After studying history and archaeology at the Sorbonne (Paris 1 and EPHE) and earning his agrégation in history, Dominique Charpin became an assistant to Paul Garelli at the University of Paris 1 (1976–77 through 1984–85), during which time he earned first a third-cycle doctorate (1979) and then a doctoral degree (1984). He then spent three years at the CNRS as a research fellow (1985–86 through 1987–88), after which he became a professor at the University of Paris 1 (1988–89 through 2004–05). He served as Director of Studies with concurrent appointment at the EPHE from 1994 until September 2005, when he transitioned to a non-concurrent appointment, a position he held from September 2005 through December 2013. Since January 1st, 2014, he has held the Chair of Mesopotamian Civilization at the Collège de France.
A specialist in cuneiform writing—and in particular in texts written in Sumerian and Akkadian—Dominique Charpin has extensive experience in epigraphy and participates in archaeological expeditions in Syria (Mari) and Iraq (Larsa, where excavations resumed in 2019, and Ur since 2015). His research focuses in particular on the so-called Paleo-Babylonian period (2000–1600 BCE), for which he advocates a comprehensive approach; he has published thirteen books, more than 250 articles or book chapters, as well as hundreds of reviews and brief notes, and manages the website archibab.fr. He combines his personal research with various responsibilities in research coordination and administration.
