Something strange is going on at the OI!
OI Lunchtime Live Talk: "Do not look down on me:" Mudbrick and its Significance in Ancient Egypt
Lunchtime Live Chat: An Introduction to Hittite with Emily Smith
Join Emily Smith, PhD student in Hittitology, as she discusses the Hittite Language and culture.
Recorded live on May 27, 2020.
Lunchtime Chat, Live!
Day 3: Household items in the ancient world
Earlier today, Catie Witt, PhD candidate in the department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago, joined our patrons for a Facebook Live chat about daily life in ancient Egypt! Video content begins at 6:05.
Catie is interested in material culture in ancient Egypt. You may have seen Catie around the OI offices, where she works as an education program facilitator lead.
The Round Table Perspective: James Osborne, OI
For those in Hammond, IN, tune in to The Round Table Perspective tonight at 8:30 p.m. on WYIN channel 56, Lakeshore PBS, for a chance to see OI professor James Osborne discuss archaeology and its influence on the Indiana Jones movies.
Drone Footage
Drones are revolutionizing the aerial survey game for archaeology, providing a relatively low-cost means of recording data at a variety of levels for research. In this video, you see a drone in action over Wadi al-Qattafi, in the Black Desert of Jordan.
Video courtesy of Yorke Rowan, OI.
Star Wars and Religion
The OI welcomes Russell Johnson, UChicago Divinity School, for a program based on his wildly popular course, Star Wars and Religion. Join Russell as he explores ancient influences in George Lucas’s vision, as well as the significance of myth and the hero's journey in the groundbreaking franchise.
Star Wars and Religion
Sponsored by the OI Young Professionals
Tuesday, December 17
7PM
Free to OI members and UChicago Students
$5 registration for all nonmembers
REGISTER HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/star-wars-and-religion-tickets-70702778915
Giving Tuesday at the OI
#GivingTuesday is here! The OI has led a century of excavations and research projects throughout the Middle East, many of which continue today. The comprehensive and rigorous work of OI scholars deciphers ancient languages; reconstructs histories, literature, and religions of long-lost civilizations; and creates transformative dictionaries that serve as cultural encyclopedias essential to our understanding of the ancient world. Consider supporting the next century of discoveries today on this #GivingTuesday. Every donation to the OI received today will make an even greater impact through the John Ong Challenge, which is matching all gifts made on this special day. Click here https://oi.uchicago.edu/give to make a fully tax deductible gift and become a partner in discovery.
OI Programs and Giving Tuesday
In addition to being a leading interdisciplinary research center of history and archaeology of the Middle East, the OI also has an extensive outreach program with a focus on education. This includes our member's lecture series, film screenings, adult continuing education classes, family events, and large annual community events like Mummies' Night and the Nowruz celebration. Our current goal is to reach even more people who want to be a part of the OI and that's why we've started live streaming the majority of our lectures and made our adult classes accessible from anywhere online.
Learn more about the OI's events and classes at oi100.uchicago.edu and consider making a gift to support our outreach program on Giving Tuesday, December 3.
100 Years of Research and Discovery
Did you know that the OI has projects in 8 regions of the Middle East? This includes 15 active field projects, like the Epigraphic Survey at Chicago House in Luxor, Egypt and the Nippur Excavations in Iraq, and a dozen language projects including Hittite, Assyrian, and Demotic dictionaries. Learn more about the OI's past and ongoing discoveries at oi100.uchicago.edu and consider making a gift to support a new generation of scholars on Giving Tuesday, December 3.
An OI excavation
Scenes from the field. Can you guess where we’re excavating here?
#oi100
A mold being made of a cuneiform tablet
A century of research and innovation exists at the OI. Here a mold is being made of a cuneiform tablet, excavated by OI archaeologists at Khorsabad (ancient Dur-Sharrukin) in 1932–33. The text lists the names and length of reigns of 107 Assyrian kings, making it one of the most outstanding finds of the OI’s expeditions.
#oi100
You're never too young to explore the OI Museum.
#oi100
The Oriental Institute featured on 190 North
190 North on WLS-TV recently dropped by the Oriental Institute for a history lesson, and now it's your turn!
We're kicking off our 100th-anniversary programming with a free public celebration this Saturday, September 28 from 1 pm to 5 pm at the OI Museum.
More info here: http://bit.ly/2mLUE0e #oi100
4,000-pound Ancient Persian artifact "Persepolis" returns to the Oriental Institute at UChicago
For the past 80 years, the 4,000-pound Persepolis stone relief was on loan to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Now, it has returned to #UChicago in honor of The Oriental Institute's 100th anniversary.
