Biography

Born in London on April 23 1924. Died on July 8, 2006.

Education and professional career

  • 1944 : Degree in economics from the University of Geneva (Switzerland)
  • 1947 : Licencié ès Lettres (History), University of Geneva
  • 1951 : Graduate of the École Pratique des Hautes Études, Section des Sciences historiques et Philologiques, Paris
  • 1958-1967 : Attaché, then research fellow at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
  • 1963 : Doctor of Letters, Paris
  • 1967 : Senior researcher at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris
  • 1967 : Lecturer at the Sorbonne
  • 1969-1986 : Professor at the Chair of Ancient History of the Peoples of the Semitic East, now part of the University of Paris I
  • 1974-1986 : Director of Studies (cumulative) at the IVe Section of the École Pratique des Hautes Études, in charge of the " Assyrien " lectures
  • 1986-1995 : Professor at the Collège de France, holding the chair in Assyriology
  • 1980-1986 : Member of the CNRS National Committee, section 44
  • 1972 : Appointed member of the Asian Society Council
  • 1975 : President of Groupe François Thureau-Dangin , an international association organizing Rencontres Assyriologiques Internationales 
  • 1977 : Appointed member of the International Committee set up by the University of Rome to study the Ebla texts
  • 1979 : Appointed member of the Editorial Board of the University of Toronto, responsible for the publication of the Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia
  • 1974 : Appointed co-editor of the journal Assur with K. Deller (Heidelberg), E. Porada (New York) and C. Saporetti (Rome)
  • 1975 : Appointed co-editor of the Revue d'Assyriologie et d'Archéologie Orientale with A. Parrot, then P. Amiet
  • 1982 : Appointed member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres