Rahbani brothers, Lebanon) 5. Oh pretty brunette! (Rahbani brothers, Lebanon) 6. Oh rose lover! (Zaki Nassif, Lebanon) 2 PARTICIPANTS Mohammed Alkhalid, Universität Bern Alexandre Loktionov, University of Cambridge Vitali Bartash, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Moira Looney, Universität Bern Julien Beck, Université de Genève Marion Benz, Universität Freiburg i. Br. Patrizia Birchler Emery, Université de Genève Jeannette Boertien, University of Groningen Michael Mäder, Universität Bern Emilia Masson, CNRS, Paris Hannah Mönninghoff, Universität Bern Reto Moser, Universität Bern Sebastian Borkowski, Universität Bern Hanan Charaf Mullins, University of Paris I – Sorbonne Pavel Čech, Charles University in Prague Francesca Nebiolo, EPHE Paris - UMR 719 Ruben Davtyan, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Mirko Novák, Universität Bern Sarah Dermech, Universität Bern Irene Deubelbeiss, Université de Genève Pınar Durgun, Brown University Walter Fasnacht, Universität Zürich Mouheyddine Ossman, Universität Bern Marta Pallavidini, University of Pavia Simon Plachtzik, Universität Bern Nicolai Rawyler, Universität Bern Grzegorz First, Jagiellonian University in Krakow Marina Redina-Thomas, Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, Russian Academy of Sciences James Fraser, British Museum Vincent Serneels, Université de Fribourg Philipp Frei, Universität Bern Orit Shamir, Israel Antiquities Authorities Andreas Fuchs, Universität Tübingen Alexander Sollee, Universität Bern Max Gander, Universität Zürich Boaz Stavi, Oranim Academic College Nicole Gäumann, Universität Bern Claudia Suter, Universität Bern Willem Hendriks, Niederlande Johanna Tudeau, Universität Bern Maylawi Herbas, Universität Bern Alessia Venanzi, UMR 8167-Laboratoire Orient et Méditerranée (Paris)-Mondes sémitiques Laura Higson, Universität Bern Sanae Ito, University of Helsinki Ofir Jacobson, Tel-Aviv Katarzyna Kapiec, University of Warsaw / Polish Academy of Science Sebastian Von Peschke, Universität Bern Florian Wespi, University of Heidelberg Martin Worthington, University of Cambridge Ekin Kilic, Freie Universität Berlin Carina Kühne, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg Florian Lippke, Université de Fribourg 3 FACTSHEETS (in alphabetical order) Mohammed Alkhalid (Bern): Following the Collapse; Regeneration or Transformation of the Urban Societies? The period under analysis is the late third millennium and the Beginning of the second millennium BC, (ca. 2200-1900. BC) traditionally named “the late third millennium Collapse” of the Early Bronze age civilization. This paper took in consideration the many previous studies on that period in particular the studies on the Middle Euphrates area and inner Syria, and more generally the studies on the collapse and the regeneration of the ancient civilization. The paper will focus particularly on the case of Ebla and inner Syria, where the last archaeological discoveries from the site dated to that period, provided new information on how the material culture and social complexity transformed during the three decades, when the Amorites start to arrive to the settled cities. Vitali Bartash (Munich): Children in Sumerian Palaces and Temples as a Socioeconomic Phenomenon (4-3 mill. BC) TERMINOLOGY FOR CHILDREN IN SUMERIAN ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS Region: Southern Mesopotamia = Sumer. Period: Ca. 3200-2000 BC, i.e. Early Bronze Age. Sources: Administrative cuneiform texts from temple and palace archives. Subject: Children of low-rank social status in temple and palace households. Aims: 1) Systematize the terminology for children and offer an overview of its development. 2) Identify what biological social characteristics of children are hiding behind these terms. 3) Recognize the characteristic features in the terminology for children. Methods: Philological, historical, sociological (sex-age groups/classes). Key facts: 1) Children as dependents in central households appear in cuneiform records as early as the Uruk IV Period (ca. 3350-3250 BC). 2) The documents allow to reconstruct several sets of terms to describe human resources in temple and palace households. A substantial part of this terms describe two main biological characteristics of children: their sex and age group. 3) Originally, during the earliest periods, the terminology for humans and children in particular bore a strong resemblance with the terms for animals, which implies that the former is an offshoot of the latter. Main point: Other age groups, adults and elderly, received specific terms that were reserved exclusively to designate these age groups. The striking fact conclusion about the child terminology is that it obstinately remained dependent on the terminology for animal youth. The comparison of the bureaucratic terms for children with the lexical evidence (“”ancient dictionaries”) demonstrates that the rich selection of terms within the field “children/childhood” that existed in the Sumerian society did not find reception in the administrative practice. 