Full Story: http://bit.ly/2LMhLkj
The Oriental Institute at 100: #oi100
A century of research. A legacy of discovery. Oriental Institute - University of Chicago is turning 100. #oi100
Learn More: ms.spr.ly/6011TMfjx
The OI excavations at Nippur in Iraq have officially reopened! As the work began, an Akkadian cuneiform tablet, which documents an over 2,500 year old real estate transaction, was discovered. It likely dates to the Neo-Babylonian period.
In the video below, OI's associate professor Susanne Paulus discusses this exciting find.
And it's finally here! Celebrate the start of Season 8 of #gameofthrones with this Phyrgian painted pot (A65608) from the site of Alishar Huyuk in Turkey. The circles in the background behind the deer on the pot are thought by some scholars to be snow. #winteriscoming #got
Roberto Cepeda has been a volunteer and docent at the Oriental Institute for 5 years. Volunteers are an integral part of our team, serving as ambassadors to the public and furthering the mission of the Oriental Institute. Volunteering at the Oriental Institute is a fun way to make a difference in our community by providing a memorable and educational experience for our visitors.
If you would like to support the continuation of our Community Education and Outreach programs, please give a gift during Giving Day: http://c-fund.us/jl5 #OIGivingDay #UChiGivingDay
Kate Morgan, PhD is among the new generation of scholars here at the Oriental Institute. Each year, the OI selects a Postdoctoral Fellow from an international pool of applicants to a twenty-four month appointment. This year, Kathryn organized the two-day conference, “Pomp, Circumstance, and the Performance of Politics: Acting ‘Politically Correct’ in the Ancient World”, inviting scholars working in a range of disciplines and time to present papers considering the role that political audiences have in shaping their political realities.
In addition to her postdoc position, Kathryn is also Assistant Director of the Chicago-Tübingen Archaeological Project in Samal (modern Zincirli, Turkey), where she currently oversees excavations and publication of the citadel’s Middle Bronze Age levels.
Support the new generation of scholars with a gift to the OI Research and Archaeology Fund. http://c-fund.us/jl5 #UChiGivingDay #OIGivingDay
Today, in our last Collection Highlights Mini Series episode, Tasha takes us to the Nubia Gallery to learn about our Meroitic pottery!
Thank you so much for watching our Mini Series and we hope that you support the OI on Giving Day, April 9-10. Early donations are now being accepted: http://c-fund.us/jl5 #OIGivingDay #UChiGivingDay
We would also like to give a special thank you to Tasha Vorderstrasse and everyone else who helped us put this series together!
We can't believe we are almost at the end of our Collection Highlights Mini Series! In today's episode we are in the Persia Gallery exploring the Foundation Slab from the time of Xerxes!
As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode and please support the OI on Giving Day, April 9-10. Early donations are now being accepted: http://c-fund.us/jl5 #OIGivingDay #UChiGivingDay
Welcome back to our Collection Highlights Mini Series! Today Tasha is in the Megiddo Gallery discussing the Amarna Letter.
We hope you enjoy this episode and please remember to donate to the OI on Giving Day, April 9-10. Early donations are now being accepted: http://c-fund.us/jl5 Thank you! #OIGivingDay #UChiGivingDay
Thank you for joining us for our first episode of the Collection Highlights Mini Series, hosted by our University Continuing Education Program Coordinator and Research Associate, Tasha Vorderstrasse, PhD. Today we are in the Assyrian Gallery discussing Pazuzu!
We hope you enjoyed today's episode and consider donating to the OI on Giving Day, April 9-10, 2019. Early donations are now being accepted: http://c-fund.us/jl5 #OIGivingDay #UChiGivingDay
I'm an archaeologist... because I dig you. Happy Valentine's day! Show us some love by becoming a member: https://oi.uchicago.edu/support/become-member
I'm an archaeologist... because I dig you. Happy Valentine's day! Show us some love by becoming a member: https://oi.uchicago.edu/support/become-member
Wine tasting at the OI
Join us on October 18th for a Georgian wine tasting! Tickets and additional information can be found on our website.
#OIExcavates Zincirli Höyük, a.k.a. ancient Sam’al! Located in southern Turkey, this archaeological site is being excavated by staff from the Oriental Institute and the University of Tübingen for the next month. This large settlement was the capital of a small but powerful kingdom in the Iron Age, home to monumental palaces and massive outer walls. Excavations have just begun, with an exciting season in store. Drone video courtesy of Jason Herrmann.
Here’s a sneak peek of what the Oriental Institute Gala will look like tonight. Aren’t you excited?
Does cuneiform make you want to bite a tablet?
(Watch video for reference.)
Then it's time you signed up for our online Sumerian Cuneiform Course! Less than a week left to register: http://bit.ly/2ccwnYA
Excerpt: Is Today like 1177 BC?
There's a bit of similarity between today and 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed, but at least we don't have sea peoples. Or wait... maybe we do? See the full video: http://bit.ly/1UKc4yn