The people of the ancient Middle East made incredible advances in communication systems, mathematics, and systems of government. Spiritual and religious beliefs played an important role in the day-to-day lives of many.
The objects in this gallery relate to lived experiences, from the mundane to the sublime, recording ancient lives. You will learn about ongoing Yale research and find connections between these ancient civilizations and the region today.
These 4,000-year-old cuneiform tablets are the earliest written recipes. They include stews, pies, and some foreign dishes, revealing culinary sophistication in ancient Mesopotamia.
Photo credit: Andy Melien / Yale Peabody Museum
Sumerian cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphs emerged around the same time in the late 4th millennium BCE. The two cultures initially used writing for different purposes.
Photo credit: Andy Melien / Yale Peabody Museum
This tablet calculates the diagonal of a square. The answer, the square root of 2, is noted with an accuracy of six decimal places.
Photo credit: Andy Melien / Yale Peabody Museum
Syrian-American artist Mohamad Hafez draws connections between past and present, and New Haven and Syria, by incorporating 3D prints of collections objects into this sculpture.
Photo credit: Luke Hanscom