Welcome to one of Chicago’s hidden treasures, located on the University of Chicago campus. This fascinating museum, known as the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC), offers a unique glimpse into the past. Although it closes at four o’clock, it’s a must-visit for anyone interested in ancient history. The museum is free to enter and is situated right across from the main quad, making it easily accessible for students and visitors alike.
ISAC takes you on a journey from prehistory to the Early Middle Ages, covering a vast timeline from 5,000 BCE to the 6th century AD. With its recent additions, like the Islamic collection, the museum extends its reach to the period before the 14th century. The primary focus is on the Middle and Near East, including the Nile Valley, Egypt, and Sudan. The museum boasts an impressive collection of approximately 350,000 artifacts, although only 2% are on display at any given time.
Among the museum’s treasures is a remarkable wooden painted stela from the Third Intermediate Period. This piece depicts the divine priestess of Amun, Djed-Khonsu Amun, presenting an offering to the god Ra-Horakhty. The artist’s skill in creating a sense of transparency in the costume is particularly noteworthy, despite the lack of perspective techniques.
Visiting ISAC is more than just viewing artifacts; it’s about connecting with the past. Each object tells a story and poses existential questions about our own lives. The museum encourages visitors to see it as a cultural resource, much like a dictionary, rather than an exceptional outing. It’s a place to explore and learn, sparking curiosity and reflection.
One of the intriguing aspects of ancient Egyptian culture is their reverence for cats. The museum features a cat mummy mask, highlighting the symbolic relationship between the lioness and the cat in Egyptian art. Cats held significant cultural and religious importance, often associated with deities like Sekhmet and Bastet.
Cats were deeply embedded in both the religious and economic fabric of ancient Egypt. They were so cherished that people would risk their lives to save them from burning buildings. Rituals were performed upon a cat’s death, and they were often mummified as offerings to the gods. The word for cat in ancient Egyptian is “miu,” and notable monuments, like the sarcophagus for a cat named Ta Miu, reflect their esteemed status.
The lioness goddess Sekhmet, with a sun disk on her head, was believed to be the daughter of the sun god Ra. Myths about Sekhmet often involve her wrath and humorous resolutions involving beer. Bastet, another feline deity, represents duality, embodying both gentle and fierce aspects.
Economic texts reveal that cat temples had large pens where cats were raised. Priests would mummify these cats as offerings to ensure the gods’ favor, which was believed to bring prosperity to the land. This transactional nature of Egyptian religion involved giving offerings to receive blessings in return.
Today, the legacy of ancient Egypt continues to captivate us. The abundance of artifacts and architecture left behind offers endless opportunities for discovery. Museums like ISAC play a crucial role in preserving and interpreting these cultural treasures, while also acknowledging the colonial history associated with such collections.
ISAC is committed to evolving with modern trends, focusing on education and partnerships. The museum aims to recreate the mindset of ancient peoples through context and social practices, making it a place of learning and growth. By understanding the past, we can better shape our future, both as individuals and as a society.
Engage in a hands-on workshop where you analyze replicas of artifacts from the ISAC collection. Discuss the historical context, cultural significance, and artistic techniques used in these pieces. This activity will deepen your understanding of ancient cultures and their contributions to modern society.
Participate in a virtual tour of the ISAC museum, focusing on key exhibits such as the wooden painted stela and the cat mummy mask. After the tour, write a reflection on how these artifacts connect to the broader themes of ancient history and their relevance today.
Join a debate on the ethical considerations of artifact collection and display in museums. Discuss the colonial history associated with these collections and explore ways to address these issues while preserving cultural heritage.
Create a short story or script based on ancient Egyptian myths, such as those involving Sekhmet and Bastet. Use your creativity to bring these myths to life, highlighting their cultural significance and moral lessons.
Conduct a research project on the economic systems of ancient Egypt, focusing on the role of cats in religion and economy. Present your findings in a class presentation, discussing how these systems compare to modern economic practices.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
—
From the text, it’s very clear, as noted in economic texts, that around cat temples there were large pens where cats were raised.
I’m taking you to one of my favorite hidden gem museums in Chicago, but I don’t want it to remain a hidden gem. It is one of the coolest places I’ve come across. It’s on the University of Chicago campus, it’s free, but they close at four o’clock, so I have to hurry. Right across the street from the main quad is an archaeology museum known as the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. I came here to learn more about cat worship in ancient Egypt, but first wanted to talk with the museum’s chief curator, Dr. Marc Maillot, to learn more about the museum itself.
From a chronological standpoint, we cover everything from prehistory to the Early Middle Ages, basically 5,000 BCE right up until the 6th century AD. With new integrations like the Islamic collection display case, we can go as far as sometime before the 14th century. Our main focus is the Middle and Near East, the entire Nile Valley, including Egypt and Sudan. A particular aspect of ISAC is that it relies on an archaeological collection of approximately 350,000 artifacts, with only 2% on display.
What are some highlights in the collections that people can see in the gallery? There is one specific wooden painted stela that I love, featuring the divine priestess of Amun, Djed-Khonsu Amun, presenting an offering to the god Ra-Horakhty from the Third Intermediate Period. This is an exceptional piece due to the artist’s ability to recreate a feeling of transparency in the costume without mastering perspective.