4 Julien Beck, Athos Agapiou, Patrizia Birchler Emery, Dragos Constantin, Vasiliki Lysandrou, Bertrand Merminod, Kyriakos Themistocleous1: Linking a rural sanctuary with ancient metallurgy at Kataliondas Kourvellos (Cyprus) Kataliondas Kourvellos is located at the base of an unusual rock knob, in the lower Troodos foothills, about 20 kilometers south of Nicosia. Recent excavations by the University of Geneva revealed that the site was occupied both in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period, at the end of the 8th millennium BCE, and in the Cypro-Classical period, in the 4th century BCE. During the Cypro-Classical period, the site seems to have functioned as a rural sanctuary, but the purpose of its location there is not clear: among other explanations, one could be its link with the mining, smelting, and/or trade of metal resources (the lower Troodos foothills have been exploited since the Bronze Age for their copper and other mineralogical resources). Julien Beck, Patrizia Birchler Emery, Despina Koutsoumba and Ioanna Kraounaki2: The Bay of Kiladha Project (Argolid, Greece): Bridging East and West The project, a joint research program between the University of Geneva, under the aegis of the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece, and the Greek Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, aims at finding traces of prehistoric human activity in a small bay of the southern Argolid, near the Franchthi Cave, a major prehistoric site used from 40,000 years ago to 5,000 years ago. For most of these 35,000 years, because of global sea-level change in prehistory, the Bay of Kiladha was in fact a small coastal plain, where the sedentary farmers of the Neolithic period had probably their village. Research currently focuses on two parts of the bay: the Franchthi sector, close to the Cave (submerged Neolithic village) and the Lambayanna sector, just a few hundred meters to the north of Franchthi Cave (HA II fortified settlement). Marion Benz (Freiburg i. Br.), Corinna Rössner, Katleen Deckers, Simone Riehl, Kurt W. Alt and Vecihi Özkaya: Evidence for early sedentism at Körtik Tepe, southeastern Turkey, during the Younger Dryas Location: Körtik Tepe, Province Diyarbakır, Southeastern Turkey, at the confluence of the River Tigris and the Batman Creek. Period: Younger Dryas to Early Holocene (10400-9200 BCE) Focus: Archaeological evidence for permanent occupation of the site; conditions favouring early sedentism at the intersection of two ecological regimes: the riverine environments and the steppe/treesteppe mountain ranges of the hinterland; ecological and socio-economic impact of sedentism and of climatic changes from the Younger Dryas to the Early Holocene; interpretation of burial customs comparing evidence of daily practices and emerging differentiation in burial rituals. Methods: Archaeobotany, stable isotope analyses, modelling of radiocarbon sequences; holistic approach. Jeannette Boertien (Groningen): Loom weights as a research tool Loom weights are often the only preserved remnant of a loom used in antiquity. Because of their ubiquity, loom weights are the main key to the study of textile production at Iron Age Levantine sites. 1 Beck, Emery: Département des sciences de l’Antiquité, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Agapiou, Lysandrou, Themistocleous: Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Cyprus University of Technology; Constantin, Merminod: (3) Geodetic Engineering Laboratory, EPFL, Switzerland 2 Beck, Emery: Département des sciences de l’Antiquité, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Koutsoumba, Kraounaki: Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, Greece. 5 During excavations loom weights are easy recognizable if they are made of metal, stone or ceramics, or when accidentally fired in burnt layers. But it is difficult to recognize and securely excavate unfired raw clay loom weights. The two main problems are: 1) unfired loom weights disintegrate when they get wet; 2) when excavating a mudbrick site, the clay of the loom weights resembles the matrix they were found in. Raw clay loom weights, when properly excavated and preserved, can be classified and studied in a meaningful way, enabling us to reconstruct textile production. The practical part: How do you register loom weights? -> Sharing and discussing a registration form for loom weights. Pavel Čech (Prague): Easy-going: the treatment of written records in the ancient Syro-Palestine Persons involved: Clayton Christensen, Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, Irving Finkel, Assistant Keeper, Department of the Middle East, British Museum, Orly Goldwasser, chair of Egyptology at the Hebrew University (her research interests range from the origins of the alphabet to the relationship between ancient Egyptian "determinatives" and modern theories regarding world classification), Anson F. Rainey, former Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and Semitic Linguistics at Tel Aviv University, Goldwasser-Rainey debate: biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/inscriptions/who-really-invented-thealphabet%E2%80%94illiterate-miners-or-educated-sophisticates/ Definitions Disruptive innovation: process by which a product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of a market and then relentlessly moves up market, eventually displacing established competitors Center and Periphery: The centre–periphery model is a spatial metaphor which describes and attempts to explain the structural relationship between the advanced or metropolitan ‘centre’ and a less developed ‘periphery’ Hanan Charaf (Paris): The Iron Age I in the Northern Levant: New perspectives from Lebanon -Paucity of archaeological sites dating to the end of the Late Bronze Age/beginning of the Iron Age in Lebanon (first quarter of the 12 century BC). Sites that have yielded Iron Age I stratigraphy are: Beirut, Sidon, Sarepta, Tyre, Tell el-Ghassil, and Kamed el-Loz. -No evidence for widespread destructions at the end of the Late