I don't actively update my Academia page since 2016. For recent publications (mostly open access) see my University of Helsinki profile page: https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/en/persons/saana-sv%C3%A4rd
Associate Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Studies and Director of the Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Empires (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/ancient-near-eastern-empires)
I am especially interested in new methodology that can be used when studying Akkadian texts, including gender studies and Digital Humanities.
Power in general and women's power in particular has been understood mostly in a hierarchical way... more Power in general and women's power in particular has been understood mostly in a hierarchical way in earlier research on Mesopotamian women. Hierarchical power structures were important in Mesopotamia, but other kinds of power structures existed as well. This study, which focuses on women in the palaces of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (c. 930-610 BCE), draws attention to heterarchical power relations in which women were engaged in the Neo-Assyrian palace milieu. Heterarchical power relations include power relations such as reciprocal power, resistance, and persuasion. Although earlier research has certainly been aware of women's influence in the palaces, this study makes explicit the power concepts employed in previous research and further develops them using the concept of heterarchy. The study is based on primary cuneiform sources and presents a detailed description of women in Neo-Assyrian palaces. However, it additionally shows that by applying modern theories of power to the study of ancient texts, one can gain important new insights into the dynamics of ancient society.
Publisher: Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project: Helsinki Publication date: 2015 ISBN: 952-10-1346-X ISBN13: 978-952-10-1346-1 Improved version of my 2012 dissertation.
In this dissertation, I analyze theories of power in order to study the Neo-Assyrian (934-610 BC)... more In this dissertation, I analyze theories of power in order to study the Neo-Assyrian (934-610 BC) women of the palaces. This study subscribes to that sociological understanding of power which stipulates that power exists in all relationships between people. This is why the main research question of this dissertation is not whether women had power or not, but instead, the question is: What kind of power did women have in Neo-Assyrian palaces?
The main focus of this study is the concept of power. More specifically, the aim has been to use it to develop fruitful approaches for analyzing Neo-Assyrian texts. The Neo-Assyrian women of palaces are an appropriate subject for such a study, both because there has been little research regarding Neo-Assyrian women and because their power is difficult to identify with traditional methodological and theoretical approaches.
Power can be seen as something that can be observed directly, either in the structures of the society or in the actions of individuals. This view focuses attention on hierarchical power relationships. In this study, the hierarchical power of the palace women was approached by examining how structures and individual women interacted.
Additionally, the dissertation presents a comprehensive survey of women in Assyrian palaces, both as individuals and as officials. Such a complete study is the first of its kind.
Sociological approaches, however, cannot be applied to ancient Assyria indiscriminately. This is why I endeavored to identify some of the ways Assyrians themselves might have seen “power” (i.e., emic ideas). Despite the tentative nature of the results, they suggest that authority and hierarchical power as well as power through communication were relevant to the Assyrians.
The study of hierarchical power is not enough. The concept of power has rarely been discussed in Assyriological research, although the definition of power influences research results. Implicitly, Assyriological studies have understood “power” as hierarchy. Women are easily seen as “powerless” when the nature of “power” is not fully discussed.
Thus, a subtler approach was needed to complement the hierarchical approach. In this study, I introduced the concept of “heterarchy.” If hierarchical power relations are usually envisioned as a pyramid, heterarchical power relations could be described as a three-dimensional web of power relations. As far as the material allowed, the manifestations of this heterarchical power in the textual sources were examined. It soon became apparent that the women who exercised hierarchical power were often engaged in lateral, negotiated power relations as well.
To summarize, studying hierarchical aspects of power is not the only way to study power. To complement this approach, power can be viewed as something more complicated, a relationship that is constantly negotiated and renegotiated. By utilizing the concept of power as a theoretical tool, new insights into women’s power are gained. Thus, my approach opens up new avenues for interpreting the texts.
*******************************
Note: In Finland, a PhD dissertation has to be published before one can defend it. I decided to publish mine only electronically (http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-10-7631-2) and to make a revised edition ("a real book") for the State Archives of Assyria Studies -series (hopefully out in 2014)
From June to August 2018, Centre of Excellence in "Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions" hosted... more From June to August 2018, Centre of Excellence in "Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions" hosted on its website a forum discussion on various aspects related to “gender”. The papers by Saana Svärd and Hanna Tervanotko, Rick Bonnie, Francis Borchardt, and Anneli Aejmelaeus that were posted on the website were originally presented during the last Annual Meeting of the Centre in May 2018 in Tvärminne, Finland.
