Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum

The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC) of the University of Chicago is a leading research center for the study of West Asia and North Africa. Since its founding in 1919, ISAC has pioneered innovative excavations and comprehensive dictionary projects that serve as cultural encyclopedias of ancient civilizations. The ISAC Museum houses some 350,000 artifacts, excavated mainly by ISAC archaeologists, and includes a comprehensive archive that documents our fieldwork and other research. Together, the ISAC Museum collections comprise one of the best resources in the world for the archaeology, art, history, and languages of West Asia and North Africa, allowing us to understand, reveal, and protect the past.