ISAC's Epipgraphic Survey Centennial Celebration
2,165 views 8 months ago
Celebrate 100 years of the Epigraphic Survey in Luxor, Egypt! In 1924, an Egyptologist, an artist, and a photographer—the staff of the University of Chicago’s new Epigraphic Survey—began the task of recording the scenes and inscriptions carved on the walls of the enormous, 3,000-year-old temple of Pharaoh Ramesses III at Medinet Habu near Luxor. It was the culmination of a long-standing dream of James Henry Breasted, the first American Egyptologist and founder of ISAC (then the Oriental Institute), to both copy and publish all the historical texts in the Nile Valley. The Epigraphic Survey was established to undertake this unimaginably ambitious program of field research. A century later, the Epigraphic Survey continues to fulfill Breasted’s mission. Housed at Chicago House in Luxor, the expedition has documented some of the most important—and endangered—records to survive from ancient Egypt, using a well-established and tested method to create highly accurate facsimiles of the carvings and texts and to publish them as a permanent archive.
Gain access to the the world's top scholars on an exploration that opens up our shared past. Join us from the comfort of your home as we embark on journey into the cultures and civilizations of the ancient Middle East. To support this, and all of our work, become a member of the ISAC at iSAC.uchicago.edu/member. All videos are © ISAC of the University of Chicago.
Explore the cutting edge of scholarship on the ancient Middle East from the world's foremost academics. ISAC Members lectures are a long standing tradition that brings the ancient past to life, and now, into your home. Thanks to ISAC membership dues, we are able to schedule these lectures monthly through the academic year, and provide them for free to the public at large. All videos are © ISAC of the University of Chicago.
History repeats itself, with variation. Join host Steven Townshend, ISAC Publications, in a series of accessible and informal conversations with contemporary scholars and artists as they explore the aspects of the ancient world that mirror contemporary themes.
Join us as ISAC's top scholars explore the languages and literature of the ancient Middle East. This series of accessible workshops brings the University of Chicago's ISAC classroom into your home.
Does social distancing have you hungry for world travel? Set out with us from the comfort of your armchair as ISAC scholars embark on a journey across the ancient world. Each of our Armchair Travelers episodes revisits a past, or future ISAC tour.
The ISAC mourns the loss of our dear friend and colleague, a great Egyptologist who lived for his discipline and inspired generations of students. We invite you to explore this playlist featuring some of Robert’s extremely popular lectures and podcasts.
Be inspired! Become the next Indiana Jones with this series that brings ISAC exploration into your living room!
Click through a selection of lectures and footage from a century of ISAC research and exploration.
Located on the campus of the University of Chicago, ISAC houses both a museum and a research center. Explore the work that goes on inside our building located in Chicago's south side.