Bronze Age at Tell Arqa, Sarepta, Tyre, and Kamed el-Loz. But smooth transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Iron Age. -No compelling evidence for foreign settlement on these sites. - Architecture from the transitional period LB/IA is of domestic nature, usually flimsy and is characterized by a widespread use of pits and silos. No evidence for foreign elements (such as hearths or spoolweights). -Local pottery retains old characteristics; yet integrated into a few new shapes and fabrics. Mycenaean ceramics disappear but appearance of Aegeanizing ceramics. -Foreign-inspired pottery (Handmade Burnished Ware) made locally at Tell Arqa. th Ruben Davtyan (Munich): Mesopotamian cylinder seal from Lori Berd (Armenia): An object in an unusual location? Archaeological Site: Lori Berd (Northern Armenia); cemetery, dating from Middle Bronze Age till Achaemenid period. Tomb No. 106: stone chamber. Ceramic and part of the finds date to Achaemenid period. Also a pinkish chalcedony cylinder seal with gold caps on gold pin. Iconography: standing figure, seizing two upstanding caprids surrounded by symbolic fillings. 6 Dating: a Neo-Babylonian cylinder seal of late 8th till 7th century BC. Similar example: usage of Neo-Assyrian/Babylonian cylinder seal by Irtashduna (wife of Darius I) around 500 BC. Interpretation: suitable for reciprocity of gifts in prestige-goods system of Achaemenid period. Perhaps a gift from satrap to local chief. Sarah Dermech (Strasbourg): The Tell ‘Uqair temple (4th mill.BC) : colours and iconography Date: ca. 3400-3100 BC, late Uruk period, first urbanization of south Mesopotamia. Location: Tell ‘Uqair, Babylonia, Iraq. Abstract: This contribution presents the “painted temple” of Tell ‘Uqair, which has provided evidences for bright paintings on the interior. Based on the archaeological report, as well as on in-depth comparisons with other urukean building, we focus on a colorful reconstruction of one of the characters, offering new interpretation of its symbolic meaning. Pınar Durgun (Providence RI): The never-ending Quest for the Elites: New Approaches to the Study of Cemeteries and Social Organization The Early Bronze Age in Anatolia (3100/3000-2000) is considered a period of great transition when urban societies developed and when extramural cemeteries started to emerge. Sites like Troy and Külloba have yielded monumental walls, or architecturally distinct quarters. However none of these sites have yielded extramural cemeteries. Extramural cemeteries of the EBA are only associated with small-scale sites such as Karataş and Demircihöyük which have been referred to as “chiefdoms”. Labeling these nonurban sites as chiefdoms inevitably led to the quest of finding the chief in these cemeteries. As a result, certain burial types, and burials with grave goods of higher quantity and better quality have been used as evidence for wealth and status, hence the presence of ruling elites. In this paper I suggest different ways of making use of the archaeological data from cemeteries to understand the social organization without falling into the same social evolutionary pitfalls. Walter Fasnacht (Zürich): Agia Varvara – Almyras, Cyprus. The only complete chain of ancient copper production on the Copper Island Place: Agia Varvara-ALMYRAS, Lefkosia District, Cyprus Time Period: Cypto-Archaic II, Cypro-Classical and Cypro-Hellenistic II, 600 - 150 BC, dated by pottery and dozens of radiocarbon dates Argument: The site of Agia Varvara - ALMYRAS was discovered in 1982 and excavated until 2014 by the present author. The site was only used for primary copper production, i.e. the smelting of sulphidic copper ores (chalcopyrite), and only in the advanced Iron Age. Almyras owes its existence to the fact that in the first Millennium BC, orebodies hitherto inaccessible could be exploited, because of steel tools. This boosted a new copper-eldorado, as the copper produced from these Cypriot ores was the purest on the market, as stated in numerous written records throughout the Greek, Roman and Medieval Period. Almyras, however, still is the only site on Cyprus, where the entire chaîne opératoire of copper production can be documented and analysed, from all ancient copper producing periods. Grzegorz First (Kraków): Polymorphic iconography – common influences or individual features in the Near Eastern perspective Definition: polymorphic iconography in Egyptian religious iconography - special, mixed, theriomorphic, combining image / icon / form, always had additional animal heads, double pair of wings, phallus, and also multiplied magical symbols. Archaeological evidence: images appear on small size flat amulets, papyri fragments, also serving as amulets, bronze statuettes and magical, healing statues. 