Edward Chiera (August 5, 1885 – June 20, 1933) was an Italian-American archaeologist, Assyriologist, and scholar of religions and linguistics.

In the years that followed, he copied and translated more than two hundred literary tablets, among which Istanbul #2461 containing the oldest known love song and others with some of the Gilgamesh poems.

[1] A pre-eminent scholar of ancient cuneiform languages, Chiera became Editor of the Chicago Assyrian Dictionary Project, a monumental work which had been started in 1921, and eventually took 85 years to complete.

Chiera also acted as a curator of the Museum of the Oriental Institute, and made significant acquisitions for its collections, in addition to his own discoveries.

Valuable works of Assyrian art were recovered, including a colossal Lamassu which had guarded the entrance to the palace.