Since the organizers of the panel, the authors and all the CSTT community would like to continue this important discussion, all the papers available in a small e-booklet entitled “CSTT and Gender” that is stored and freely accessible in Zenodo’s Open Repository (doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.998281).
With this contribution to the special issue on gender archaeology we aim to offer a brief present... more With this contribution to the special issue on gender archaeology we aim to offer a brief presentation of the genesis of our project, initiatives carried out up to now, the current state of affairs, and future prospects.
Book Review on: Women in the Ancient Near East: A Sourcebook, edited by Mark Chavalas (Routledge ... more Book Review on: Women in the Ancient Near East: A Sourcebook, edited by Mark Chavalas (Routledge 2010). Journal of Near Eastern Studies 2015 (vol 74, number 2, October), pp. 378-380.
Translated from English by Fumi Karahashi) Journal of Faculty of Letters (Chuo University, Tokyo)... more Translated from English by Fumi Karahashi) Journal of Faculty of Letters (Chuo University, Tokyo): History, No. 61 (2016), pp. 25-42.
Natalie N. May and Saana Svärd "Preface: The Importance of Noticing Change." In: Natalie N. May &... more Natalie N. May and Saana Svärd "Preface: The Importance of Noticing Change." In: Natalie N. May & Saana Svärd (eds.) Change in Neo-Assyrian Imperial Administration: Evolution and Revolution, theme issue of State Archives of Assyrian Bulletin 2015. State Archives of Assyria Bulletin 2015, pp. 5-10.
In: Natalie N. May & Saana Svärd (eds.) Change in Neo-Assyrian Imperial Administration: Evolution... more In: Natalie N. May & Saana Svärd (eds.) Change in Neo-Assyrian Imperial Administration: Evolution and Revolution, theme issue of State Archives of Assyrian Bulletin 2015. State Archives of Assyria Bulletin 2015, pp. 157-171.
In: The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Gender Studies, Vol. 2 (Editor-in-chief Julia O'Brie... more In: The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Gender Studies, Vol. 2 (Editor-in-chief Julia O'Brien). Oxford University Press: New York. 2014, pp. 17-23.
Power in general and women's power in particular has been understood mostly in a hierarchical way... more Power in general and women's power in particular has been understood mostly in a hierarchical way in earlier research on Mesopotamian women. Hierarchical power structures were important in Mesopotamia, but other kinds of power structures existed as well. This study, which focuses on women in the palaces of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (c. 930-610 BCE), draws attention to heterarchical power relations in which women were engaged in the Neo-Assyrian palace milieu. Heterarchical power relations include power relations such as reciprocal power, resistance, and persuasion. Although earlier research has certainly been aware of women's influence in the palaces, this study makes explicit the power concepts employed in previous research and further develops them using the concept of heterarchy. The study is based on primary cuneiform sources and presents a detailed description of women in Neo-Assyrian palaces. However, it additionally shows that by applying modern theories of power to the study of ancient texts, one can gain important new insights into the dynamics of ancient society.
Publisher: Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project: Helsinki Publication date: 2015 ISBN: 952-10-1346-X ISBN13: 978-952-10-1346-1 Improved version of my 2012 dissertation.
In this dissertation, I analyze theories of power in order to study the Neo-Assyrian (934-610 BC)... more In this dissertation, I analyze theories of power in order to study the Neo-Assyrian (934-610 BC) women of the palaces. This study subscribes to that sociological understanding of power which stipulates that power exists in all relationships between people. This is why the main research question of this dissertation is not whether women had power or not, but instead, the question is: What kind of power did women have in Neo-Assyrian palaces?
The main focus of this study is the concept of power. More specifically, the aim has been to use it to develop fruitful approaches for analyzing Neo-Assyrian texts. The Neo-Assyrian women of palaces are an appropriate subject for such a study, both because there has been little research regarding Neo-Assyrian women and because their power is difficult to identify with traditional methodological and theoretical approaches.
Power can be seen as something that can be observed directly, either in the structures of the society or in the actions of individuals. This view focuses attention on hierarchical power relationships. In this study, the hierarchical power of the palace women was approached by examining how structures and individual women interacted.
Additionally, the dissertation presents a comprehensive survey of women in Assyrian palaces, both as individuals and as officials. Such a complete study is the first of its kind.