7 Textual evidence: lack of distinct, own name Place: Egypt, without special area of provenance Date: Late Period (7th – 4th centuries BC), Ptolemaic and Roman Periods (from 4th century BC) Important terms: Pantheistic as an idea of all-embracing god (Pantheos) ba as an emanation / form / manifestation of a god, significantly associated with the image of the god. The animals were ba of gods. bau - strength, power, good and bad at the same time, affecting the whole world, and humans in particular. With the help of magic, bau can be manipulated, to ensure people their health and success. Key problem: distribution of polymorphic iconography in other cultures, parallels, influences on the visual level (codification of symbols) and also on ideological level (magical activity hidden / symbolised in a representation) Question of the talk: to define potential influences in the Near Eastern perspective - is the polymorphic idea individual for one culture or common for ancient religious thinking about deity? James Fraser (London), Ben Anderson: The Visible Dead: Dolmens and the Landscape in EBA Jordan Overview: Dolmens are usually described as part of a regional megalithic phenomenon that spanned the 5th-2nd millennia BC. However, this presentation assumes that most ‘dolmens’ are mis-identified. When strictly defined, dolmens better reflect a local funerary tradition of the 4th millennium BC. Definition: The term dolmen includes a variety of features whose only similarity is their use of large stone slabs. This presentation defines a dolmen as a rectangular chamber formed by two upright orthostats along each long side, and a single roof slab over the top. Distribution: Dolmens, as defined above, concentrate within a limited area of the east rift escarpment of the Jordan Valley, consistent with a local funerary tradition. Chronology: Recent dolmen excavations have yielded assemblages that date exclusively to the EB I (c.3700-3000 BC). This talk examines the close spatial relationship between dolmens and EB I settlement sites in a discrete geographical zone. Philipp Frei (Bern): Urartu, Kingdom of the Mountains. A Forgotten Site of Memory? Urartu as kingdom of the Iron Age in the Armenian Highlands shall be analysed as a site of memory. This term goes back to the famous theory of Pierre Nora. In combination with the theory of Jan Assmann, called the cultural memory, the question shall be tracked how this process of memorization took its course. The comparison with another monument, the snake column of the Greek sanctuary in Delphi, will help to understand where the parallels with a typical place of memory lie and why Urartu is special in its kind. Ofir Jacobson (Tel-Aviv): The motive of Hieros Gamos in Jesus’s Baptism in the Jordan River and in Jewish Kabballah Symbolism is a universal language Disappearance of old traditions and beliefs (symbols) might be an illusion as they merely hide beneath the surface and tend to rebreach, sometimes centuries later. The meaning of Hieros Gamos The dove as one of the symbols of the great goddess The gradual 'immigration' of Inanna-Ishtar from Mesopotamia through Syria-Canaan, Cyprus all the way to the Aegean world. The dove's roll in crowning ceremonies: - Courtyard 106 in the palace of Mari (mid-18th century BCE) - Zohar 3, 164, b 8 - Visual representations from Tadmor (8 century CE) - Registrum Gregorii (983/4) - Protoevangelium of James (around 145 CE) - Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan River Some connections and similarities between the figures of Inanna-Ishtar, Asherah, Shekhinah, Aphrodite, goddess-dove, Holy Spirit, Malchut, and many more. Sanae Ito (Helsinki): Scribes and Royal Archives in the Assyrian Empire: the Mechanisms of the Linguistic Management and the Knowledge Transfer The Assyrian Empire (10-7th century BC) was vastly expanded multi-cultural multi-lingual country. To create, administer, and hold together the empire, it was vital to organize the written communication and documentation. The ones who carried out such a task were scribes. They were high-ranking state officials engaged in scribal duties in the royal palaces. They were at the same time the bearers of the cuneiform culture and scholarships. Scholars also received scribal education. To my knowledge, roughly 1200 scribes and scholars are attested, but most of them remain uninvestigated. Thus, I will carry out comprehensive research on the scribes and scribal cultures in the Assyrian Empire. My research will develop existing prosopographical data so that I can reveal the roles of the scribes as officials and scholars, their identity, and networks. The research will also examine scribal practices, knowledge transfer, and the function and utilization of the archives and libraries. Katarzyna Kapiec (Warsaw): Oils and linen in Ancient Egyptian mortuary temple rituals (Thutmosid period) Oils and linen constitute popular sacrificial items used in different kinds of mortuary temple rituals in Ancient Egypt. According to myths and iconographical contexts where they are mentioned or represented, their mulit-layered meaning is connected particularly with life, light and regeneration aspects – the principals of the Egyptian kingship concept. As for oils and ointments, their luminosity properties are emphasized, which symbolize freshness, brightness, arising sun – generally rebirth. Transformative and regeneration power of linen is expressed through its colour – red and green are often associated with freshness and life. The aim of the talk is to discuss those elements in broader concept of ritual in order to examine its role and reflection in the functioning of the mortuary temple. Research on the oils and linen is a part of a wider project of publication of the Southern Room of Amun in the temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, Egypt. Carina Kühne (Heidelberg): Egyptian Execration Figurines Time span: 6th dynasty - Ptolemaic period (ca. 2200 – ca. 200 B.C.) Execration ritual: Sources: -‐ figurines (all times) -‐ texts (mostly later periods) -‐ depictions in temples (Ptolemaic) Course of the ritual (Louvre 3129; B44-48; Ptolemaic): “Binding (the figurine ... spitting on it …), trampling on it (…), stabbing it (…), cutting it (…), putting it into the fire (…), spitting on it in the fire (…).” Execration figurines: Number of known figurines: -‐ more than 1000 figurines -‐ from more than 40 deposits Characteristics: 9 -‐ figurines of bound prisoners (ca. 5 - 15 cm) -‐ sometimes with inscription -‐ sometimes with loop Material: -‐ wax, wood -‐ limestone, unbaked clay, baked clay, alabaster… Brooklyn 73.32 BM EA 75190 Source: online catalogue Source: online catalogue www.brooklynmuseum.org www.britishmuseum.org RMO F 1941.8/3 Source: online catalogue www.rmo.nl Florian Lippke (Fribourg): In search of Late Phoenician Culture – test cases between text and image Aḥirôm of Byblos ( ~ 1 000 BCE) Yeḥimilk of Byblos (~ 950 BCE) Abibaʿal of Byblos (~ 930 BCE) Elibaʿal of Byblos (~ 920 BCE) Yeḥawmilk of Byblos (~ 450 BCE) Tabnit of Sidon (5th cent. BCE) Eshmunazôr of Sidon (5th cent. BCE) Phoenicians (Byblians, Sidonians, Samarians) Key places/region: Phoenicia (Byblos, Sidon, Tyros), Samaria, Wadi ed-Daliye (near Jericho) Time periods: Iron Age in the Southern Levant (starting 1200 BCE), IA 1/2/3, Persian to Hellenistic periods Main argument: In the presented examples texts and images take different paths: Official language and script in epigraphic attestations of Phoenicia remain in a stable condition. Although Old Byblian (Ahirom) in the 10th cent. BCE and the Late(r) Byblian in the Persian era (Yeḥawmilk, Tabnit, Eshmunazôr) differ in a certain number of features the factors of continuation are clearly visible. Many developments in script are rooted in the increasing cursive forms. This is contrasted by the iconographic account: Earlier Northern (Anatolic) stylistics (Aḥirôm) are replaced by Egyptian art works (Abibaʿal, Elibaʿal) and later by iconographic renderings in Persian-Egyptian mixed attestations (Yeḥawmilk of Byblos). Also the reception of the reused material differs to a certain extent (Tabnit, Eshmunazôr). Having these aspects in mind it is not an easy task to identify Phoenician art in distance to the proper main land (Samaria, Wadi ed-Daliye) and in later epochs. Speaking in systemic terms Phoenicia was one 10 of the mimicry-cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean and a complex scenario has to be expected for strata with a deficiency considering material culture. Alexandre Loktionov (Cambridge UK): Importing the law? Importing the law? Possible elements of the Mesopotamian legal tradition in New Kingdom Egypt Features of New Kingdom justice not attested earlier • Oracle courts (especially Deir el-Medina) • Increase in severe corporal punishment (e.g. mutilation of nose and ears; which becomes standard in oaths) • Detailed protasis-apodosis legal decrees (Nauri Decree of Seti I, Karnak Decree of Horemheb) Why might this be connected to Mesopotamia/Semitic law? • “Hyksos” period immediately prior to New Kingdom • Amarna letters/greater exposure to Akkadian in Egypt during New Kingdom • Legal associations: Akkadian and Egyptian copies of Ramesses II – Hattusili III treaty (where corporal punishment is a prominent topic) • Mesopotamian law (and broader scholarship) often associated with protasis-apodosis • Mesopotamian law often associated with severe corporal punishment (e.g. Codex Hammurabi, Middle Assyrian Laws etc.) Why might this NOT be connected to Mesopotamia/Semitic law? • Were earlier periods truly different, or is this down to chance preservation of sources? nd • Protasis-apodosis has precedents in the Middle Kingdom (e.g. Illahun Medical papyrus, 2 Semna stela of Senusret III). Michael Mäder, Nicolai Rawyler, Laura Higson, Mathias Zust und Simon Plachtzik (Bern): Some new Linear Elamite inscriptions The Linear Elamite writing system was used in the late 3rd millennium in ancient Iran. The underlying language is supposed to be Elamite – an isolate language otherwise known from cuneiform sources. 40 to 60% of the Elamite words and morphemes are decoded. In early 2016, about ten new inscriptions and fragments were presented at the University of Hamedan, Iran. They are now in the Mahboubian Gallery. Some of these new texts are the longest ones ever found, depicting up to 200 signs. In the past months, the Deciphering Crew at the Institut für Sprachwissenschaft, Universität Bern, has made drawings of the so far unpublished inscriptions and compiled a sign catalogue. Preliminary results show that fragments from Gonur and Altyn Depe formerly tagged as “Linear Elamite” do not belong to the Linear Elamite text corpus. The Deciphering Project is hoping to collaborate with scholars of different fields. The web page http://sbalmer.github.io/elamicon/ is an open source project. Emilia Masson (Paris, CNRS): Recent Discovery of Sacred Marriage in Vallée des Merveilles (Protohistoric Site of Mont Bego) Key-Words: Sacred Marriage, Hieros Gamos, Mesopotamia, Mont Bego, Vallée de Fontanalba, Vallée des Merveilles, Open Sky Sanctuary, Religious Universals, mythical, ritual Practices, Fertility, Fecondity, Abundance, Nuptial Ceremony, Realistic Iconography, Sexual Intercourse, Agro-pastoral Society, Terrestrial domain, Our Word, Celestial Caracter, Beyond, Winter Solstice, Summer Solstice, Renewal, Ingravings, Tanum, Oldest european Representation of the Sacred Marriage 11 Francesca Nebiolo (Paris): “A foe of God whoever…“: an oath-curse in the Old Babylonian Sippar In Mesopotamia the role of the oath is central mostly in the legal and diplomatic procedures, but its influence spreads in every aspects of society. Beside a common structure, which is found throughout Mesopotamia, especially from the beginning of the II mill. BC on, start to appear some new oath structures The city of Sippar, in the Old Babylonian period, presents