Statutes of the Melammu Project

1. Definition of the Project

1.1 The main purpose of the Melammu Project is to investigate the continuity, transformation, and diffusion of Mesopotamian and Ancient Near Eastern culture from the third millennium BCE through the ancient world until the Middle Ages. Additionally, the Project compares Mesopotamian and Ancient Near Eastern culture with cultural aspects found elsewhere, both in contemporary and different time periods. Finally, the Project is also interested in how Mesopotamian and Ancient Near Eastern culture live on in and influence the modern world.

1.2 The Melammu Project has two main activities: to organize conferences (the Melammu Symposium), and to provide resources relevant to the project on its Website.

1.2.1 Melammu Symposia are held regularly and serve to promote interdisciplinary research and cross-cultural studies by providing a forum in which cultural continuity, diffusion, and transformation in the ancient world can be assessed systematically on a long-term basis. The emphasis is on continued interchange of ideas between specialists in different disciplines, with the goal of gradually but steadily increasing the number of participants and thus breaking down the walls separating the individual disciplines. Although each Symposium can focus on a different theme, since the primary purpose of the Symposia is to encourage interdisciplinary cooperation per se, papers and posters not related to the theme of the Symposium but contributing to the overall scope of the project are generally welcome at every meeting.

1.2.2 The on-line resources provided by the Melammu Project can vary, but should aim to include a Database, a Bibliography, a PDF Library, and Links to websites relevant to the project's focus.

1.2.3 The Database is aimed at collecting textual, art-historical, archaeological, ethnographic, and linguistic evidence concerning the heritage of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East and to make it easily accessible on the Internet. All resources are open-ended, and everyone is invited to contribute new information through the website's submission forms.

2. Project Organization

2.1 The Melammu Project recognizes two organizational bodies: the General Assembly and the Board.

2.2 The Melammu Project has no membership, and no members.

2.3 The General Assembly and General Meeting

2.3.1 The General Assembly consists of the participants at a Melammu Symposium.

2.3.2 The General Assembly is active only during the General Meetings held at Melammu Symposia.

2.3.3 The purpose of the General Assembly is to discuss the progress and future of the Melammu Project, evaluate recent developments and activities, and vote for the Board, changes to the Statutes, and any motions or suggestions put forward during the general meeting. Any Member of the General Assembly has the right to put forward any issue that she/he would like to have a vote on.

2.3.4 In all cases, votes are decided by a majority of >50%. The only exception are the Statutes. For changes to the Statutes, a majority of >66% is required.

2.3.5 Voting by proxy in the General Meeting is only possible for Board Members and those who can reasonably state to have an active interest in the Melammu Project. In case of doubt about whether there is indeed an active interest, the General Assembly can decide on the matter by means of a vote.

2.3.6 The Chair of the Board presides over the General Meeting. If she/he is absent, this falls to the Vice-Chair. If both the Chair and Vice-Chair are absent, the Board will select another Board Member.

2.3.7 The Chair has the right to deny a vote on a subject if there is sufficient reason for doing so. If there is disagreement among the General Assembly about such denial, the Chair's decision can be voted on. Once a Member of the General Assembly has been denied the right to have a vote on a subject by this means, she/he is no longer allowed to ask for a vote on another subject during the same General Meeting.

2.4 The Board

2.4.1 Make-Up and Elections

2.4.1.1 The Board must consist of 10-20 Members . Half of these have to be Senior Scholars, the other half Junior Scholars.

2.4.1.2 Eligible as Senior Members are those who have received their PhD more than ten years ago at the time of election. Eligible as Junior Members are those who have received their PhD less than ten years ago at the time of election.

2.4.1.3 The Board is elected for two years. Elections take place during the General Meeting. The Parting Board should propose a new Board, which the General Assembly can accept or reject by means of vote. In case of rejection, the General Assembly can select individual Board Members by means of a vote. At this point, individual Members of the General Assembly can propose their candidacy. Alternatively, an alternative Board can be proposed, which can again be accepted or rejected by the General Assembly by means of a vote.

2.4.1.4 The Chair must be a Senior Scholar. The Vice-Chair must be a Junior Scholar.

2.4.1.5 The Board should ideally include all those who are actively involved in activities related to the Melammu Project. These include, but are not necessarily limited to, the Symposia that will be held in the next years, and those responsible for the Website and Database.

2.4.1.6 All Board Members sit for two years. A new Board should be elected during the Symposium that is held in the second calendar year of its existence, or during the first Symposium thereafter. Board membership can be renewed indefinitely. If a Board Member cedes her/his position during the term, the position will remain vacant until the next election. If the Chair or Vice-Chair cedes her/his position between elections, the remaining Members of the Board will elect a new Chair or Vice-Chair from among them. This can be done by e-mail, Skype, etc.

2.4.1.7 If no new Melammu Symposium has been scheduled before the end of the two-year period of a sitting Board, the Board, Chair, and Vice-Chair will all remain in place until such time that a Symposium is held again. In case a Board Member, the Chair, or the Vice-Chair cedes her/his position, the procedure outlined in Section 2.4.1.6 must be followed.

2.4.2 Responsibilities

2.4.2.1 The Board should represent and promote the project in the academic community and the general public. The Board should also be the go-to institution for any member of the academic community or general public who is interested in the Melammu Project.

2.4.2.2 The Board should safeguard the continuity and future of the Melammu Project by making sure Symposium organization is progressing as planned, and recruiting organizers and venues for future Melammu Symposia. The board should strive to have at least one Symposium take place during its term, and to have at least one Symposium scheduled for after its term.

2.4.2.3 The Board should ensure that there is continued access to the Website Database, and that the the Website and Database are kept up to date.

2.4.2.4 When it is time for a new Board to be elected (see Section 2.4.1.6), the Board should prepare a list of Members for a new Board, to be presented and put up to vote at the General Meeting.

3. Melammu Symposia

3.1 As for subject, structure, length, venue, and any similar organization issues: the only prerequisite for a Melammu Symposium is that its subject connects to the definition and goals of the Melammu Project as lined out under Section 1.

3.2 If someone wants to organize a Melammu Symposium, the respective organizer(s) must request permission to do so from the Board. The Board may also invite someone to organize a Symposium. If there is no approval or request from the Board, the conference in question is not an official Melammu Symposium, and cannot be numbered as one.

3.3 Symposium organizers and the Board should strive to publish the proceedings of each Symposium. The proceedings should be published in the Melammu Symposia series. The editors and/or external reviewers should review chapter contents before publication to ensure sufficient scholarly quality.

3.4 If no Symposium has been organized for three years and either no Symposium is planned or the Symposium or Symposia that are planned are unlikely to be held within the next two years:

3.4.1 Section 3.2 becomes void, and anyone can organize an official Melammu Symposium, as long as Section 3.1 is adhered to.

3.4.2 Everything listed under Section 2 applies to a Symposium thus organized, except for Section 2.4.1.6. Instead, the General Assembly of a Symposium thus organized should elect a new Board, including a Chair and Vice-Chair, which will then replace the old ones.