Sociological approaches, however, cannot be applied to ancient Assyria indiscriminately. This is why I endeavored to identify some of the ways Assyrians themselves might have seen “power” (i.e., emic ideas). Despite the tentative nature of the results, they suggest that authority and hierarchical power as well as power through communication were relevant to the Assyrians.
The study of hierarchical power is not enough. The concept of power has rarely been discussed in Assyriological research, although the definition of power influences research results. Implicitly, Assyriological studies have understood “power” as hierarchy. Women are easily seen as “powerless” when the nature of “power” is not fully discussed.
Thus, a subtler approach was needed to complement the hierarchical approach. In this study, I introduced the concept of “heterarchy.” If hierarchical power relations are usually envisioned as a pyramid, heterarchical power relations could be described as a three-dimensional web of power relations. As far as the material allowed, the manifestations of this heterarchical power in the textual sources were examined. It soon became apparent that the women who exercised hierarchical power were often engaged in lateral, negotiated power relations as well.
To summarize, studying hierarchical aspects of power is not the only way to study power. To complement this approach, power can be viewed as something more complicated, a relationship that is constantly negotiated and renegotiated. By utilizing the concept of power as a theoretical tool, new insights into women’s power are gained. Thus, my approach opens up new avenues for interpreting the texts.
*******************************
Note: In Finland, a PhD dissertation has to be published before one can defend it. I decided to publish mine only electronically (http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-10-7631-2) and to make a revised edition ("a real book") for the State Archives of Assyria Studies -series (hopefully out in 2014)
From June to August 2018, Centre of Excellence in "Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions" hosted... more From June to August 2018, Centre of Excellence in "Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions" hosted on its website a forum discussion on various aspects related to “gender”. The papers by Saana Svärd and Hanna Tervanotko, Rick Bonnie, Francis Borchardt, and Anneli Aejmelaeus that were posted on the website were originally presented during the last Annual Meeting of the Centre in May 2018 in Tvärminne, Finland.
Since the organizers of the panel, the authors and all the CSTT community would like to continue this important discussion, all the papers available in a small e-booklet entitled “CSTT and Gender” that is stored and freely accessible in Zenodo’s Open Repository (doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.998281).
With this contribution to the special issue on gender archaeology we aim to offer a brief present... more With this contribution to the special issue on gender archaeology we aim to offer a brief presentation of the genesis of our project, initiatives carried out up to now, the current state of affairs, and future prospects.
Book Review on: Women in the Ancient Near East: A Sourcebook, edited by Mark Chavalas (Routledge ... more Book Review on: Women in the Ancient Near East: A Sourcebook, edited by Mark Chavalas (Routledge 2010). Journal of Near Eastern Studies 2015 (vol 74, number 2, October), pp. 378-380.
Translated from English by Fumi Karahashi) Journal of Faculty of Letters (Chuo University, Tokyo)... more Translated from English by Fumi Karahashi) Journal of Faculty of Letters (Chuo University, Tokyo): History, No. 61 (2016), pp. 25-42.
Natalie N. May and Saana Svärd "Preface: The Importance of Noticing Change." In: Natalie N. May &... more Natalie N. May and Saana Svärd "Preface: The Importance of Noticing Change." In: Natalie N. May & Saana Svärd (eds.) Change in Neo-Assyrian Imperial Administration: Evolution and Revolution, theme issue of State Archives of Assyrian Bulletin 2015. State Archives of Assyria Bulletin 2015, pp. 5-10.
In: Natalie N. May & Saana Svärd (eds.) Change in Neo-Assyrian Imperial Administration: Evolution... more In: Natalie N. May & Saana Svärd (eds.) Change in Neo-Assyrian Imperial Administration: Evolution and Revolution, theme issue of State Archives of Assyrian Bulletin 2015. State Archives of Assyria Bulletin 2015, pp. 157-171.
In: The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Gender Studies, Vol. 2 (Editor-in-chief Julia O'Brie... more In: The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Gender Studies, Vol. 2 (Editor-in-chief Julia O'Brien). Oxford University Press: New York. 2014, pp. 17-23.