a wide range of traditions for the formulation of oath. In addition to the standard formulas, in Sippar, more than in other regions, local traditions as well as external traditions coexist. The lemnum-curse formula is an example of a Sippar specific tradition, where the curse-form takes the syntactical place of oath and influences the nišumconstruction. Mouheyddine Ossman: Thoughts on the possible Iranian origins of the Jemdet Nasr painting style Dates: ca. 3150-2900 B.C.E. Places: Western Iran and Central Mesopotamia Main argument: It is admitted that Iran had an influence on the southern Mesopotamian region during the Jemdet Nasr period, but the mechanisms of this influence are not clear. This talk would like to suggest some Iranian influence arrived in Central Mesopotamia during the collapse of the so-called "Uruk system", which coincides with the reappearance of painting on ware. Marta Pallavidini (Pavia/Berlin): Political Metaphors in Hittite Diplomatic and Historiographic Texts Research topic: In the Hittite historiographic and diplomatic texts some concepts are formulated metaphorically. In particular we can find metaphors based on expressions of motion; involving body parts; recalling the comparison between a person and an animal; describing the concepts of life and death; concerning the lexicon of the family and relatives. Theoretical approach: These metaphors are to be considered as expressions of a system of thinking, i.e. as conceptual metaphors (Lakoff – Johnson 1980). Research questions: Which metaphors are attested? How are they structured? How do they dependent on context, language, and/or genre? Which metaphors are of Hittite origin? Which functions do they have? Research goals: identification, classification and description of the metaphors; analysis of their functions; description of the changes in their use in relation to the genre and through time. Method: the Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP) of the Praggelejaz Group. Marina Redina-Thomas (St Petersburg): Provincial Administration in Babylonia: A Case of Kassite Nippur Ruling of the Kassite dynasty in Babylonia: ca. 1531-1155 BC, short chronology About 90% of all written sources from this period (almost 12000 cuneiform tablets) come from a single location – the city of Nippur, the religious center of the country Most of these texts cover timespan for about 150 years – roughly from the beginning of the reign of Burna-Buriaš II (ca. 1359 B.C.) till the end of the reign of Kaštiliashu IV (1225 B.C.). Documents mention administrators and officials of different levels responsible for various transactions (record keeping of economic accounts, maintaining agricultural and irrigational activities, distributing the harvest and goods, supervising the workforce). Territorially the texts mostly cover activities in the “Nippur region” – the Nippur province and the adjacent province Pān-ṣēri. 12 Important source listing Babylonian high-ranking officials is the texts of narû-stelae (“kudurru”) The chief governor of Nippur (šandabakku in Akkadian, GÚ.EN.NA / GÁ.DUB.BA(.A) in Sumerian) was the head of the local administration and reported directly to the king. References Brinkman J.A. A Political History of Post-Kassite Babylonia. 1158-722 B.C. Analecta Orientalia 43. Roma: Pontificum Institutum Biblicum, 1968; Brinkman J.A. Materials and Studies for Kassite History. Vol. I. A Catalogue of Sources Pertaining to Specific Monarchs of the Kassite Dynasty. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 1976; Cole S.W. The Early Neo-Babylonian Governor’s Archive from Nippur. Nippur IV. The University of Chicago Oriental Institute Publications 114. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1996; Cole S.W. Nippur in Late Assyrian Times. C. 755-612 B.C. State Archives of Assyria Studies. Vol. IV. Helsinki: The University of Helsinki, 1996; Nashef Kh. Répertoire Géographique des Textes Cunéiformes. Band 5. Die Orts- und Gewässernamen der mittelbabylonischen und mittelassyrischen Zeit. Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert, 1982; Nashef Kh. The Nippur Countryside in the Kassite Period. / deJong Ellis M. (ed.) Nippur at the Centennial. Papers Read at the 35e Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Philadelphia, 1988. Occasional Publications of the Samuel Noah Kramer Fund, 14. Philadelphia: The University of Pennsylvania Museum, 1992. P. 151-159; Sassmanshausen L. Beiträge zur Verwaltung und Gesellschaft Babyloniens in der Kassitenzeit. Baghdader Forschungen. Bd 21. Mainz am Rhein: Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 2001. Orit Shamir (Jerusalem): Garments and Shrouds of Egyptian and Nubian Pilgrims from Qasr elYahud, Ninth Century CE • Qasr el-Yahud is situated on the Jordan Rivernearby Jericho, features the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist. • Gregory of Tour, six century CE, visited the site and wrote that the waters of the Jordan river a special power to heal lepers who bathed in them, especially at the spot where Jesus was baptized. • The pilgrim Felix Fabri, end of the fifteenth century, described the prayers conducted by pilgrims on the banks of the river, dipped in the waters dressed in special clothing brought particularly for this purpose. • Thirty-four skeletons were retrieved, probably representing a hospital population of tuberculosis, leprosy and facial disfigurement cases. • The individuals were Egyptian and Nubian in origin. • Placing seeds from the tree Egyptian Balsam in the hands of the deceased conform to Egyptian