A New Name for the Harvard Semitic Museum
The Harvard Semitic Museum will now be known as the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East (HMANE). The new name is designed to be more inclusive and accurately reflect the diversity of the museum’s collection.
Founded in 1889, the museum was conceived as a teaching tool to study the ancient histories and cultures of people who spoke Semitic languages, among them Israelites, Moabites, Arabs, Babylonians, and Phoenicians.
The museum’s focus remains on the wide variety of diverse peoples living in the eastern Mediterranean region, parts of modern-day Iraq, and even of north Africa, including the Egyptians, Assyrians, Hittites, and Philistines.
Read an interview with director Peter Der Manuelian for a full explanation of the name change.
Watch for the continuing transition to Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East in the museum’s online presence and public outreach.
How to use the Virtual Tour
Museum Temporarily Closed to Public
June 23 Health and Safety Update
The Harvard Museums of Science & Culture will remain closed for in-person visitation through Summer 2021. We are working with Harvard University on a phased reopening plan that prioritizes the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and the general public. We look forward to sharing more details as these plans evolve. As we prepare to reopen our doors, we encourage you to enjoy the museum at home with new digital content, including virtual tours, podcasts, and coloring pages on HMSC Connects! Also, sign up for our enews to receive our latest updates. We look forward to welcoming you back to the museums soon. In the meantime, have a safe summer!
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3D Models
The museum has created 3D models of some choice objects from its collections. This peg-shaped, stone figurine would have been placed in the foundation of an important structure as it was being built. You can view more of our models here.
Director's Welcome
Recent Publications
- Ashkelon 6: The Middle Bronze Age Ramparts and Gates of the North Slope and Later Fortification
- Ashkelon 7: The Iron Age I.
- Ashkelon 8: The Islamic and Crusader Period
- The Amorite Dynasty of Ugarit: Historical Implications of Linguistic and Archaeological Parallel.
- Byblos in the Late Bronze Age: Interactions between the Levantine and Egyptian Worlds
- The Politics of Ritual Change. The zukru Festival in the Political History of Late Bronze Age Emar.