This page provides a comprehensive list of links to institutions worldwide that promote the research interests of the Ancient Near East. Reflecting the diverse backgrounds of researchers within the field (archaeology, history, linguistics, religion, etc.), these institutions include both secular and religious societies, as well as a number of research groupings.
NB: Those institutions which are integrated within university or college environments are listed on the Departments page.
Albright Institute (WF Albright Institute of Archaeological Research), Jerusalem
The Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem represents that branch of the American Schools of Oriental Research concerned with research and excavation in Israel and Palestine.
Amarna Research Foundation
American Academy of Religion (AAR)
American Center for Oriental Research (ACOR), Amman
American Institute for Yemeni Studies (AIYS), Ardmore PA and Sana’a (Yemen)
American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), Atlanta and Cairo
ARCE is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1948 by a consortium of educational and cultural institutions to support research on Egyptian history and culture, foster broader knowledge about Egypt among the general public, and promote and strengthen American-Egyptian cultural ties. ARCE facilitates research by individuals and American institutions in Egypt, providing a permanent base of operations in Cairo for scholars studying Egypt from prehistory to the present day. More than a dozen archaeological teams sponsored by leading US and Canadian museums and universities are assisted annually by our Cairo Center. The scope of programs and activities conducted or supported by ARCE and its US chapters includes research fellowships, seminars and public lectures, short courses, educational excursions, archaeological expeditions, conservation projects, and the operation of a research library. ARCE sponsors educational and training opportunities in the US for Egyptian scholars, conservators, and students.
American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR), Atlanta and Boston
Founded 1900, ASOR supports and encourages the study of the peoples and cultures of the Near East, from the earliest times to the present. ASOR communicates news of the latest research in its publications and through lectures at its Annual Meeting, while its overseas institutes host scholars working in the Middle East. ASOR’s book series and journals such as Near Eastern Archaeology and the Bulletin of ASOR, are aimed at both a lay audience and specialist archaeologists, historians, and Biblical scholars. ASOR’s Annual Meeting gathers scholars from around the world to present their latest findings and discuss their research. Independent overseas institutes in Cyprus, Israel, and Jordan facilitate research in the field by students and scholars. Fellowship programs are available to provide funds for work at these institutes as well as for other purposes.
American Society of Papyrologists (ASP)
Ancient Egypt Studies Association (AESA), Seattle / Portland
A US Pacific Northwest organization that promotes the study and understanding of ancient Egypt. The AESA offers lectures and study groups in Seattle and Portland, as well as The Scroll, a well-received quarterly newsletter.
Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society, London
Founded in 1961, the aims of the society are to: 1. Make recent developments in the archaeology of Israel and neighbouring countries more widely known in the UK; 2. provide a series of illustrated public presentations explaining and informing on recent archaeological findings and new theories; 3. regularly publish an internationally respected journal (Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society), consisting of original research papers; 4. provide travel grants for students of Middle Eastern Archaeology.
Archaeological Institute of America (AIA)
North America’s oldest and largest organization devoted to the world of archaeology. The Institute is a nonprofit group founded in 1879 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1906. Today, the AIA has nearly 10,000 members belonging to 102 local societies in the United States, Canada, and overseas. The organization is particularly unique because it counts among its members professional archaeologists, students, and many others from all walks of life. This diverse group is united by a shared passion for archaeology and its role in furthering human knowledge.
Asociación Andaluza de Egiptología (ASADE), Sevilla
Asociación Española de Egiptología (AEDEWEB)
Associates for Biblical Research
An evangelical Christian organization committed to demonstrating the historical reliability of Scripture through excavation and research in Biblical archaeology.
Association angevine et nantaise d’Égyptologie ISIS
Association Internationale pour l’Etude du Droit de l’Égypte Ancienne
Association for the Study of Travel in Egypt and the Near East (ASTENE), UK
Established in 1997, ASTENE promotes education and learning with particular reference to the history of travel and travellers in Egypt and the Near East. In order to further its aims, ASTENE organises conferences, seminars, exhibitions, lectures, and visits; publishes papers, newsletters, books and journals; initiates and encourages research. Essentially, ASTENE acts as a focus for the collection of materials and information and contacts related to its object. Membership is open to all, regardless of nationality, and the Association is keen to foster an international co-operative network.
Australian Centre for Ancient Numismatic Studies (ACANS), Macquarie University, Sydney
Australian Centre for Egyptology (ACE), Sydney
British Association for Near Eastern Archaeology (BANEA), London
British Institute of Archaeology in Ankara, London & Ankara
British Institute of Persian Studies, London
British School of Archaeology in Iraq (BSAI), London
British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem (BSAJ), Jerusalem
British School at Athens, Athens & London
British-Yemeni Society, London
Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies, Toronto
Centre for Computer-Aided Egyptological Research (CCER)
Centre Français d’Archéologie et de Sciences Sociales de Sanaa, Sanaa, Yemen
CenturyOne Foundation, Pasadena, CA, USA
Council for British Research in the Levant, London
Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI), Nicosia
Czech Insitute of Egyptology, Prague, Czech Republic
Dansk Ægyptologisk Selskab (Danish Egyptological Society)
Deutscher Palästina-Verein (German Palestinian Society)
Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (DAI)
The German Archaeological Institute (Deutsches Archäologische Institut, DAI) is a scientific institution under the auspices of the German Foreign Office with its centre in Berlin and several sections within Germany and abroad. The institute undertakes archaeological excavations and scientific research and holds contact to international scientific affairs. The Institute organizes academic congresses, colloquia and tours, and informs the public about its work.
