Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa
Quick Summary
The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa, located in Chicago, Illinois, is an internationally renowned center for studying ancient civilizations in southwest Asia and the Middle East. It was founded in 1919 by James Henry Breasted, an Egyptologist and historian, with financial aid from John D. Rockefeller, Jr.. The institute, formerly known as the Oriental Institute, has conducted significant excavations, including at Megiddo and Persepolis. These archaeological efforts have greatly enhanced scholarly knowledge of the ancient Middle East, revealing details about its history, religions, and daily life through artifacts, architecture, and texts.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
James Henry Breasted, Breasted organized the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago in 1919. This institution—which was, in 2023, renamed the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa—became an internationally renowned centre for the study of ancient cultures in southwest Asia and the Middle East.…
Read More, Breasted organized the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago in 1919. This institution—which was, in 2023, renamed the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa—became an internationally renowned centre for the study of ancient cultures in southwest Asia and the Middle East.…
Read More
EgyptologyJames Henry Breasted founded the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago and pioneered American Egyptology with his survey of Egypt and Nubia (1895–96). He started the Epigraphic Survey in 1924 to make accurate copies of the inscriptions on monuments, which are subject to deterioration from exposure to the elements,…
Read MoreJames Henry Breasted founded the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago and pioneered American Egyptology with his survey of Egypt and Nubia (1895–96). He started the Epigraphic Survey in 1924 to make accurate copies of the inscriptions on monuments, which are subject to deterioration from exposure to the elements,…
Read More