Uusassyrialaisen imperiumin (911–612 eKr.) naiset on nähty enimmäkseen alistettuna ja passiivisen... more Uusassyrialaisen imperiumin (911–612 eKr.) naiset on nähty enimmäkseen alistettuna ja passiivisena ryhmänä. Näkemykseen ovat vaikuttaneet sekä kulttuurirelativismin myöhäinen hyväksyminen assyriologiassa että orientalistinen tutkimustraditio. Assyrialaisia naisia on tutkittu melko vähän, ja naisten eristämistä palatseissa on tutkittu tuskin lainkaan. Silti ajatus ”haaremeista” on varsinkin aiemmassa tutkimuksessa laajalti hyväksytty. Artikkelissa käsitellään naisten asuintiloja uusassyrialaisissa palatseissa ja näiden naisten mahdollisuuksia toimia aktiivisesti.
Forthcoming 2016 in: Saana Svärd & Agnès Garcia-Ventura: Gender, Methodology and the Ancient Near... more Forthcoming 2016 in: Saana Svärd & Agnès Garcia-Ventura: Gender, Methodology and the Ancient Near East
Coming out summer 2016 in: Brigitte Lion & Cécile Michel (eds.), The Role of Women in Work and So... more Coming out summer 2016 in: Brigitte Lion & Cécile Michel (eds.), The Role of Women in Work and Society in the Ancient Near East. (Studies in Ancient Near Eastern Records (SANER). Walter De Gruyter, Boston.
Forthcoming 2016 summer in: Women in Antiquity: Real Women across the Ancient World (eds. Stephan... more Forthcoming 2016 summer in: Women in Antiquity: Real Women across the Ancient World (eds. Stephanie Lynn Budin and Jean Macintosh Turfa). Routledge, London.
About gender, writing and authorship. Lots of translations of texts written by women (Sumerian an... more About gender, writing and authorship. Lots of translations of texts written by women (Sumerian and Akakdian only)
DOCTORAL RESEARCHERS (1–3)
for a fixed term of up to 4 years, starting on or before 1 September ... more DOCTORAL RESEARCHERS (1–3)
for a fixed term of up to 4 years, starting on or before 1 September 2018 to work in the University of Helsinki. The successful candidates’ research projects will focus on the goals of a team or teams. The applicant should indicate to which team she/he is applying. The selected doctoral candidates will need to apply for acceptance in the graduate school for either the Faculty of Arts or Faculty of Theology in March 2018. Their main duties will consist of PhD studies and writing of a dissertation. As ANEE is deeply multidisciplinary, competence in more than one field and/or proof of successful scientific collaboration will be considered an advantage.
Several Postdoctoral Positions available in the Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Emp... more Several Postdoctoral Positions available in the Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Empires. Will be based in Team 1 “Digital Humanities Approaches”, Team 2 “Social Scientific Theory & Applications”, or Team 3 “Material Culture & Community Heritage”.
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Books by Saana Svärd
Publisher: Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project: Helsinki
Publication date: 2015
ISBN: 952-10-1346-X
ISBN13: 978-952-10-1346-1
Improved version of my 2012 dissertation.
The main focus of this study is the concept of power. More specifically, the aim has been to use it to develop fruitful approaches for analyzing Neo-Assyrian texts. The Neo-Assyrian women of palaces are an appropriate subject for such a study, both because there has been little research regarding Neo-Assyrian women and because their power is difficult to identify with traditional methodological and theoretical approaches.
Power can be seen as something that can be observed directly, either in the structures of the society or in the actions of individuals. This view focuses attention on hierarchical power relationships. In this study, the hierarchical power of the palace women was approached by examining how structures and individual women interacted.
Additionally, the dissertation presents a comprehensive survey of women in Assyrian palaces, both as individuals and as officials. Such a complete study is the first of its kind.
Sociological approaches, however, cannot be applied to ancient Assyria indiscriminately. This is why I endeavored to identify some of the ways Assyrians themselves might have seen “power” (i.e., emic ideas). Despite the tentative nature of the results, they suggest that authority and hierarchical power as well as power through communication were relevant to the Assyrians.
The study of hierarchical power is not enough. The concept of power has rarely been discussed in Assyriological research, although the definition of power influences research results. Implicitly, Assyriological studies have understood “power” as hierarchy. Women are easily seen as “powerless” when the nature of “power” is not fully discussed.
Thus, a subtler approach was needed to complement the hierarchical approach. In this study, I introduced the concept of “heterarchy.” If hierarchical power relations are usually envisioned as a pyramid, heterarchical power relations could be described as a three-dimensional web of power relations. As far as the material allowed, the manifestations of this heterarchical power in the textual sources were examined. It soon became apparent that the women who exercised hierarchical power were often engaged in lateral, negotiated power relations as well.
