Antiquities

We deal with objects from Egypt, the Greek and Roman world and the Ancient Near East. The objects range from silk hats to stone coffins. They have come from environments as diverse as tombs cut in the limestone hills of Egypt and wrecks on the ocean floor. Some arrived at the Museum straight from 19th-century archaeological excavations; others passed through the hands of many collectors before entering the Museum.

Original materials may have been changed beyond recognition by complicated histories of deterioration and early attempts at repair and restoration. Through examination, analysis and treatment our conservators and interns help unravel the stories and preserve some of the Museum’s oldest objects.