École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem, Jerusalem (French and English)
Egypt Exploration Society (EES), London
Founded 1882, the EES continues to pursue an active program of excavations at several sites (including Amarna, Memphis and Qasr Ibrim); maintains active public programs in London, Manchester and Cairo; and publishes a number of scholarly journals.
Egyptian Society of South Africa, Cape Town
Epigraphic Survey (Chicago House), Luxor, Egypt
The mission of the Survey – since its founding in 1924 – has been to produce photographs and precise line drawings of the inscriptions and relief scenes on major temples and tombs at Luxor for publication. More recently the Survey has expanded its program to include conservation. In addition to a field director (currently Dr Raymond Johnson), the professional staff of the Survey normally includes 4 epigraphers, 5 artists, two photographers, a librarian, and several conservators.
European Association of Biblical Studies (EABS)
Franciscan Archaeological Institute, Jordan, Madaba, Jordan
Friends of Saqqara, Leiden, Netherlands
In support of the Dutch excavations in the New Kingdom necropolis of Saqqara
Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles
Griffith Institute, Oxford
Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies, University College, London
Institut français d’archéologie orientale du Caire (IFAO), Cairo / le Caire
Institut Français d’Archéologie du Proche-Orient (IFAPO), Paris
Institut Français d’Etudes Anatoliennes (IFEA), Paris
Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA)
International Association for Coptic Studies / Association Internationale d’Études Coptes, Rome
International Association of Papyrologists / Association Internationale de Papyrologues, Brussels
International Institute for Mesopotamian Area Studies (IIMAS), Los Angeles
Israel Exploration Society (IES), Jerusalem
Istituto per la civiltà fenicia e punica “Sabatino Moscati”, Rome
A.G. Leventis Foundation, Cyprus
Macquarie Ancient History Association (MAHA), Macquarie University, Sydney
Near East Archaeological Society (NEAS)
Founded in 1957, NEAS’ focus is for research in the lands of the Bible from a distinctively evangelical perspective.
Near Eastern Archaeology Foundation (NEAF), Sydney
Netherlands Institute for the Near East (NINO), Leiden
Oriental Institute (OI), Chicago
Part of the University of Chicago, the OI is a dynamic institution in regard to excavation, public outreach and electronic resourcing.
Orient–Institut der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, Beirut and Istanbul
Orion Centre for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Associated Literature, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF), London
Founded 1865 by a group of distinguished academics and clergymen, its purpose to promote research into the archaeology and history, manners and customs and culture, topography, geology and natural sciences of the Levant. Today, the PEF is an active organisation which publishes a respected academic journal, the Palestine Exploration Quarterly (PEQ). Additionally, the PEF presents public lectures and funds several research projects covering a range of subjects in the Levant by way of small annual grants. The central London offices house a reference library, as well as a collection of vintage photographs, archaeological objects, natural history collections, archives and manuscripts.
Russian Academy of Sciences Centre for Egyptological Studies
(Russian, English language site in preparation)
Saqqara, Friends of, Leiden, Netherlands
In support of the Dutch excavations in the New Kingdom necropolis of Saqqara
SCIEM 2000: The Synchronization of Civilizations in the Eastern Mediterranean in the 2nd Millennium BC
Coordinated by Manfred Bietak at the University of Vienna, SCIEM 2000 is a consortium of scholars that seeks to better understand the chonology and interacting cultures of the Ancient Near East in the 2nd Millennium BCE.
Société Française d’Egyptologie, Paris
Society for Arabian Studies
(and the British Archaeological Mission in Yemen), London
Society for Libyan Studies, London
Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities / Société pour L’Étude de l’Égypte Ancienne (SSEA / SEEA), Toronto, Calgary and Montreal
Sudan Archaeological Research Society, London
Sudanarchäologische Gesellschaft zu Berlin e.V., Berlin
TEMPER: Training, Education, Management and Prehistory in the Mediterranean
A collaborative project involving six partner institutions and five prehistoric archaeology sites across Europe and the southern Mediterranean. The aim of the Temper project is to make Mediterranean prehistory accessible to all, from local school children to tourists and a wider international audience. This will be achieved through the development of site management plans and education programmes at five prehistoric sites in the Mediterranean.
Turkish Institute of Archaeology – Türk Eskiçag Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Istanbul, Turkey
Tyndale House, Cambridge, UK
Tyndale House is an international centre for Biblical research, founded in a spirit of loyalty to the historic Christian faith. It is a community of scholars, working mostly at postgraduate level. It welcomes all bona fide scholars in the field of Biblical Studies.