The Milton S. Eisenhower Library houses an outstanding Near Eastern collection, including most of the important works of the 19th century not usually found in other libraries. The department has its own special study and seminar room within the library.

Students interested in art and archaeology will benefit from the collections of the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore and the museums and collections in Washington, D.C., especially those of the Smithsonian Institute. The Department of Near Eastern Studies, together with the Department of Classics has a small archaeological museum on campus. We also have our own “smart” seminar room and an archaeology laboratory. The Visual Resources Collection (VRC) in the Art History Department provides images and teaching support for faculty and students in the Department of Near Eastern Studies, as well.

The Department is at present conducting excavations in Egypt (Hopkins in Egypt Today), Iraqi Kurdistan (Kurd Qaburstan Excavations), Oman, and Ethiopia.  Students from all sub-disciplines (not just archaeology) are encouraged to participate in one or more seasons.

The W. F. Albright and Samuel Iwry lectureships bring distinguished scholars to the department annually for a public lecture. Additional lectures and seminars by visiting scholars from this country and abroad are designed to enrich and augment faculty instruction.

The Ancient Studies Colloquium is a biannual joint undertaking of the Near Eastern studies and classics departments. We invite several scholars from other institutions to discuss a topic of common interest. Past topics have included Herodotus in Egypt, Colonization, and the Organization of Knowledge.