To summarize, studying hierarchical aspects of power is not the only way to study power. To complement this approach, power can be viewed as something more complicated, a relationship that is constantly negotiated and renegotiated. By utilizing the concept of power as a theoretical tool, new insights into women’s power are gained. Thus, my approach opens up new avenues for interpreting the texts.
*******************************
Note: In Finland, a PhD dissertation has to be published before one can defend it. I decided to publish mine only electronically (http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-10-7631-2) and to make a revised edition ("a real book") for the State Archives of Assyria Studies -series (hopefully out in 2014)
Papers by Saana Svärd
Since the organizers of the panel, the authors and all the CSTT community would like to continue this important discussion, all the papers available in a small e-booklet entitled “CSTT and Gender” that is stored and freely accessible in Zenodo’s Open Repository (doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.998281).
Publisher: Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project: Helsinki
Publication date: 2015
ISBN: 952-10-1346-X
ISBN13: 978-952-10-1346-1
Improved version of my 2012 dissertation.
The main focus of this study is the concept of power. More specifically, the aim has been to use it to develop fruitful approaches for analyzing Neo-Assyrian texts. The Neo-Assyrian women of palaces are an appropriate subject for such a study, both because there has been little research regarding Neo-Assyrian women and because their power is difficult to identify with traditional methodological and theoretical approaches.
Power can be seen as something that can be observed directly, either in the structures of the society or in the actions of individuals. This view focuses attention on hierarchical power relationships. In this study, the hierarchical power of the palace women was approached by examining how structures and individual women interacted.
Additionally, the dissertation presents a comprehensive survey of women in Assyrian palaces, both as individuals and as officials. Such a complete study is the first of its kind.
Sociological approaches, however, cannot be applied to ancient Assyria indiscriminately. This is why I endeavored to identify some of the ways Assyrians themselves might have seen “power” (i.e., emic ideas). Despite the tentative nature of the results, they suggest that authority and hierarchical power as well as power through communication were relevant to the Assyrians.
The study of hierarchical power is not enough. The concept of power has rarely been discussed in Assyriological research, although the definition of power influences research results. Implicitly, Assyriological studies have understood “power” as hierarchy. Women are easily seen as “powerless” when the nature of “power” is not fully discussed.
Thus, a subtler approach was needed to complement the hierarchical approach. In this study, I introduced the concept of “heterarchy.” If hierarchical power relations are usually envisioned as a pyramid, heterarchical power relations could be described as a three-dimensional web of power relations. As far as the material allowed, the manifestations of this heterarchical power in the textual sources were examined. It soon became apparent that the women who exercised hierarchical power were often engaged in lateral, negotiated power relations as well.
To summarize, studying hierarchical aspects of power is not the only way to study power. To complement this approach, power can be viewed as something more complicated, a relationship that is constantly negotiated and renegotiated. By utilizing the concept of power as a theoretical tool, new insights into women’s power are gained. Thus, my approach opens up new avenues for interpreting the texts.
*******************************
Note: In Finland, a PhD dissertation has to be published before one can defend it. I decided to publish mine only electronically (http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-10-7631-2) and to make a revised edition ("a real book") for the State Archives of Assyria Studies -series (hopefully out in 2014)
Since the organizers of the panel, the authors and all the CSTT community would like to continue this important discussion, all the papers available in a small e-booklet entitled “CSTT and Gender” that is stored and freely accessible in Zenodo’s Open Repository (doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.998281).
kulttuurirelativismin myöhäinen hyväksyminen assyriologiassa että orientalistinen tutkimustraditio. Assyrialaisia naisia on tutkittu melko vähän, ja naisten eristämistä palatseissa on tutkittu tuskin lainkaan. Silti ajatus ”haaremeista” on varsinkin aiemmassa tutkimuksessa laajalti hyväksytty. Artikkelissa käsitellään naisten asuintiloja uusassyrialaisissa palatseissa ja näiden naisten mahdollisuuksia toimia aktiivisesti.
for a fixed term of up to 4 years, starting on or before 1 September 2018 to work in the University of Helsinki. The successful candidates’ research projects will focus on the goals of a team or teams. The applicant should indicate to which team she/he is applying. The selected doctoral candidates will need to apply for acceptance in the graduate school for either the Faculty of Arts or Faculty of Theology in March 2018. Their main duties will consist of PhD studies and writing of a dissertation. As ANEE is deeply multidisciplinary, competence in more than one field and/or proof of successful scientific collaboration will be considered an advantage.