The Oriental Institute

## A Brief Overview

The University of Chicago Oriental Institute is one of the leading centers for research and study of Near Eastern societies and history. Noted for its vast and rare collections, the Oriental Institute is a free resource for community members and students alike.

## History

Found in 1919 by James Henry Breasted, the Oriental Institute was originally planned to be a research laboratory to study the progression of humankind from ancient days of the Middle East. Funded by John D. Rockefeller Jr., the goal of the Oriental Institute is to be the world’s leading center for the study of ancient Near Eastern civilizations.

Opened to the public in 1930, the Oriental Institute gathered the majority of its collections from expeditions to the Middle East during the 1920’s through the 1940’s. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, the Oriental Institute underwent major renovation, constructing a climate-controlled wing for housing collections and archives. The Oriental Institute is a unit of the University of Chicago and has maintained its original name since the date of incorporation.

## Mission Statement

Within the Oriental Institute, the Oriental Institute Museum and Department of Public Education and Outreach promote interest in and understanding of ancient civilizations of the Middle East, and their connections to the modern world, for a broad and diverse audience. In order to tell the story of the rise of civilizations, communicate the excitement of archaeological, linguistic, and historical discovery, enhance understanding and appreciation of cultural similarities and differences, show connections between the ancient and modern worlds, and highlight the research of the Oriental Institute:

* We preserve our collections and information about them
* We facilitate and conduct research related to the collections
* We educate our general and scholarly audiences through informative and engaging exhibits, programs, publications and website.

## Educational Programs

The Oriental Institute was created and maintained by the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. The museum is open to all students and community members for research, tours, and museum events with free admission. The Public Education department offers family events, school programs, adult education classes, symposia, concerts, and films throughout the year. Events can be found on their calendar (http://oi.uchicago.edu/visit/events-calendar).

**Lasalle** **Banks Education Center** offers hands on archaeological learning to groups.

The institute also sponsors archaeological and text-based research including:

* Chicago Assyrian Dictionary (CAD)
* Chicago Demotic Dictionary
* Chicago Hittite Dictionary (CHD)
* Archaeological and Survey expeditions to almost every country in the Middle East
* CAMEL (Center for Ancient Middle Eastern Landscapes) Laboratory

## Organization

The Oriental Institute is focused on the study of the Ancient Middle East. It houses collections from each regional area and they are separated into galleries, which are each sponsored and named after specific families or individuals.

* The Dr. Norman Solhkhah Family Assyrian Empire Gallery
* The Edgar and Deborah Jahnotta Mesopotamian Gallery
* The Haas and Schwartz Megiddo Gallery
* The Henrietta Herbolsheimer, M.D. Syro-Anatolian Gallery
* The Joseph and Mary Grimshaw Egyptian Gallery
* The Yelda Khorsabad Court
* The Marshall and Doris Holleb Family Gallery for Special Exhibits
	+ Persepolis: Images of an Empire; A Threatened Heritage; & Our Work: Modern Jobs - Ancient Origins
* Lasalle Banks Education Center
	+ Also known as the Kipper Family Archaeology Discovery Center located in the basement and available to groups by appointments.

## Contact Information

1155 E 58th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637

773-702-9514 - General Info, 773-702-9520 - Museum Office

oi-museum@uchicago.edu

Tuesday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Wednesday: 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

Thursday - Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

*Closed Mondays*,*Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day*

Reduced Hours: day before Thanksgiving 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.; Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

**Admission is free**. Suggested donation of $10 for adults, $5 for children.

## For More Information

http://oi.uchicago.edu/

https://commons.wikimedia.org