traditions. • 167 linen and 84 cotton textiles were found dated to 787-877 AD by carbon dating. • The use of the textiles: tunics, head coverings, bandages and shrouds. Boaz Stavi (Tel Aviv): The Treatment of Troublesome Regions It is quite clear that after the Old Hittite Kingdom had been established, the Hittites focused their attention on gaining control of Syria. At the same time, they also tried to expand to western Anatolia, but soon learned that too great an involvement in the west left them vulnerable to attacks. From that time on, the kings of Hatti sought to keep their military involvement in western Anatolia to a minimum, while thwarting the emergence of any hostile coalitions there. I find this subject fascinating—namely, how an empire that was founded on an ideology of expansion, came to realize its natural boundaries and adjusted its ideology and practical strategy to extricate itself from a problematic region that could not be annexed or conquered. The specific case has been discussed only in part by Bryce (1986), so I decided to research it again in my dissertation. Alessia Venanzi (Paris): “All Aram” and “Upper and Lower Aram”: what the Sefire Inscription suggests us about the Aramaean ethnicity (and what the “other” sources suggest) The Aramaeans are always presented as an “undifferentiated group present from the Lower Khabur to the Mount Lebanon” (Sader 1992), without any ethnic affiliation. The construction of their identity may be 13 given by two opposite viewpoints: their own perspective (internal view) and that perceived by other populations (external view). We will show this through the notion of “all Aram” in the Sefire inscription, and by looking to some passages of Assyrian records and of the Bible. The first document is the longest aramaic inscription (about 200 lines) found 25 km from Aleppo in 1930 and dated to the VIIIth century. It is a treaty stipulated between the unknown king of KTK, Bargaʼ yah and the king of Arpad Matiʻel. The other inscriptions concern, in particular, the records of Shalmaneser III and Tiglath-pileser III, who occupied the Aramaean territories in the Ixth-VIIIth centuries, and some letters from Nippur. Sebastian von Peschke (Bern): Adaptability in the early development of new oriental Religions The Topic concerning dogmatism and conservatism within a religion and the often involved incompatibility with modern way of live has been much debated in recent years. This is due to the recent developments in Syria and in other countries in the Middle East. To resume the disscusion about religion and its development, a new museum tour has been launched at the Bible and Orient Museum in Fribourg. This tour is about the roots, common elements and the date of origin of the three Abrahamic religions. Dogmatism and conservatism within a religion generate unchangeable and rigid structures, which often results in a strong resistance for change. In many cases these changes are also violently prevented. Interestingly, the necessity to change and adapt in social, cultural and political life was essential, especially in the early development of religions during their establishment and identification process. Religion demands faith in something supernatural and transcendent on the one hand and a certain dedication and involvement with the daily economic and social life on the other hand. In other words, religion does not only care about your spiritual life but also about your everyday life. The conversion of a belief system into another, especially from a Polytheistic to a Monotheistic, had to be done with moderation and tolerance, at least initially. Evidence of this tolerance are to be found in the written sources and archaeological remains. An important insight into this early phase of the Abrahamic religions is given especially in iconography and architecture. They are emblematic for the need for a constant exchange between religion and the increasingly rapid social change Fabian Wespi (Heidelberg): Puzzling Papyrus Puzzles Papyrus Florence PSI inv. D 102: • Demotic papyrus containing different administrative regulations of the Egyptian temples (incl. a copy of Cambyses’ decree on the revenues of the Egyptian temples (ca. 526 B.C.) already known from the Demotic Pap. BNU 215 vso d (the verso of the so-called ‘Demotic Chronicle’ written around 300 B.C.)) the papyrus: • found in Tebtunis (Egypt) in 1931 by the Italian Archaeological Mission • written in the second half of the second century A.D. (palaeography, orthography) the text: th th • compiled in the 6 or 5 century B.C. (content, language) • presumably a copy of the ‘law of the temples’ (hp n n ỉrp.w), which was compiled during the reign of Dareios I in the years after 519 B.C. as part of the ‘law of Egypt’ (hp n Km.t) (according to the description in Pap. BNU 215 vso c) Martin Worthington (Cambridge): Questions and Reconstruction of Akkadian Etiquette My paper will examine the use of questions in Akkadian, from the point of view of “pragmatics” and etiquette. It will encompass Akkadian literature (from early 2nd millennium to late 2nd), Old Babylonian (early 2nd millennium) letters, and state correspondence from the reign of Sargon II (721-705 BC). It will 14 argue for a constraint on questions being asked by inferiors, discuss the interrelations between questions and reproaches, and point to suggestive asymmetries in the use of the verb ša’ālu “to ask”. BOOK PRESENTATIONS Pavel Čech: "Starověké pí semnictví Levanty" (Altes Schrifttum der Levante; Authors: Jana Mynářová, Jan Dušek, Dalibor Antalík) www.oikoymenh.cz Emilia Masson: “Valle des Merveilles, un nouveau regard” (in collaboration with Bruno Ancel and Paul Verdier) Marta Pallavidini: “Diplomazia e propaganda in epoca imperiale ittita. Forma e Prassi” (Diplomacy and Propaganda in the Hittite Empire. Form and Practice), DBH 48, 2016 Boaz Stavi: "The Reign of Tudhaliya II and Suppiluliuma I" 15 WHERE TO GO (matching numbers and letters on map) For a drink... 