Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures curator's tour

Please join CAA’s Archives and Archivists of Color and Exhibitions and Curation interest groups for a curator’s tour of the Institute for the Study of Ancient Culture’s exhibition Megiddo: A City Unearthed, A Past Imagined on Saturday, February 7, 2026, from 12:00-1:30 p.m. The exhibition marks 100 years since ISAC’s first major archaeological expedition (1925–1939), which revealed layers of palatial complexes, fortifications, and elite material culture. At the crossroads of West Asia, Egypt, and the Mediterranean, Megiddo endured for millennia as a nexus of power and cultural exchange. The exhibition, curated by Kiersten Neumann, examines not only what was unearthed but also what was imagined: a site transformed into a stage for institutional ambition, philanthropic vision, and global storytelling.

Original issues of The New York Times and The Illustrated London News with headlines like “New Revelations from Armageddon”—appear alongside the enduring artifacts they dramatized, showing how kings, empires, and excavation reports became front-page news. Visitors also go behind the scenes to explore how finds were documented and circulated, and how the partage system shaped ISAC’s collections. Directors’ correspondence, archival photographs, and remarkable artifacts trace a century-long journey from excavation to exhibition.

The tour will be led by Dr. Neumann and will include a visit to ISAC’s archives. ISAC is located on the campus of the University of Chicago at 1155 E. 58th Street in Chicago. We will meet inside the Institute at 12:00 p.m. The tour is free for CAA members and guests. Members may bring up to two guests but because of the gallery size, we are limited to thirty-five people. Find directions to the University of Chicago and parking information here: https://safety-security.uchicago.edu/transportation/driving-parking/directions-campus

For more information, contact Kheir Fakhreldin (classickheir@gmail.com) or Patti Gibbons (pgibbons@uchicago.edu)