Is it surprising that we feel so separated from ancient cultures? Are there things that come up where you’re like, “Ancient people are just like us”?
On an archaeological site, for example, you can find in a brick that’s not perfectly cooked the footprint of a dog that was just passing by. Having access to that puts you into a specific mindset regarding your own meaning in life. Each object elicits an existential question within yourself when you come here.
That’s what I want people to experience when they walk into a museum like this; each object is like a little snapshot in time. We should get out of the idea that visiting a museum is exceptional; it should be a cultural reflex. You should come here when you want to check something, like a dictionary, for example.
I told Marc that I was super curious about cat worship, so we had to check one out. This is the mask of a cat mummy, showcasing the interplay in Egyptian art between the lioness and the cat, ensuring that the entire scope of any given attribution linked to the female nature is covered by the god in question.
I had the opportunity to talk with one of the most renowned scholars in Egyptology, Emily Teeter. My specialty is the languages and culture of ancient Egypt, with a particular interest in objects.
We’re looking at the topic of felines and cats. There’s a general understanding that cats had huge cultural and religious importance in ancient Egypt, but I don’t even think I understand the extent of it.
Cats were significant in ancient Egypt. I have a particular interest in their function in religion and the economy because these two aspects overlap. For example, Herodotus noted that cats were so beloved that people would run into burning houses to save them, and there were rituals when a cat died.
The ancient Egyptian word for cat is “miu.” A famous cat monument is a large stone sarcophagus for a cat named Ta Miu, which means “the kitty,” made by a king of the 18th dynasty for his pet cat.
However, cats also had huge religious significance. For example, the statue of the lioness Sekhmet has a sun disk on her head because she was the daughter of the sun god Ra, one of the most important gods in Egyptian religion. The myths about Sekhmet describe her getting angry with mankind for disrespecting her father Ra, leading to a rather humorous resolution involving beer.
Then we have the goddess Bastet, who represents duality; when she’s happy, she is Bastet, and when she’s not, she is Sekhmet.
Some cats were eviscerated like human mummies, while others were purified with incense and wrapped in linen, alluding to the god Osiris, the main god of the dead.
It’s written in economic texts that around cat temples, there were large pens where cats were raised. The priests who raised these cats would cull the herds and mummify them to present them as offerings to the deities.
This was significant in ancient Egypt, as the happiness of the gods was believed to ensure the sun rises and the river floods, contributing to the overall prosperity of the land.
Egyptian religion was transactional; offerings were made to the gods in exchange for blessings. For example, a cat deity like Sekhmet would receive offerings like a little statue or a mummified cat.
We have cat cemeteries, often referred to as “catacombs.” This process involved mummifying cats and presenting them to the deity, with records indicating that around 180,000 cat mummies were exported to the UK for fertilizer in the late 1800s.
These are called amulets, which are like good-luck charms. They were often protective charms worn by living people and placed on mummies.
Today, people still wear amulets and jewelry of cats to show their love for them. There’s something universal about our affection for cats, whether or not we assign god-like qualities to them.
The Egyptians created an abundance of wonderful architecture and statues, and every time I learn something new, I find myself fascinated by their culture.
I keep thinking about the abundance of material that still exists from this culture, including objects removed from Egypt and placed in museums like ISAC’s.
There is a bit of a colonial background in places like ISAC, and we are open to change in modern trends, listening to the people visiting our galleries. We focus on pedagogy and partnerships, ensuring a long-term approach to archaeological excavations and research.
ISAC is not just interested in monumental artifacts; it aims to recreate the mindset of the people who created these artifacts through context and social practices.
This museum is about the human experience, relating to it, and using it as a basis for change. Acknowledging the past is critical to growing, both as individuals and as institutions.
—
This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any sensitive or potentially distressing content.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – The professor’s lecture on the history of the Roman Empire provided deep insights into its rise and fall.
Archaeology – The scientific study of material remains of past human life and activities. – The archaeology team uncovered a series of artifacts that shed light on the daily lives of the ancient civilization.
Ancient – Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence. – The ancient ruins of Machu Picchu continue to captivate historians and tourists alike.
Cultures – The social behavior and norms found in human societies, often passed down through generations. – The course explored how different cultures have influenced each other throughout history.
Egypt – A country in northeastern Africa, known for its ancient civilization and monumental architecture. – Egypt’s pyramids are among the most iconic and enduring symbols of ancient engineering prowess.
Artifacts – Objects made by humans, typically an item of cultural or historical interest. – The museum’s collection of artifacts from the Bronze Age provides valuable insights into early human craftsmanship.
Religion – A system of faith and worship, often involving a belief in a higher power or deities. – The influence of religion on medieval European politics was a central theme of the seminar.
Economy – The wealth and resources of a region, especially in terms of production and consumption of goods and services. – The collapse of the local economy was a significant factor in the decline of the ancient city-state.
Deities – Gods or goddesses worshipped in various religions and mythologies. – The pantheon of deities in Greek mythology includes well-known figures such as Zeus and Athena.
Legacy – Something handed down from an ancestor or from the past. – The legacy of the Renaissance period is evident in the art and architecture that continue to inspire modern society.
