From Nicholas M. Gill <nmgill@uchicago.edu>:linebreak==========================linebreaklinebreakCALL FOR PAPERSlinebreakCurrent Research on Mesopotamian Magic (II)linebreak72nd Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale (RAI)linebreakSofia, July 19–23, 2027linebreaklinebreakTo complement the theme of this year’s RAI, interested participants are kindly invited to send submissions for an upcoming workshop on magical practice in Mesopotamia, broadly defined.linebreaklinebreakMagic and ritual are inseparable and fundamental components of the vast body of therapeutic documentation from Mesopotamia and its neighbouring regions. Building upon the success of the inaugural workshop of the same name held at the 70th RAI in Prague in 2025, the present workshop is designed as an outlet for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and more established scholars to share their current research on topics relating to magic in Mesopotamia.linebreaklinebreakThe temporal scope of this workshop extends from the earliest periods of the third millennium BCE through to the end of cuneiform culture in the first centuries of the common era, and this workshop is planned to include representation across multiple periods. Contributions may take the form of works-in-progress or new projects on diverse subjects, including but not limited to any of the following: textual analyses and text editions, material culture, comparative studies, and the application of theoretical frameworks.linebreaklinebreakThis workshop is intended to provide a warm and collegial atmosphere for participants to meet and discuss their research, shed new light on various aspects of ritual and magic in Mesopotamia and its environs, and disseminate the richness of Mesopotamian source materials for future studies on magical practice in antiquity.linebreaklinebreakInterested participants are asked to submit abstracts of no more than 250 words including the paper title, the name of the author(s), their affiliation, and their contact details by November 6th, 2026. Contributions will be selected based on their merit and fit with the theme of the workshop.linebreaklinebreakThe proceedings of this workshop are planned to be published. The contributions that are accepted after peer-review will be published together in a journal or a dedicated volume.linebreaklinebreakPlease do not hesitate to send expressions of interest or questions about the workshop to the organiser: Nicholas M. Gill: nmgill@uchicago.edulinebreak