Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East facts for kids
HMANE occupies its 1903 building on the Harvard campus
|
|
| Former name | Harvard Semitic Museum |
|---|---|
| Established | 1889 |
| Location | 6 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 |
| Type | Archeology |
| Architect | A. W. Longfellow |
| Owner | Harvard University |
| Public transit access | Harvard (MBTA) |
The Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East (HMANE) is a museum at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was started in 1889 and moved to its current building in 1903. This museum helps people learn about the ancient cultures of the Near East, a region that includes places like Egypt, Iraq, and Israel.
Contents
What You Can See at HMANE
From the very beginning, HMANE has been a special place. It's home to Harvard's Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. It also holds a huge library and important collections for research. The museum is a public place for learning and a center for discovering ancient sites.
The museum has been part of many important discoveries. For example, it helped with the first scientific digs in the Holy Land (at Samaria from 1907–1912). It also supported excavations in Mesopotamia and the Sinai.
Inside the museum, you can see many amazing artifacts. These include ancient pottery, cylinder seals, sculpture, coins, and cuneiform tablets. There are also Egyptian mummy sarcophagi (coffins). Many of these items come from museum-sponsored digs in places like Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Cyprus, Israel, and Tunisia.
HMANE also displays plaster copies of famous ancient objects. You can see copies of the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III, the Laws of Hammurabi, and the Stele of Esarhaddon. There's even a life-size model of an Iron Age Israelite house. The museum uses these collections to teach about the history and culture of the Ancient Near East.
A Look Back: HMANE's History
Construction on the museum's current building began on September 27, 1900. The building was finished in the spring of 1902. The museum officially opened its doors to the public on February 5, 1903.
During World War II, the museum's building was used for other purposes. It was closed to visitors from August 1942 until April 1946. It closed again to the public from 1958 to 1982.
On October 14, 1970, an incident occurred on the third floor of the museum. This area housed the Center for International Affairs at the time.
The museum reopened in April 1982. Harvard President Derek Bok spoke at the reopening ceremony. In December 2012, Harvard announced a new group called the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture. HMANE joined this group, along with other museums like the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
In April 2020, the museum's director, Peter Der Manuelian, announced a name change. The museum became the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East (HMANE). He explained that the new name better shows what the museum is all about. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum also launched a "virtual tour." This allowed people to explore the museum's collections online while the physical building was closed.
What HMANE Does
Exhibits and Learning
The museum creates special exhibits, often with help from university classes and staff. These exhibits are for Harvard students and teachers, but they also welcome the general public. The museum has programs for school groups, offering tours and workshops for teachers. HMANE also hosts public lectures each year, sometimes with other organizations. Through these efforts, the museum helps everyone learn more about the ancient Near East and its amazing history.
Using the Collections for Teaching
HMANE encourages students and teachers at Harvard University to use its collections. The objects can be used for class assignments, research papers, and even for teaching displays. There's a special room in the basement where classes can meet to study the collection up close.
Research and Publications
The museum supports archaeological research into the ancient societies of the Near East. They especially focus on cultures connected to the world of the Bible. Every year, many staff, students, and volunteers take part in the Ashkelon Excavations. The museum also publishes books and studies about the archaeology, history, and cultures of the Near East. Many of these publications share the research of Harvard's professors and their students.
