Dictionary of dead language hits download milepost

A dictionary of a dead language produced by University of Chicago scholars has been downloaded more than 100,000 times since its completion was announced in June.

The Chicago Assyrian Dictionary took 90 years to finish. Its 21 volumes are a comprehensive reference to life in the ancient society of Mesopotamia, now modern-day Iraq.

The response to the dictionary has pleased Martha Roth, editor-in-charge of the dictionary and dean of humanities.

She says scholars and others are interested in the earliest records of human civilization.

A conference held to mark the dictionary's completion drew more than 100 scholars from around the world.

The university's Oriental Institute is the dictionary's home. It provides free electronic access to all its published material.