Harvard Semitic Museum
Areas of Focus
History of Mesopotamia, Israel, Egypt, Guided Museum Tour, Self-Guided Museum Tour, Student Program
Program Fees: Self-guided group tours are free of charge. Docent-led tours cost two dollars per person. Virtual Field trips are $23 per 50 students.
Transportation Options
School Bus Availability:
No, our organization does not offer buses.
MBTA Accessibility :
Harvard Square Redline Subway and Buses
Available Programs
To Register for a Field Trip: Please register all group visits at least two weeks in advance through the website https://semiticmuseum.fas.harvard.edu/group-visits-tours
The Harvard Semitic Museum is available for self-guided group tours and docent-led tours for groups of 10 or more adults or students. Tours last from 30-60 minutes. Please register all group visits at least two weeks in advance.
The Houses of Ancient Israel: Domestic, Royal, Divine offers a view of life in an ancient Near Eastern agricultural society. The exhibit contains a full scale replica of an ancient Israelite home. The exhibit is arranged in terms of the buildings - the houses - associated with the different levels of that society: family dwelling, palace and temple.
From Stone to Silicone: Recasting Mesopotamian Monuments
The Harvard Semitic Museum is reimagining its grand third-floor atrium gallery, featuring the arts of ancient Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq). This first installment showcases newly fabricated casts from the ancient scenes that once adorned Mesopotamian palace walls. Meticulously created by museum curators and Harvard students, these relief sculptures show how the ancient kings commemorated their military triumphs and civic achievements. For ancient audiences, these scenes presented powerful royal propaganda. For modern audiences, they reveal great artistry and important glimpses into life in the ancient Near East.
Mesopotamian Monuments Virtual Field Trip (Grades 6-8, 50 minutes)
Mesopotamian Monuments is a live Skype video field trip for middle school students to investigate monuments from Sumer, Babylonia and Assyria exhibited at Harvard University. Guided by a museum educator in the gallery, students observe and analyze sculptures from their desks to understand the characteristics of these ancient river civilizations. The program introduces the Sumerian ruler Gudea, Hammurabi of Babylon and the Assyrian Kings Esharhaddon, Ashurnasirpal II and Shalmaneser III. Discussion includes stops at the monument of Hammurabis' code and a demonstration of cuneiform on clay. Free “Field Notebooks” available for download so that students may record details during the program and use for later reference. Free teacher resource with related links available for download. See the Virtual Field Trip Guide for simple technology requirements.
