Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures

The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia and North Africa (ISAC) is a research institute and museum of the University of Chicago, located in Hyde Park. Founded in May 1919 by Egyptologist James Henry Breasted with funds from John D. Rockefeller Jr., it conducts research on ancient civilizations throughout the Near East, including at its facility Chicago House in Luxor, Egypt. Visitors can explore an extensive collection of artifacts related to ancient civilizations and archaeological discoveries, displayed in the institute's on-campus building. According to anthropologist William Parkinson of the Field Museum, the highly focused collection of Near Eastern, southwest Asian, and Egyptian objects is considered one of the finest in the world.