Exhibitions

Pharaohs, pyramids, sphinxes, and hieroglyphs—ancient Egypt has captivated the world for millennia. In a bright and refreshed gallery with an elegant arched window revealed for the first time in decades, the new exhibition showcases returning favorites and pieces from the museum’s collections that are on display for the first time. 

Explore how the movement of goods, peoples, and ideas around the ancient Mediterranean transformed the lives and livelihoods of people at all levels of society, driving innovations that had lasting impacts—even on the modern world.

The museum is reimagining its grand third-floor atrium gallery, featuring the arts of ancient Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq). This first installment showcases newly fabricated casts from the ancient scenes that once adorned Mesopotamian palace walls.

The iconic stone—discovered in the Egyptian city of Rashid—is known for its three kinds of writing that sparked an international race to unlock the mysteries of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. The original is in the British Museum, and HMANE staffers created a fresh cast now on view in the Egypt Eternal exhibition.

An interdisciplinary collaboration at Harvard University created a full-scale reproduction of an ancient Egyptian throne belonging to Queen Hetepheres (about 2550 BC). The chair’s materials are based on the ancient original: cedar, bright blue faience tiles, gold foil, gesso, cordage seating, and copper. 

This exhibit within Egypt Eternal displays a resin cast of the Dream Stela. The original can be found between the paws of the Great Sphinx. Using resin casting techniques he developed, Chief Curator Adam Aja led the reproduction process with Harvard students.

The archaeological archives of Theresa B. Goell, director of an international field excavation site, reveal her travels and experiences as she worked in this male-dominated field.