1. Effinger (Effingerstrasse 10) http://www.effinger.ch 2. Parterre (Hallerstrasse 1) https://www.facebook.com/pages/ Café-BarParterre/158071960883541 3. Adriano's (Theaterplatz 2) https://adrianos.ch 4. Au Trappiste (Rathausgasse 68) http://www.autrappiste.ch 5. Volver (Rathausplatz 8) http://www.barvolver.ch 6. Les Amis (Rathausgasse 63) http://www.lesamis.ch 7. Einstein Café (Kramgasse 49) http://einstein-kaffee.ch 8. Einstein au jardin (Münsterplattform 5) http://www.einstein-jardin.ch 9. Turnhalle (Speichergasse 4) http://www.turnhalle.ch 10. Kreissaal (Brunngasshalde 63) http://kreissaal.be/html/de/bar/inde x.html co-working café close to BAF venue; wifi code= kaffeebar round the corner Parisian oasis where artsy people have a drink after work best coffee in town; good selection of beverages for beer connoisseurs good nibbles (tapas) and chocolate cake if you are more interested in dancing than drinking, vintage DJ on Friday night for a coffee before or after or instead of visiting Einstein's house outdoor branch of the previous; located next to the cathedral on a leafy square with good views; possibility of grilling your own Wurst lively alternative place, good option to watch the football matches for a cocktail For a meal... 11. Pittaria (Speichergasse 4; Falkenplatz 1) http://www.pittaria.ch 12. Beaulieu (Erlachstrasse 3) http://www.restaurantbeaulieu.ch 13. Grosse Schanze (Parkterrasse 10) http://www.grosseschanze.ch popular kebab/restaurant; servings on plate better value than sandwich option; tasty popular Gasthaus; pleasant Biergarten above the train station; good value self service with view on the Alps 16 14. Toi et moi (Bahnhofplatz 2) http://www.toietmoi.ch 15. Pangäa (Schwanengasse 8) http://www.restaurantpangaea.ch 16. Musigbistrot (Mühlemattstrasse 48) http://www.musigbistrot.ch 17. Arirang (Hirschengraben 11) http://www.restaurant-arirang.ch 18. Tibits (Gurtengasse 3) https://www.tibits.ch/en/restaurant s.html - bern-gurtengasse 19. Lötschberg (Zeughausgasse 16) http://www.loetschberg-aoc.ch 20. Da Bucolo (Amthausgasse 10) https://dabucolo.wordpress.com 21. Café Pyrénéee (Kornhausplatz 17) http://www.pyri.ch 22. Altes Tramdepot (Grossermuristalden 6) https://www.altestramdepot.ch/de/ home 23. Park Kaffee Kleine Schanze (Bundesgasse 7) http://www.kleineschanze.ch 24. La Chouette (Bollwerk 39) http://www.la-chouette-bern.ch 25. Schwellenmätteli (Dalmaziquai 11) http://www.schwellenmaetteli.ch 26. Entrecôte Café Fédéral (Bärenplatz 31) http://www.entrecote.ch 27. Kornhauskeller (Kornhausplatz 18) http://www.bindella.ch/de/kornhau skeller.html comfortable option to wait for the train popular amongst students; good variety of stuff outdoor terrace; good food good value Korean food vegetarian self service; tasty and good value if you fancy a fondue or raclette in the summer... tasty pizzas; gluten free option good value bistro; popular amongst locals animated brewery above the bear pit, good view on river and town outdoor eating with convenient location tasty crêpes and bar; open until 5am on Friday, 6am on Saturday overlooking the river dam; if you are lucky you might spot a beaver where politicians have lunch for the curious For an ice cream... 28. Gelateria di Berna http://www.gelateriadiberna.ch not bad... 17 Out of hours... A. Visit the bears http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/bern-bear-park-the-erstwhile-bear-pit.html B. Have a swim in the Marzilibad (followed by an ice cream) http://www.bern.com/en/attivita/adventure-fun/river-swim/marzili C. Take a guided tour of the Bundeshaus (very interesting and free) https://www.parlament.ch/en/services/visiting-the-parliament-building/guided-tours-of-the-parliamentbuilding D. Climb up the cathedral tower (the highest in Switzerland) and get fit for the hike http://www.bern.com/en/city-of-bern/attractions/cathedral-of-bern E. Walk past the house where Einstein lived when he came up with the theory of relativity (Gerechtigkeitsgasse 32) and have a coffee downstairs http://www.einstein-bern.ch/index.php?lang=en&show=haus F. Watch the medieval astronomical clock "Zytglogge" strike the hour (it is while riding on a tram on his way to work that Einstein looked back at the receding clock and wondered what would happen if he were travelling at the speed of light) http://www.bern.com/en/city-of-bern/attractions/clock-tower G. Visit the "Historisches Museum" - amongst other things, it has a very interesting permanent exhibition on Einstein ("Einstein Museum") and a small egyptological section http://www.bhm.ch/en/ H. Visit the Kunstmuseum which has a small but fine art collection http://www.kunstmuseumbern.ch I. Enter Lederach Chocolatier and buy a piece of chocolate as if it were a piece of jewellery (critics' choice: black chocolate with almonds) https://www.laederach.com/ch-en/shops/shops/filiale/bern-spitalgasse.html J. Walk along the Aare southwards http://www.aare-bern.ch K. Wander up the Gurten, Bern's "Heimberg", and enjoy the view http://www.timeout.com/switzerland/things-to-do/gurten 18 12 2 24 H 9 11 13 19 I 14 17 1 15 18 23 26 10 27 21x 4 3 6 F E7 20 D 8 C B 25 G 16 28 26 B J → J → J H 5 A 22