Exhibitions
NEW: Egypt Eternal: 4,000 Years of Fascination
Pharaohs, pyramids, sphinxes, and hieroglyphs—ancient Egypt has captivated the world for millennia. Egypt Eternal explores our enduring interest. 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.
Mediterranean Marketplaces: Connecting the Ancient World
Mediterranean Marketplaces: Connecting the Ancient World explores 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.
Recreating the Throne of Egyptian Queen Hetepheres
An interdisciplinary collaboration at Harvard University has 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 experiment in archaeological visualization is a triumph of reconstruction because the only guidance came from thousands of tiny, jumbled fragments and 90-year old expedition records. The reproduction chair is the centerpiece of the new exhibit, Recreating the Throne of Egyptian Queen Hetepheres.
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From Stone to Silicone: Recasting Mesopotamian Monuments
The Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East 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.
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Online Exhibit: The Groundbreaker: A Woman Archaeologist in a Field Led by Men
The Groundbreaker: A Woman Archaeologist in a Field Led by Men draws from the archaeological archives of Theresa B. Goell, director of an international field excavation site, detailing her travels and experiences as she worked in this male dominated field.
Dream Stela
This exhibit 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 in 2013, Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East assistant curator, Adam Aja, led the reproduction process with Harvard students.